A5D Aerial - control and data storage (notebook??)

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packy_gis

Hi everyone,
I am planning to buy the A5D Aerial to improve our photogrammetric survey capabilities.
My plan is to mount the camera onto our small Aircraft (Cessna 172) into certified "camera holder" - what I am solving right now is how to control the camera and how to store the data (during one survey we can make up to 4000 images).
I am from the Czech Republic and the A5D camera was never sold here and thus the Hasselblad representative has not much experiences with it.
My idea was to connect the camera to a laptop a here we go ... but I was told, that camera communitacates only through the FireWire 800 (IEEE 1394b) ... and there is no such a laptop.
Is there some "ready to use solution" (like PhaseOne has)?
What I have found so far is this exernal HDD box with FireWire ... but would i work to control the camera as well????
Thank you very much for any help ... as this camera is no cheap and I need to get it work soon :)
Jan

Buddy

there is a adapter/converter for $30 to get the feed from firewire into a mac book Pro using thunderbolt. works perfect. With Phocus you can control the camera from the MBP (change settings like aperture, ISO, shutter, focusing etc etc). That is called tethered shooting...

packy_gis

#2
Hi,
I was told by our local dealer, that the camera is operated by Continuum software  (I need to take picture every second)  as a part of the SDK kit and that it runs only on Win-64bit ... and thus using the MacBook Pro is cumbersome (as you need to have installed Windows on the Mac as well). And how about the data storage on the Mac? (I have never used it) External SSD??
Jan

NickT

Hasselblad have an aerial specialist who should be able to help you with all this.Let me see if I can find out who it is.
Nick-T typing at you from Flexframe's secret location under a Volcano

packy_gis

Thank you - that would be the best way. So far I am working with very little information on a problem that costs a lot of money :)
Jan

Dan

Have you already seen this?

http://static.hasselblad.com/2015/06/A5D-mini-brochure_2016.pdf


7 Phocus & Phocus SDK by Hasselblad
Phocus, Hasselblad's powerful, free image processing software, has both brains and brawn. Brains in its attractive
working environment and in the advanced tools that form the core of this amazing program, and brawn in its sheer
power and performance. An SDK is available to interface with your prefered FMS.

A5D Specifications
Models A5D -50c A5D -80
Sensor size 50 megapixels
(8272 x 6200)
80 megapixels
(up to 10320 × 7752)
Sensor dimensions 43.8 × 32.9mm 53.7 × 40.3mm
Image size
(RAW 3FR capture)
65MB on average.
TIFF 8 bit: 154MB
130MB on average.
TIFF 8 bit: 160MB
RAW File Format Lossless compressed Hasselblad 3FR
Shutter Speed Range 34 minutes to 1/800 sec. 1/2 to 1/800 sec.
ISO Speed Range 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200 & 6400 80, 100 & 200
Colour Definition 16 bit
Colour Management Hasselblad Natural Colour Solution
Focusing Autofocus locked at infinity
Capture Rate: ( Based on SanDisk Extreme UDMA7 120
MB/s)
1.5 frames per second. 50 per minute 1.8 frames per second. 30 per minute
CF Storage Capacity (16GB CF card) Holds 240 images on average Holds 130 images on average

Storage Options CF card type U-DMA (e.g. SanDisk Extreme Pro) or tethered to Mac or PC
Software Phocus for Mac and Windows (included). Phocus SDK (available as a cost option)


Tethered Operation Supported in Phocus and Phocus SDK
Platform Support Macintosh: OS x 10.5 and later. Windows: XP, Vista, Windows 7 (32/64 bit), Windows 8
Host Connection Type
FireWire 800 (IEEE1394b). Thunderbolt supported via optional adapters. LEMO connectors for
FMS and multiple camera synchronisation
Exposure Metering None
Power Supply 12-24 VDC required via LEMO connector
Operating Temperature 0 - 45°C/32 - 113°F
Dimensions
(Complete camera with HC 80mm lens) (W x H x D)
100 x 100 x 151mm
Weight
(body & sensor unit only)
1315 g 1360 g
Approval FCC (Class B), CE, RoHS FCC (Class A), CE, RoHS

jerome_m

Quote from: packy_gis on January 18, 2017, 11:55:53 AM
Hi,
I was told by our local dealer, that the camera is operated by Continuum software  (I need to take picture every second)  as a part of the SDK kit and that it runs only on Win-64bit ... and thus using the MacBook Pro is cumbersome (as you need to have installed Windows on the Mac as well). And how about the data storage on the Mac? (I have never used it) External SSD??
Jan

You can run windows on a mac and attach an external SSD or even get a mac with sufficient internal memory.

You can also get a notebook with an expressport slot and use a firewire adapter for that slot.

However, the most convenient solution for an airplane would be a rugged industrial PC with a minipci slot, and use a firewire adapter for that.

packy_gis

Hi - thank you for all the answers.
Are you guys sure that Phocus has the "time lapse shooting" option? Our local dealer is not sure about that (but will check it).
I am not owner of the plane - I am just leasing it, so I need to take all the hardware away, when I am done with aerial imaging ... so a notebook would be a more suitable solution.
Jan

NickT

Jan I have emailed Hasselblad's aerial specialist on your behalf and asked if I can put you in touch direct (these things are normally handled by dealers but I think they make exceptions when dealing with specialised applications).

Nick-T
Nick-T typing at you from Flexframe's secret location under a Volcano

NickT

Nick-T typing at you from Flexframe's secret location under a Volcano

jerome_m

Quote from: packy_gis on January 18, 2017, 11:20:32 PM
Are you guys sure that Phocus has the "time lapse shooting" option?

Phocus has a capture sequencer which can be used for a series of a few thousands pictures. You can download Phocus and its manual for free.

The H5D (and all other "H" camera bodies) have a built-in intervalometer, which you could use for time lapse. I am not sure about the A5D camera, but it is worth checking whether it could do a series of pictures on its own, without the need for an external computer.

packy_gis

#11
QuoteJan I have emailed Hasselblad's aerial specialist
Thank you ... looking forward :)

QuotePhocus has a capture sequencer
I will check it .. but our local dealer promised to check this on his own (I am currently overcrowded with some EU byrocracy  >:( )

Quotehttp://www.dji.com/newsroom/news/dji-hasselblad-aerial-package
Based on this - the A5D should have have the "time lapse function" or there is something that triggers the camera. But I would never fly this UAV ... I am a licenced UAV pilot for three years and in the last summer I have crashed with my 20K € drone (some technical malfunction) ... and there is nothing you can do, when the drone is out of control. Having such expensive camera on a UAV ... this wouldn't bring me peaceful sleep  ;D ;D ;D

Jan