The LizardQ panoramic camera rig allows you to take 360°x180° HDR panoramic images quickly and effortlessly. Comprising a robotic camera mount, a precision aligned fish-eye lens, an on-board GPS receiver and an optional Canon EOS 5D Mark II digital SLR camera, the LizardQ device can capture highly detailed panoramas in less than a minute. Processing of the source images - including stitching, exposure blending and tone mapping - is automatic using the included Windows/Mac compatible software, supplied on an USB stick. At the capture stage, the camera takes enough pictures at different exposure settings to produce an output image with a claimed 30 stops of dynamic range, when so desired. The “bare-bone” version of LizardQ - which does not include the Canon EOS 5D Mark II camera - costs €22,100; while the complete system - which comes complete with the camera, memory card, tripod, AC adapter, battery and an Apple iPod Touch for remote controlling the device - will set you back €25,440. If these prices are too steep for you, you can also hire the device, with or without an expert operator.

Website: LizardQ

Lizardq Press Release

Fast panoramic camera captures 100 megapixel HDR images

The new panoramic camera by LizardQ quickly and automatically captures full spherical panoramic images with high dynamic range (HDR). It delivers a resolution of 100 megapixels in about one minute and features a single pushbutton for easy operation.

PRLog (Press Release) – Aug 04, 2010 – Based on state-of-the-art professional DSLR camera equipment, the LizardQ panoramic camera delivers superior image quality and works even at night with little ambient light. Capture times are about one minute for typical indoor scenery, and go down to 25 seconds in sunlight. Its High Dynamic Range (HDR) imaging capability enables capturing both the darkest and brightest areas of a scene without over- or underexposure.

The LizardQ panoramic camera has dedicated image processing software for Windows and Mac OS. The software quickly and fully automatically processes the raw image data and produces the final 100 megapixel HDR panorama in about 5 minutes on current notebook hardware. Furthermore, it supports batch processing, quick preview generation and image meta data display. A GPU-accelerated HDR panorama viewer for final image inspection is also included.

Areas of application range from the visual documentation of buildings or industrial facilities, virtual tours, internet presentations, to crime scene documentation and computer graphics. Tripod adapters for popular 3D laser scanners enable using the LizardQ panoramic camera for RGB color mapping to 3D point clouds.

The device can be remote-controlled via WiFi using an iPhone or a similar device. A web interface allows the user to select automatic or manual mode and configure exposure time and HDR dynamic range. The operator can also start, pause and stop a capture remotely while staying out of sight.

The built-in GPS receiver enables automatic geotagging, so the panoramic images can easily be localized on a map or a floor plan. Another built-in goody is auto-leveling, which corrects for any unwanted tilt of the tripod and outputs a perfectly leveled panoramic image. The replaceable battery lasts up to eight hours.

LizardQ panoramic cameras are available as a “barebone” and as a complete system. They can also be rented with or without an expert operator.

For more information, visit http://www.LizardQ.com/ .

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