Can't find any comments on this camera here (although the search function is quite poor) so thought I would start one.
It seems as ideal camera for aerial photography with a 16MP APSC sensor and a dedicated 28mm (35mm equiv) lens of high quality. It has lots of useful features, such as infinity focus lock, time lapse, ability to remember settings when switched off then on again.
It only weighs 245g with battery.
It can be controlled by the USB port for simultaneous video and photographs using this cable:
http://www.gentles.ltd.uk/gentwire/videousb.htm
Here is a side by side comparison with Nex-5, Canon S100 and other models:
Now, I just don't know if APM can trigger this either with the cable I have linked to, or by another cable, perhaps someone else knows ?
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Was a faulty cable or I had cooked it previously. James sent out a new one and it worked flawlessly. Nice to have both video out and shutter control together.
I'd like to hear if anyone else has got the GR V (APSC Sensor) to work off of a Pixhawk. I"m using a gentles USB video cable and James Gentles has been trying to help me out but to not avail. I am getting good video out, but no shutter action.
Swapping a servo in to where the camera cable is supposed to connect results in a good 75 degrees of servo movement, so it is getting power.
Anyone have any thoughts?
Thanks in advance!
Sounds like the Gentle USB cable doesn't supply enough current?
Dear iskess,
I use a RICOH GR-Digital III and APM 2.5 for mapping missions, pls advise on the Flytron cable and which Aux pin should i plug into at the APM side for triggering the shutter.
I owned a Ricoh GR and noticed something really strange. when I was taking pictures of the ceiling the image was really sharp, but pointing it downwards the image become really fuzzy, unless I was taking shots of something closer.
When I investigated the camera, I had the 'level' turned on, a little image showing the tilt of the camera. Then I noticed that when it went through the horizontal plane, the meaning of the focus range changed. Infinite focus became macro and vice versa. I advised Ricoh of this but received no reply. It could be a defect model anyway, but it's worth spending attention to, because the majority of images I took were totally out of focus for that reason.
I actuated the camera with a paparazzi controller, which is a simple digital signal. I used the flytron cable inbetween which translates this to a CA-1 protocol signal.
The image quality results were quite good with that camera, although I don't think the increased weight and cost over for example the IXUS 230 HS from Canon make it worth the effort.
The Canon can be loaded with CHDK, which allows you to control shutter speed, exposure, ISO and focus setting more precisely. Canon has many more cameras that I tried now and I notice good differences in the focus at the edges. If you get the A2400 for example, it is unusable for stitching. The results from the IXUS range however are very reasonable.
We have been using the Ricoh GX with the Gentles USB cable with good success.
It took a bit to get the camera program right, and they are a bit fragile, but overall performance was better than most.
Only thing is that I had to make custom cables for the USB port in the GX to fit the Gentles cable.
Other than that it was a plug and play solution.