BETTER LIGHT, Inc. PRECISION DIGITAL IMAGING
1200 Industrial Road, Suite 17 San Carlos, CA 94070-4129 phone 650 631 3680 fax 650 631 2915 www.betterlight.com
Bernard Jarvis Ralmtec
PO Box 2274
Hutchinson, KS
67504-2274
March 8, 2004
Hello, Bernard:
I thought you might
like to see how Better Light is using Ralmtec's
rotary turntable technology for our Pano/WideView
Adapter, and what our customers like Peter Grote are
able to do with this system.
In panoramic
capture mode, your turntable provides the precise motion required to rotate a
large-format camera (generally weighing from 7 to 16 pounds) with micron-level
accuracy, while the Kodak line scan sensor in our digital scanning back remains
stationary behind the center of the lens. Even in the cold and very windy conditions
Mr. Grote encountered at 15,000+ feet in the
Himalayas, your rotary table provided smooth, backlash-free operation to record
images such as the one in this brochure.
Thank you for
providing such a rugged and well-made rotary table for our customers to push
the limits of photographic imaging!
Sincerely,
Michael Collette
Better Light, Inc.
…simply better digital cameras
THE WORLD’S ONLY 4X5 PANORAMIC CAMERA SYSTEM
The Pano/WideViewTM
Adapter when used with the Better
Light 4"x5" scanning back can create panoramic, rollout and OTVR
images. This system can capture seamless 360 degree digital panoramic scans and
wide-view images of adjustable aspect ratio, with wide or long lenses, up to
8,000 x 65,000 pixels - the largest digital panoramic
images currently possible.
____________________________________
Now,
the same Better Light scan back can be used for standard image plane scans as
well as for panoramic, rollout, 3D objects or QuickTime VR imaging. The new Pano/ViewTM Adaptor operates with any Better
Light digital scanning back (after a user-installed firmware update) and a 4x5
inch view camera or medium format adaptor. A laptop computer and portability
option (rechargeable battery and carrying case) makes the camera suitable for
any studio, location, or field photography assignment.
The
Better Light digital back captures pure Red, Green and Blue information for
each pix~1 in resolution settings up to 8000 pixels in height. The resulting
images can be well over 1 GB and provide amazing detail and tone range that
could never be captured with film.
When used
in the Pano/WideView mode, the tri-linear CCD of the
Better Light scanning inserts is moved to the center of the image plane and
remains stationary during the scan. The drive function is diverted to a custom
precision turntable under the camera or under the object. The system is easy to
use: the photographer simply enters the focal length of the lens to determine
the drive ratio. This focal length setting calculates micro-changes to the
motor drive system to keep the pixels square and determine the number of lines
per degree of rotation.
To
keep the pixels perfectly square, and the image undistorted, Better Light uses
a unique scaleable aspect ratio that is controlled by the photographer's choice
of lens focal length. Other digital systems often use one fixed scan size and
then interpolate the image to fit the focal length being used. The Better Light
Pano/WideView uses a continuously variable drive
system to capture true pixel data at any focal length, with absolutely no
interpolation.
The Pano/WideView Adapter is a
high-quality turntable motor with no backlash, is suitable for heavy view
cameras, and resists shaking due to wind. The hardware includes a precision
motor-driven rotary ba$ew.ith3/8-in. tripod socket on the bottom, a
quick-release camera mountain top of the base, 3/8-in. and 1/4-in. screws for
the camera, and a motor drive cable to connect the insert to motor base.
4-inch precision motor base; 50-lb.
load capacity $4,990
6-inch
precision motor base; 150-lb. load capacity $5,990
Object
platforms in varied sizes are available to attach to the motor
base for
QuickTime object rotations and rollouts of 3D'cylindrical subjects.
Prices
are suggested retail price in U.S. dollars.
Outside
of the
Visit
our website at www;betterlightcom
Celebrating ten years of
products dedicated to high quality large format photography.
Peter
Grote has been photographing spectacular mountain
vistas using large format cameras for many years. For his most recent venture
into the
Annapurna range, Himalayas, Nepal is a 150 degree horizontal view from the north of these lofty peaks, which reach 8,000 meters (26,000 feet) in altitude, and tower 5,000 meters (over 3 vertical miles) above the va11ey in the foreground of this image. This completely uninterpolated 530 mega pixel color ph@t0@raph required 4 minutes to record while scanning across this sweeping vista in a single pass.
Peter Grote - Mountain Architecture Photography - 1437
The Better Light Pano/WideView Adapter converts any model of Better Light scanning back and your 4x5 view camera into the modern digital equivalent of the classic slit-scan panoramic camera, with far more precision and flexibility. When capturing panoramic images, the Kodak Trilinear CCD in the Better Light scanning back is positioned directly behind the optical center of the lens, and remains stationary during the scan. The entire view camera is smoothly rotated by a zero-backlash motor-driven turntable that is synchronized with the CCD exposure for optimum image quality. The system's microprocessor automatically adjusts the turntable speed for different lens focal length settings to ensure accurate geometry and correct aspect ratio under all conditions. Robust construction can easily handle any 4x5 view camera (shown at right with an Arca-Swiss). Both conventional image-plane scans, and panoramic scans up to 360 degrees, can be captured while the Pano/WideView Adapter is installed.
Better Light large-format digital scanning camera systems are used around the world by discerning institutions and professional photographers who require the highest quality images from their craft. A series of models provides a selection of price/performance levels without compromising image quality, and all models can be upgraded to take advantage of future technology improvements.
Since their introduction in 1994, Better Light's digital scanning camera designs have set the standard for high-quality still image photography. Continuing advancements in computer and sensor technology, coupled with ongoing software development, keep these systems on the cutting edge of performance, while at the same time offering the reliability and stability of a time-proven solution. Over a decade of development has resulted in significant reductions in size, weight, and power consumption, coupled with impressive increases in speed, sensitivity, and ease of use, allowing these precision imaging devices to be utilized for a wide range of applications, both in the studio and on location.
San Carlos, California USA phone 650 631
3680 web www.betterlight.com email info@betterlight.com
