Digital camera accessories

[pa42]

I have need of a digital camera mounted outside a vehicle (perhaps fixed, perhaps remotely pointed, but certainly far from hands or eyes).

How do I find a camera and PC compatible enough so I can use the PC as the viewfinder for remote camera?

If I can figure out how to inexpensively feed the viewfinder LCD signal into a laptop or notebook computer next to me inside the vehicle, then I can point the vehicle properly before remotely triggering the exposure.

But that remoted viewfinder is a hard nut to crack.  It has to be at least 11" by 9" size, no wimpy little screens the size of a postage stamp can be used in this application, I  have to DRIVE too.  And before you change the subject: no passenger photographer is possible either.

No details available, for I have yet to buy either camera or PC.  The question is what to shop for, and where.

[ShutterbugGail]

Hello pa42,

Welcome and thanks so much for joining us.

Sincere apologies, but your question is somewhat beyond the scope of what we offer here. However, we can still help by directing you to a site which deals with advanced digital camera issues such as yours.

Check out Steve's Digicam. He has an article on Camera Control Software. We also found a forum discussion which relates to your question.

http://www.steves-digicams.com/digsoftware_cameractrl.html

http://www.stevesforums.com/forums/view_topic.php?id=15497&forum_id=44

Hope this helps.

[Deb]

Hi pa42. Forgive the delay; I was away vacationing.  

I'm a bit familiar with what you're asking for. ;-)

Yep, there are softwares that allow you to capture images from your digital camera remotely using your laptop or desktop computer. One I use is Nikon Capture 3 Camera Control. It allows me to operate my dSLR via a computer hookup. The images are viewed on the computer monitor (rather than on the dSLR's LCD) and the shutter and camera settings are operated from the keyboard. The two are cabled together.

I've used this approach to capture images through a microscope. It's also often used in studio work, and other applications where you want a large viewable image and access to immediate storage on a harddrive, etc. I've even seen a pet photographer use this setup to photograph pups with Santa for the holidays.  

Canon cameras and Nikon cameras have a remote capture software available. I'll bet other brands like Fuji  have something available too.

As for what type of computer, you can use an Apple platform or a Windows platform computer in either a desktop or laptop size. The specific requirements (processor speed, ram, etc.) would be indicated on the software.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,
Deb

[Deb]

(This is a reply which came via email.)

... The reason I needed a viewfinder remote was in order to frame-before-exposing, in a moving environment (in the primary case, while maneuvering the helicopter on which the camera is mounted, so that I can press a microswitch on the control stick at the proper moment).  
 ...

Hello again pa42,
There is a software (probably more than one) that offers Live Viewfinder Display. One is called PSRemote by Breeze Systems (www.breezesys.com). Within their website you can find the list of compatible camera models. Go to http://www.breezesys.com/PSRemote/help/main.htm

Also, Konica Minolta offers DiIMAGE Capture Remote Imaging Software for some of their cameras (http://www.minoltausa.com) .

Finally, have you seen this? It's a remote controlled blimp device for remote camera shooting. Neat idea. http://www.blimpcam.com/equipt.html .

Are these more along the lines of what you were needing? - Deb

[Larry h. Smith]

I'm a bit familiar with what you're asking for. ;-)

Yep, there are softwares that allow you to capture images from your digital camera remotely using your laptop or desktop computer.

Hi,

Is the image on the laptop a tiny window, or a large enough portion of the screen to really function as a magnified viewfinder image for precise focussing? (I am interested in Canon's zoombrowqser, specifically, but would like any answer re. image size on-screen with whatever software. ;-)

Thanks!

[Deb]

Hi Larry,

I use Nikon Capture Control. You have the choice of viewing the image in the "status" window (small thumbnail-like view) or of having displayed in either Nikon Capture Editor (full screen view) or Nikon Browser (thumbnail or full screen view). You set the preferences to determine how the image will be displayed.