DIY Optical Zoom Lens module with 1080p output - Hardware Hacking General

Hi Everybody,
I'm thinking about to create a hardware for guys who are interested in optical zoom lens.
I've updated the spec and demo clip.
I'm very familiar with AF(Autofocus) and I've some really great AF algorithm. I'm thinking to make a module which can do autofocus and leave enough interface to user to explore more applications with it. Here is brief spec for this project and if there are more people interested I'm going to make it to be a kit:
1. 18X Optical zoom lens with F1.8 aperture.
2. Encoding 1080p30 to SDCARD and output 1080i60 through HDMI or Component.
3. AutoFocus and Manual Focus. Controllable by commands.
4. Wifi is optional for control and remote live streaming. There will be Android apps for it.
There will be a lot of interfaces open as command set, controlling by UART, or USB interface. The hardware will be with metal housing which can be assembled to many places with screws and nuts.
Here is the link:
[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2HolwCY7kQ[/URL]
Any question is welcome at present.

Piqued my interest. I'm curious to continue

daytonka said:
Piqued my interest. I'm curious to continue
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It seems not too many people are interested. I'm feeling strange that there are so many camcorder sold with preset features, why nobody is interested to make it fully controlled by themselves?
For example, you can have your computer to control the camera to make it surveilance camera fully controlled by yourself. Our your cellphone to be another monitor and controller of the optical zoom camcorder......

I m interested
Sent from my LT15i using xda app-developers app

thefirecrow said:
I m interested
Sent from my LT15i using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Anything you expect from it?
In fact I'm collecting application and wishlist for it. Once the spec is fix I may want to start to get it to be something that's affordable. Well, lens is so expensive.

For DIY Optical Zoom Lens module with 1080p output
I‘m very interesting.Pls contact as soon as. mail:[email protected]

Related

Flaw discovered with Xperia Play

Today I was required to take a photograph with my Xperia Play, which required me to zoom. Only to find out the the Xperia Play cannot zoom. I was quickly told by an iPhone user, "oh my phone zooms." I can't believe it.
This is a very well known flaw. Old news
I fall to see how it's a flaw. It's a useless feature that just ruins an image
lol, iphone zoom murders the already disappointing picture quality, even with their falsely important "high dynamic range" crap.
there's software out there that remedies this "flaw," but if you want real zooming, get a real camera.
3rd party soft like fx camera zoom fixes this flaw. Hope it helps
Sent from my Sony Tablet S using Tapatalk
All zooming does is the equivalent of a pinch to zoom. It crops the image something that if you want to do you can do after you snap the image.
Sent from my R800x using XDA App
basically all 99% of phone do when they zoom is actually crop and enlarge a group of pixels of the whole image this same process can be done on a computer with about 3x better results so this "flaw" is actually a useless feature only people with no knowledge of photography or photo editing use. if im taking a picture of something far away i would use a proper camera with a optical zoom.
basially digital zoom is useless and the iphone owner is obviously completely oblivious to the fact he actually ruined hes picture with zoom
havent you wondered why zooming in on a full picture looks better then a digital zoomed picture of the same object?
basically no flaw here and most companies dont see the point of digital zoom as it was a "feature" to attract people to the idea of cheap digital cameras when they first came out know even cheap ones have atleast a 2x optical zoom
incase you dont know:
digital zoom: lens doesnt move picture magically gets zoomed
optical zoom: lens moves and adjusts normally sticking further out of the camera to get a true zoom
You can always just crop it from the gallery if you want to "zoom"...
thanks guys I have learned slot from your replies.
Oh god...lets not start this again..last time someone stated this people started arguing about how useful/useless the feature was.
deja vu anyone?
Sue apple for false advertisement, there is no digital zoom, only crop in which all phones and pc, tablets, gaming console's do
I've found a way to zoom, get closer to the object ;-)
brought to you by the XDA app on my badass Android toy
Growling Clover said:
I've found a way to zoom, get closer to the object ;-)
brought to you by the XDA app on my badass Android toy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL.
hes right tho. the zoom is only cropping a picture so it makes it less quality
I've owned alot of android devices over the past years and they all had zoom 'cept the Xperia but I quickly realized it's not a feature that is "good" it's one I never use because you are just making the camera worse
Growling Clover said:
I've found a way to zoom, get closer to the object ;-)
brought to you by the XDA app on my badass Android toy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL, thats classic!
the OP must be a new Xperia Play owner, cause that was the first thing i learned about our phones, followed by.... "CRAP, i cant unlock my Bootloader! WTF, i have to pay!?!....." lol
Its also true that teh zoom function is pretty useless.. ruins quality, actually, just ****s it up so you dont see anything.. Im glad it don't have zoom
All "zoom" is on any phone is digital zoom. Digital zoom is another word for "crop" take your already semi crappy pic with your play, put it in photo shop crop it, blow it up and volia you have an even ****tier image blown up with "zoom". I'm guessing you also think the more mega pixles a camera has is better image quality as well huh?
Sent from my R800i using Tapatalk
Clienterror said:
All "zoom" is on any phone is digital zoom. Digital zoom is another word for "crop" take your already semi crappy pic with your play, put it in photo shop crop it, blow it up and volia you have an even ****tier image blown up with "zoom". I'm guessing you also think the more mega pixles a camera has is better image quality as well huh?
Sent from my R800i using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most people are unaware of the differences between digital and optical zoom, or lens diameter vs megapixels. It is our job as the experienced ones to educate the newbies.
Sent from Silent Earth 3

Galaxy Camera review and samples

This is a review I made for the Galaxy Camera after a week's use. It's stunning and completely incomparable to other high end compacts.
A few features that I love: the smart modes (especially rich tones, light trace and burst shot), the slow motion video recording and of course, the Android 4.1.1 which is perfect for such a device.
Here's my Dropbox folder for the camera photo and video samples: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1ocgbtdcra4zm8q/LjNTonk7PR
What you should check out: the difference between normal shots and rich tones (taken at the same time by the camera, the second one is HDR) to see just how much better it is than anything else, the slo-mo shots of seagulls on Dambovita river in Bucharest, the light trace pictures (some are taken without using a tripod) and the macros.
I'm available for any type of question, don't hesitate to ask! Enjoy
I will check out the review later.
But, since you have played with the camera more than me, I have a question:
Is there a way to set manual focus? I wanted to record some equipment at work and as the equipment moves, the camera keeps refocusing. And it often focuses on part of the robot, not the part of the system I want to record. With other cameras you can set the focus and turn off auto focus.
floiancu said:
This is a review I made for the Galaxy Camera after a week's use. It's stunning and completely incomparable to other high end compacts.
A few features that I love: the smart modes (especially rich tones, light trace and burst shot), the slow motion video recording and of course, the Android 4.1.1 which is perfect for such a device.
Here's my Dropbox folder for the camera photo and video samples: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1ocgbtdcra4zm8q/LjNTonk7PR
What you should check out: the difference between normal shots and rich tones (taken at the same time by the camera, the second one is HDR) to see just how much better it is than anything else, the slo-mo shots of seagulls on Dambovita river in Bucharest, the light trace pictures (some are taken without using a tripod) and the macros.
I'm available for any type of question, don't hesitate to ask! Enjoy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can always click on the screen on the part of the image you want focused or you can set it in expert mode and change the settings there manually (f, ISO, exposure, shutter speed etc)
I am recording videos, so I don't want to have to keep refocusing.
And the robot is moving while recording.
floiancu said:
You can always click on the screen on the part of the image you want focused or you can set it in expert mode and change the settings there manually (f, ISO, exposure, shutter speed etc)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
floiancu said:
I'm available for any type of question, don't hesitate to ask! Enjoy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It would be great to see how it behaves in low-light and with/without using the flash. Samsung cameras are notorious to fail in their operations (focus, video etc) at Low Light levels.
To be fair I haven't taken any indoor low light photos, but you can see the exterior night shots in the shared Dropbox folder. I no longer have the camera, but I can ensure you the flash does a hell of a job and I can't see why you wouldn't use it.
Well... This guy is not very happy with the horrible cracking noise when zooming in/out, and another guy says he can't use the flash as a light while shooting video... So I don't know what to think about this $500+ "thing"...
My zooming was smooth and pretty silent, although you could notice it in the videos. You can't use the flash when filming because it's a discharge flash as opposed to LED flashes on mobile phones.
This is a really good review! I especially like the way you have incorporated the sample clips in the video with good examples also of the different settings.
---------- Post added at 03:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:51 PM ----------
floiancu said:
I no longer have the camera, but I can ensure you the flash does a hell of a job and I can't see why you wouldn't use it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How come you no longer have the camera??!
apprentice said:
How come you no longer have the camera??!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had it from Samsung for reviewing. You can check my Youtube account and my other posts on XDA to see other devices I've tested for them.
E:V:A said:
Well... This guy is not very happy with the horrible cracking noise when zooming in/out, and another guy says he can't use the flash as a light while shooting video... So I don't know what to think about this $500+ "thing"...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well... this is a photo camera which is also able to take video clips. If you want a video camera, get one.
If you want a touchscreen and Android on a point & shoot camera this is the one to buy. If you can live without them you can buy much cheaper cameras with the same picture quality.
Before buying the Galaxy Camera or even commenting on it you need to understand its purpose and specs / advantages.
It's NOT a DSLR. It doesn't aim to be a professional camera (although it gives you plenty of manual settings) and it certainly won't take pictures as good. It does offer the smart modes such as rich tones (for which you need filters on a DSLR), macro and light trace (which takes tweaking and setting on a DSLR as opposed to two clicks), 21x zoom without buying extra lenses etc.
It's NOT a regular compact camera. The price tag, build quality, specs and features stress that out pretty well.
The main purpose of the Galaxy Camera is the Android OS which means fast sharing, cloud integration, picture editting on the spot, not to mention all apps available for regular smartphones.
If you judge it on these terms and actually find out it's what you need, it's the perfect camera. Otherwise get a DSLR or a compact camera. Nobody will be upset
floiancu said:
Before buying the Galaxy Camera or even commenting on it you need to understand its purpose and specs / advantages.
It's NOT a DSLR. It doesn't aim to be a professional camera (although it gives you plenty of manual settings) and it certainly won't take pictures as good. It does offer the smart modes such as rich tones (for which you need filters on a DSLR), macro and light trace (which takes tweaking and setting on a DSLR as opposed to two clicks), 21x zoom without buying extra lenses etc.
It's NOT a regular compact camera. The price tag, build quality, specs and features stress that out pretty well.
The main purpose of the Galaxy Camera is the Android OS which means fast sharing, cloud integration, picture editting on the spot, not to mention all apps available for regular smartphones.
If you judge it on these terms and actually find out it's what you need, it's the perfect camera. Otherwise get a DSLR or a compact camera. Nobody will be upset
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 Well Said. I love my camera!!
floiancu said:
This is a review I made for the Galaxy Camera after a week's use. It's stunning and completely incomparable to other high end compacts.
A few features that I love: the smart modes (especially rich tones, light trace and burst shot), the slow motion video recording and of course, the Android 4.1.1 which is perfect for such a device.
Here's my Dropbox folder for the camera photo and video samples: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1ocgbtdcra4zm8q/LjNTonk7PR
What you should check out: the difference between normal shots and rich tones (taken at the same time by the camera, the second one is HDR) to see just how much better it is than anything else, the slo-mo shots of seagulls on Dambovita river in Bucharest, the light trace pictures (some are taken without using a tripod) and the macros.
I'm available for any type of question, don't hesitate to ask! Enjoy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice review.
On your drop box photos, one of them shows the white, black and red versions, where is the red version available please for customers to buy. I don't mean demo versions.
Does a 64 GB card work in ex fat or does it need to be in fat32.
Is there a video editor and can it edit the videos shot on the camera itself. Can't seem to find an official case. On amazon uk there is a deal for this camera to get a discount on the short manfrotto tripod. Do you think that tripod would be fine for video as well as photos or would one need a different head for that tripod. Just looking for tips on that count.
On amazon different people say sgs2 or sgs3 battery works. Any idea which one actually works. Guessing its the sgs2.
Does it have USB OTG functions. If so does it need sgs2 or sgs3 USB OTG cable. I know you don't have the camera but since you seem to be a Samsung mobiler I am hoping you know about this.
My Samsung note can shoot videos longer than 30 mins. I read on other posts on XDA that this camera can't record more than 29mins 59secs. Is there a setting to increase this limit?
Did any of the Samsung remote apps work from your phone to control the camera like mobile link or remote view finder etc. Does the DSLR controller or any similar app work with this camera by wifi or USB.
I don't know about the red (I would say pink) version, in Romania none are available yet.
I don't exactly know about the filesystem type required for 64 GB microSDs, but I'm sure it's the same as the SIII, whatever that is.
There is Video Wizard, an app similar to Photo Wizard for editing videos shot on it, it's pretty cool and has more than the functionality you need on a camera, but I would rather use my PC for that so I didn't cover it... Maybe I will do an extra video specifically for that.
The tripod hole is standard, I used mine without any problems.
The battery has the same capacity with the S II, however I don't know if it's exactly the same. I will ask.
Yes, USB OTG is supported.
I never tried to shoot videos longer than a couple of minutes, but being a dedicated camera I'd be surprised if it had a time limit (besides the storage space).
The remote viewfinder option was available in the menu of the camera app, but after an update to the latest firmware it's gone. I haven't tested any remote shooting modes besides voice commands (which works like a charm, but you need silence and you can't see what you're shooting). If there are dedicated remotes for Android (not necessarily made by Samsung), then they should work on the Galaxy Camera without issues.
Thanks. On the engadget post about covers for this they show covers in white black red pink and orange. So i assume those are the proposed colors to be released. But can only find white and black online for now.

Nexus 6 Ultimate 4K Video Test

Change to 4K/2160p in Quality Settings! The only real compression is on youtube's side. And I will say I see a little better quality on my Master File than on youtube.
I decided to test the 4k video recording on the Nexus 6 by shooting my entire vacation with it. I've compiled a recap video showcasing the camera's abilities.
-There conditions recorded in are: high light, low light, sunny, overcast, indoors and outdoors, etc.
-I've zoomed in a few times and moved the phone to force refocus in a few clips.
-There has been NO post editing to the footage such as color correction, cropping, stabilizing, etc.
-Crossfading, fade to black, muting of audio, and title overlays are the only alterations made to compile this video
ENJOY!
Looks like OIS keeps making things a bit juttery and focusing in and out at times.
knitler said:
Looks like OIS keeps making things a bit juttery and focusing in and out at times.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes Google camera does that. Same on nexus 5
rootSU said:
Yes Google camera does that. Same on nexus 5
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does using another camera app prevent it?
knitler said:
Does using another camera app prevent it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've never tried. I doubt it
Then it's a hardware issue I assume.
knitler said:
Then it's a hardware issue I assume.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No... But 3rd party cameras are not a complete solution. They use the existing libs and camera HAL etc, which is software.
But you can try it, who knows?
i need to look around to see if there are any apps that lock focus.
That would come in handy
Robert_W said:
i need to look around to see if there are any apps that lock focus.
That would come in handy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try with Cinema FV-5
I watched the whole thing before realizing my monitor at work isn't 4K
nice video - I'll have to watch it later at home to really see the quality. The focusing issue sucks and is really pronounced on this phone, I wonder if L Camera is any better at it.
springer.music said:
Try with Cinema FV-5
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have that app in my wish list. Gotta do some more research to see if it offers what I want. I prefer simplicity like the stock app is designed, but I don't think google will ever include these especiall features.. Including 60/120/240 fps.
springer.music said:
Try with Cinema FV-5
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
camera focus doesnt seem to be an issue with cinema fv-5. pretty sure its an android issue as my nexus 5 had the same problem (as mentioned above). anyway i just shot a few minutes of 4k video w cinema fv-5 and i dont see any re-focusing nonsense going on
rman18 said:
I watched the whole thing before realizing my monitor at work isn't 4K
nice video - I'll have to watch it later at home to really see the quality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you get to watch it in all its glory? Lol
Cinema FV-5 seems to fix the constant jittery focus issue. Wish I make this video test in that app instead
Manual Camera is, by far, the most feature-packed camera app for the Nexus 6. Full support with the new camera API's too ?
StrizzMatik said:
Manual Camera is, by far, the most feature-packed camera app for the Nexus 6. Full support with the new camera API's too
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
fv5 supports the new apis as well. i read manual camera has issues. like you can't zoom and theres no way to switch between front and rear cameras...
but on topic, does manual camera support video recording?
indianajonze said:
fv5 supports the new apis as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope they add 60/120 fps soon. That's the only camera feature I really want
Open camera supports everything people!!!! Just downloaded it and is now my default camera!!!! It support all resolutions for stills and recording, shows amount of memory left in real time, and a lot of other things and you get really check the options for a lot and best part of all its open source!!! So always free and never ad filled, I think Google should have hired this guy to make their camera app!
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.sourceforge.opencamera
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA Free mobile app
I started watching the video on my phone, then decided to stream it to my 42 inch flat screen tv to check out the quality on a larger scale, and then realized my 42 inch TV is lower resolution than my phone as a result. lol!
i was recently looking around for other camera apps so as to see how the device's ability to shoot in RAW compares to various cameras. I was considering trying FV5 but was checking out the free alternatives first.
I tried L Camera, which did let me adjust ISO, white balance, and so on, but it had some pretty major issues that need to be worked out still.
While I haven't tried FV5 yet (so I can't say much about that app specifically) I just tried out Open Camera (the above post caused me to remember it showing up in the app store several times while I was browsing) and wowee it's actually really good so far. Only one bug so far that I've encountered and it's very minor. The customization and various settings are really well thought out.
It says it can do 60/120 fps with a disclaimer that it may not always reach the designated fps if the hardware doesn't support it..so maybe?
auto-focus seemed quite a bit faster compared to google's stock camera app and it's much easier to adjust the lighting quickly than any other camera apps I've tried so far.
Right now the only thing I can really find "wrong" with it is the overall design and layout of the app, but it's not poorly designed at all.
I'll be using Open Camera as my default camera app until a major flaw presents itself or google amps up it's own app to compete. Very pleasantly surprised so far.
Robert_W said:
Change to 4K/2160p in Quality Settings! The only real compression is on youtube's side. And I will say I see a little better quality on my Master File than on youtube.
I decided to test the 4k video recording on the Nexus 6 by shooting my entire vacation with it. I've compiled a recap video showcasing the camera's abilities.
-There conditions recorded in are: high light, low light, sunny, overcast, indoors and outdoors, etc.
-I've zoomed in a few times and moved the phone to force refocus in a few clips.
-There has been NO post editing to the footage such as color correction, cropping, stabilizing, etc.
-Crossfading, fade to black, muting of audio, and title overlays are the only alterations made to compile this video
ENJOY!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome video and very helpful. Thank you.

Other cameras

So there are there cameras on the ZenFone, how do we get direct access to the other two? One is for depth vision and the other motion tracking. Dowe know the resolution for them? Some news sites claimed 23 megapixels for all three but I think that was just shoddy reporting. Pretty sure at least the depth sensor is infrared, what about the motion tracking one? What are the capabilities of the it projector? Can we modulate it fast enough to use it as a super powered it blaster?
Been about ten years sense I did any Android app development work. Would the tango API expose all these features?
You need to read
SomeoneHuman said:
So there are there cameras on the ZenFone, how do we get direct access to the other two? One is for depth vision and the other motion tracking. Dowe know the resolution for them? Some news sites claimed 23 megapixels for all three but I think that was just shoddy reporting. Pretty sure at least the depth sensor is infrared, what about the motion tracking one? What are the capabilities of the it projector? Can we modulate it fast enough to use it as a super powered it blaster?
Been about ten years sense I did any Android app development work. Would the tango API expose all these features?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you need really to read and search
find any answers?
SomeoneHuman said:
So there are there cameras on the ZenFone, how do we get direct access to the other two? One is for depth vision and the other motion tracking. Dowe know the resolution for them? Some news sites claimed 23 megapixels for all three but I think that was just shoddy reporting. Pretty sure at least the depth sensor is infrared, what about the motion tracking one? What are the capabilities of the it projector? Can we modulate it fast enough to use it as a super powered it blaster?
Been about ten years sense I did any Android app development work. Would the tango API expose all these features?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi SomeoneHuman,
Sorry not to be able to give you a proper answer but I'm actually facing the same questions. I'm looking for the same information. Can you tell me if you've found answers to your questions?
Thanks a lot for sharing them,
Buddha's Smile

Wide angle camera to be primary camera - phone used as dashcam

Hello,
Does anyone know if there is any MOD to set the 8mp camera (wide) as first camera so the phone can be used as a dashcam?
I've installed a few dashcam apps and all of them are able to use only main sensor or selfie camera. I was thinking if the main camera is set as being the wide angle sensor then the apps will pick up image from that and it will cover more, which will make it perfect.
Thank you!
May cover more, but not as good of picture. 8mp vs 16mp telephoto. Main sub as wide is not possible that I am aware of.
I've experimented with this too and the wide angle definitely works better because it has a fixed focus. Even if you set a focus point using the main I still had issues with it constantly becoming blurry trying to refocus. I'd be interested in this as well eventually when I stop using this as my DD
KUSOsan said:
I've experimented with this too and the wide angle definitely works better because it has a fixed focus. Even if you set a focus point using the main I still had issues with it constantly becoming blurry trying to refocus. I'd be interested in this as well eventually when I stop using this as my DD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well there is also the manual camera mode where it won't do that if u manual set, not tap.
I don't mind if I loose a bit of quality.
The way I want to use it is with an app like AutoBoy and have it recording from the wide angle camera, but the app doesn't have a setting to change the camera to Wide, only main camera, that's why I was looking for a Mod.
mister_johnn said:
I don't mind if I loose a bit of quality.
The way I want to use it is with an app like AutoBoy and have it recording from the wide angle camera, but the app doesn't have a setting to change the camera to Wide, only main camera, that's why I was looking for a Mod.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After thinking for a few, it might be possible, might, if you know how to edit files. In this case the camerafeatures.xml. Do a backup first because it is sensitive. If not, I might be able try. No guarantee tho.

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