Thread: Aerial Photography, paging Trackhead

So i'm looking for a digital camera that i can stick in basically a powered glider. Weight is a minor concern, but im limited by the width of the fuselage (4.25").
The other thing is it needs to have a plug-in for a remote shutter release, since a mechanical connection would introduce vibration into the image.

So far as i know, theres no P/S cameras that have a remote shutter release, and the only camera in my budget is the Pentax K100. Any other options here?

What kind of resolution do you get from 6.1mp @ 1000'?

Would using a mechanical trigger really cause any more vibration than the camera will already have being attached to the glider? You'll need to be using a fairly fast shutter speed anyways.

Or, there are P&S cameras that come with an IR remote. Maybe have the mechanics trigger the remote to take a photo.

pocket wizards are way light and can work up to 1600 feet, so the package says. They are expensive, but you can rent them for very little. I think you would need some type of SLR. I don't think point and shoot cameras have the right connections.

Eldo, suprisingly, a mechanical actuation does introduce some vibration. The camera is pretty well surrounded in foam, the same type used in hardcases and electronics packaging, so its well isolated.
Yeah, the shutter speed is important, I think I used about 1/1000 or faster.
I do like that idea of an IR release, just a optical connection. The sensor are usually on the front of the camera though, right?

Otter, do the pocket wizards work well in bright sunlight, or are they more for a studio setting?

Ah yes, the sensor would of course be on the front.

Okay, how about a tiny mirror attached at a 45 degree angle over the sensor, so the remote could be sideways to the camera? I know you can bounce IR signals off a mirror.

RC Interface for Canon P+S cameras:
http://www.blip.com.au/item.aspx?itemID=14

zoom with canons, operates on the RC channel

Originally Posted by Provocyclist

Otter, do the pocket wizards work well in bright sunlight, or are they more for a studio setting?

PWs are radio transceivers, not IR, so no problem with sunlight. You would be looking at $350 for a set, and still need a remote shutter release plug...

Originally Posted by Hugh Conway

RC Interface for Canon P+S cameras:
http://www.blip.com.au/item.aspx?itemID=14

zoom with canons, operates on the RC channel

Good find! That looks like an ideal solution.

Hugh, thats fkna perfect! Have you done this before?

I use a mechanical shutter release (servo) on my Rebel xti. Works just fine.