From: mkim@cs.ubc.ca (Myungchul Kim)
Subject: summary(still camera whose image to computer)
Organization: Computer Science, University of B.C., Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 92 23:46:20 GMT

Hello, there are a lot of answers to my question following.
I'd like to thank all of you for answering my question.
Since some people asked me a copy of messages, I collected all messages
and post it here.

My question was
> Is there any camera(for still pictures) with giving image data to
> computer directly without intermediate processing such as developement
> and print? The camera is not film recorder nor scanner. 


MyungChul(MC) Kim
Dept. of Computer Science, Univ. of British Columbia
6356 Agricultural Road, Vancouver, B.C.  Canada, V6T 1Z2
E-mail address: mkim@cs.ubc.ca

=================================================================
Message  inbox:117 - Read
From:        <larson@net.com>
To:          <mkim@cs.ubc.ca>
Subject:     Re: still camera of whose images to computer

  Yes, Sony and Canon (I think) both made them.

  The Sony's were called Mavicas.  I think the Canons were
called Xapshots.  All were pretty expensive.

	Alan
Message  inbox:118 - Read
From:     <seaborn@aio.jsc.nasa.gov>
To:       <mkim@cs.ubc.ca>
Subject:  Re: still camera of whose images to computer

We have a canon zap shot camera that stores pictures on a very small
disk.  The camera has a video out port that uses NTSC or S-VHS format.
You will need a frame grabber on your computer to convert to a format
you can use on the computer (Mac, gif, etc).  Images are video resolution
(512x480 pixels).  Ours has a Macro lens to do close up (1 ft) shots. 
I use it for a quick look at image data before doing a whole camera setup,
but it gets used for pretty much everything around here--from pictures for
newsletters to documenting robot states.  We've been very pleased with the
ease of use and the quality of the images we get (give the resolution).

Hope this helps.

Jodi Seaborn
Robotic Intelligence
NASA/Johnson Space Center
Houston, TX
email: seaborn@aio.jsc.nasa.gov

Message  inbox:121 - Read
From:       Allan Sullivan <allan@cs.ualberta.ca>
To:         <mkim@cs.ubc.ca>
Subject:    Re: still camera of whose images to computer

I don't know if this is exactly what you are looking for, but we
have a video camera connected to a board inside a SPARC station.
We can display real-time images, or capture inividual frames. (The
video signal is fed directly into the board, so no film or video tape
is needed.)

You could probably find cards for any type of computer, which would
allow you to connect it to a video camera. 

Message  inbox:122 - Read
From:        Scott Hock <hock@sdd.hp.com>
To:          <mkim@cs.ubc.ca>
Subject:     Re: still camera of whose images to computer

Kodak has a camera back that fits on 35mm cameras. I saw it
on a Nikon. It appears to be a CCD array that feeds directly
into RAM. The picture was taken and seconds later it showed up on
the screen in PhotoShop. Pretty slick. They showed it a NCGA this past
spring.

Later

Scott

Message  inbox:123 - Read
From:        <tomho@MicroUnity.com>
To:          <mkim@cs.ubc.ca>
Subject:     Re: still camera of whose images to computer

Check out p.45 of MacWeek 8/3/92.  Kodak comes out with a digital electronic imaging system that has a CCD mounted on a Nikon camera. I believed Sony made a digital camera called Malveeca(?) but I could not locate any around here in local dealers.  Also at a PC conference, the people who make Logitech mouse has a camera called Fotoman, but it is a low end digital camera.

Anyway, the Kodak system costs around 8-10k.  Call 800 242 2424 and ask about the DCS 200 (Digital Camera System).  Good luck.
-- 
     Tom Ho       tomho@microunity.com       (408) 734-8100
Message  inbox:125 - Read
From:       <sngattan@matt.ksu.ksu.edu>
To:         <mkim@cs.ubc.ca>
Subject:    Re: still camera of whose images to computer

Hello:

	Canon Xapshot camera is something that you may want to look into.
I think the cost is $459 and it comes with one 2" x 2" video floppy disk
that can store upto 50 images.  All you need to do is connect this to a monitor
to display the images on the screen.   It is the best thing that you can
have to make presentations etc...

You can call Computer Control $ Solutions, Inc.  They have a 800 number
and you can get it from the toll-free number directory assistance.  
Sorry, I don't remmeber the number.  If you cannot get the number, send me
a mail and I will dig into my records.   Bye

						sanjay
Message  inbox:127 - Read
From:        <koolish@BBN.COM>
To:          <mkim@cs.ubc.ca>
Subject:     Re: still camera of whose images to computer

Look for the Logitech Photoman, and a similar camera from Dyscan.
Message  inbox:128 - Read
From:        Darrell Massengill <massengi@unx.sas.com>
To:          <mkim@cs.ubc.ca>
Subject:     Re: still camera of whose images to computer

There are a handful of cameras out there.  The best camera comes from
Kodak.  It is a Nikon body with a digital back.  It has a shoulder
unit for storing the images (later transmitting or whatever).  The
shoulder unit has a screen for immediately viewing the image.
This camera comes in Color and Black and white models.  It isn't
cheap.  Rumor has it that there will be new announcements by the
end the month.

Some of the other cameras available are not true digital.  They 
actually are still video and require analog to digital conversions.
This also means the quality isn't as good.

Sorry I don't have more details - call kodak.


-- 
Darrell Massengill    Manager of Image Processing   SAS Institute Inc.
massengi@unx.sas.com  (919) 677-8000 x7658          SAS Campus Dr, Cary, NC
Message  inbox:129 - Read
From:        <iggy@uts.amdahl.com>
To:          <mkim@cs.ubc.ca>
Subject:     Re: still camera of whose images to computer

There is something called XAPSHOT from Cannon.  It is a still camera that
records directly to 3.25" floppy disk.  I don't know whether it is PC
compatible format though.
Message  inbox:130 - Read
From:        <megatek!rstewart@uunet.uu.net>
To:          <mkim@cs.ubc.ca>
Subject:     Re: still camera of whose images to computer

Any video camera in conjuction with a frame capture board,
such as truevision's targa board, can do this.
-Rich
Message  inbox:132 - Read
From:       <bakerjp1@aplcomm.jhuapl.edu>
To:         <mkim@cs.ubc.ca>
Subject:    Re: still camera of whose images to computer

There are MANY possibilities for such a camera.  The most common is a CCD
(Charge Coupled Device) as a sensor.  The CCD is a two-dimensional array 
(of arbitrary size) which digitizes incoming light levels producing a digital
image.  The image can then be transmitted directly to a computer via a 
digital link.

For a very good starting place for manufacturers, try the December, 1991
issue of "Advanced Imaging" magazine.  It contains a buyers guide for all
types of imaging applications.

Hope it helps!

-John Baker
Associate Engineer
Johns Hopkins University/Applied Physics Lab
Message  inbox:135 - Read
From:       <mport!mport!admin!jack@uunet.UU.NET>
To:         <mkim@cs.ubc.ca>
Subject:    Re: still camera of whose images to computer

yeah, canon has a new device of this type. i have heard that nikon
does as well. i'm pursuing the canon via local canon store.

motoko tamura of canon, 415-852-2000 can give you more info.

i want to write drivers for this kind of device for unix os's.
what are you planning to do?

jack...
=============================================================================
 Jack Craig      Microport SVR4      408-438-UNIX        uunet!mport.com!jack   
=============================================================================
Message  inbox:136 - Read
From:    Jon Osborn <osborn@sol.surv.utas.edu.au>
To:      <mkim@cs.ubc.ca>
Subject: Re: digital cameras

Kim,

There are a few affordable digital video cameras coming onto the market.
For example, the Logitech Fotoman. Contact Logitech in Fremont CA on (510)
231-7717.

Or the Canon Ion - ask your local Canon dealer.

These are both nice little cameras with easy interfaces to disk, etc.

A different type of camera altogether are the electronic still camers, which
are also CCD array based but do not rely on an analogue video dump of the 
image but are fully digital.  Much mor expensive - about $30,000, I think?

Good luck.

Jon Osborn
 
Message  inbox:137 - Read
From:    <leecheng@liapunov.eecs.umich.edu>
To:      <mkim@cs.ubc.ca>
Subject: Re: still camera of whose images to computer

Canon has a still image camera called Q-Pix which can satisfy your  
need.  They are going to put a product similar to Q-Pix but with  
higher resolution on market in the near future or maybe they've  
already done.  I believe Kodak also has similar products, but I can't  
recall the model number.  These all work fine with PC.

Besides still image camera, digitizer board or framegrabber are good  
choices, too.  You can hook up either of the two to a video camera  
and shot the picture by computer.

If resolution is not important, I would suggest still image camera.   
If you want good resolution, then a framegrabber with a RGB camera is  
better.  The final decision will depend heavily on your budget and  
the image quality you want.

James
leecheng@liapunov.eecs.umich.edu
Message  inbox:138 - Read
From: <eha@phoenix.oulu.fi>
To:   <mkim@cs.ubc.ca>

To: mkim@cs.ubc.ca (Myungchul Kim)
Subject: Re: still camera of whose images to computer
Newsgroups: sci.image.processing,rec.photo,rec.video
Organization: University of Oulu, Finland

> Hi, netters,

Hello :)

> I am a novice in this field.

Welcome !

> Is there any camera(for still pictures) with giving image data to
> computer directly without intermediate processing such as developement
> and print? 

You didn't specify the platform (computer) you want that picture for.
There are a lot of different solutions for many different computers.

> The camera is not film recorder nor scanner. 

Could it be any videocamera ? Or what about Canon ION ?

> I heard Sony has developed this kind of camera.

Hmm... Can be, but you need an interface I think...

> Please e-mail me the name of the product with price if you have any 
> ideas or pointers? Thanks in advance,

I can input any videocamera picture directly to my Amiga with 24 bit
colour and manipulate it in realtime (change RGB values), and ofcource
I can grab any image from the videosource whenever I like. Camera is
Sony (don't remember the code), genlocks are from 50 $ to 100's of
dollars and program came with my genlock (GVP ImpactVision).

If you need the input for a different computer, I suggest you to try 
that Canon ION (the price here in Finland is some 1200 $ and each disk
costs about 18 $). There is cables and interface for PC's and Mac's
for that camera.


Esa Haapaniemi
University of Oulu
Finland (Europe)
Message  inbox:139 - Read
From:    "Selden E. Ball, Jr." <SEB@lns61.tn.cornell.edu>
To:      <mkim@cs.ubc.ca>
Subject: Re: Still camera of whose images to computer

MC,

Canon makes two video still cameras and a desktop player.
The older camera, the Xapshot, is under $400 now. 
Their newer camera (I think the model number is 560) is about $3500.
I don't know how much the player costs.

They record an analog video signal on a special format floppy disk.
They generate a standard baseband video output, so you need a video 
digitizer in your computers.

The Xapshot only records a single field. 
It uses a tiny fixed-focus lens and has a built-in flash.
The newer camera can record either a field or a full frame,
and has lots of options, but not enough to justify the high price,
I think.

The Xapshot, at least, is available from Camera World of Oregon,
who advertise in Video Magazine.

I hope this helps.

Selden Ball
seb@lns61.tn.cornell.edu
Message  inbox:140 - Read
From:        <nitram@tellabs.com>
To:          <mkim@cs.ubc.ca>
Subject:     Re: still camera of whose images to computer

I have a Sony Mavica still video camera.  It records an image onto a 2 inch
floppy disc in analog format.  Up to 50 images per disk.  I then play the
image back into a capture card in my PC.  The cameras are typically 
expensive (I got mine at a Sony outlet store for $200, normally they
are higher).  The image resolution is nowhere near as good as film.  The 
system works reasonably well if the intended end product is a video 
display (about equal resolution) or a printout.  I use the system 
for a ski club newsletter and slide shows.  Don't expect it to rival 35mm
or better cameras for image quality.  Kodak's approach of shooting film
and then scanning the negatives to a photo CD gives far higher resolution.

Sony makes a professional model still video, and Cannon makes one also.
I believe they all use the same video disk and file format, so the 
resolution of all of them would be limited.

      IIIIIIIIIIIIIII   IIIIIIIIIIIIIII      Marty Hewes
      H ( )  \|/    H   H   ( )   \|/ H      Tellabs Inc.
      H(   ) -O-    H   H  (   )  -O- H      System and Applications Test
      H     )/|\    H   H (     ) /|\ H      Lisle, Il
      H======^======H   H======^======H      nitram@tellabs.com
      H- |----@-----H   H----| ---@---H      uunet!tellab1.TELLABS.COM!nitram
      H /|\ @\|/ @  H   H   /|\@ \|/@ H 
      H    \|/  \|/ H   H     \|/  \|/H      W (708) 955-3038
      III^IIIIIII^III   III^IIIIIII^III      H (708) 665-6671
     Wide eyed stereo  Wide  eyed  stereo    
Message  inbox:141 - Read
From:        <drake@dragon.cpe.ulowell.edu>
To:          <mkim@cs.ubc.ca>
Subject:     still camera of whose images to computer

There are lots of low end cameras (Canon Zapshot, others) that
do this, but image quality is not all that great. Kodak has a
high resolution digital camera that is actually built in the
body of a Nikon 35mm camera. It includes a hard disk pack and
batteries, but is a little expensive (~$20,000).

Hope this helps...

Frank
Message  inbox:142 - Read
From:        <jericho!brett@uunet.UU.NET>
To:          <mkim@cs.ubc.ca>
Subject:     Re: still camera of whose images to computer

Hi,

Don't know if this is exactly what you are looking for...
Sony has video camera that records still images and sound to floppy disks.
It is called "Mavica" - I haven't seen it locally yet, but
they have it in Japan, (I have a Japanese catalog)
list price about $830Cdn , model number MVC-A10
(maybe a different model# in N. America). With an optional adapter MAP-T2
list price ~ $300Cdn you can play back the images on a TV. Don't think
you can directly connect to a computer, or what format the images are
stored on floppy. You could try to contact Sony for more info...
Hope this info is useful...

Regards,
Brett


-- 
Brett Cheng
uunet!jericho!brett    brett@jericho.uunet.uu.net
S-MOS Systems Vancouver Design Center
--
MyungChul(MC) Kim
Dept. of Computer Science, Univ. of British Columbia
6356 Agricultural Road, Vancouver, B.C.  Canada, V6T 1Z2
E-mail address: mkim@cs.ubc.ca
Newsgroups: sci.image.processing