Technical Specifications

Principle of operation

LizardQ is a robotic camera mount for creating high-resolution panoramic or full spherical HDR images. It uses a digital SLR camera and a fisheye lens with wide viewing angle. The panoramic or full spherical image is assembled from individual shots using specialized processing software on a computer.

The device has a built-in microcomputer that enables advanced functionality. It can be operated via the built-in push button or by remote control. For panoramic image capture, the camera is positioned auto­ma­tically to seven viewing directions (1x up, 5x around the horizon, 1x down). In each position a bracketed sequence of images is taken. The capture process can be paused or canceled. Capture parameters can be adjusted to optimally fit the scene to be photographed, or the user can choose to use automatic operation.

Images are saved on a Compact Flash memory card (must be inserted into DSLR camera). Individual images are marked with special meta tags, so they can be automatically sorted and stitched.

After copying the images from the CF card to the computer, the final panoramic image is generated by the processing software and stored on the computer's hard disk. This process is called "stitching" and includes sophisticated algorithms for HDR image generation, alignment, blending and tone mapping.

General technical data
Device:
Servo-motor driven two-axis DSLR camera mount with built-in microcomputer and wireless networking with a Linux operating system
Camera:
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Lens:
Canon EF 15mm 1:2.8 Fisheye (lens is precision-aligned for optimal stitching results)
Image resolution:
100 Megapixel (final image size after stitching)
Dynamic range:
From 12 up to 30 f-stops (HDR)
Image capture duration:
20 seconds to 7½ minutes
Settings
HDR modes:
 
  • Full HDR (complete bracketing depending on base exposure setting, i.e. 18 to 30 f-stops)
  • Fast HDR (bracketing of 3 shots at ±2 f-stops offset from base exposure, i.e. 16 f-stops)
  • Off (no bracketing, i.e. approximately 12 f-stops)
Base exposure:
Automatic or manual from 30 seconds down to 1/8000 seconds. Device will bracket from chosen base exposure time down towards shorter exposure times.
ISO:
Automatic or manual; 100 up to 6400.
Aperture:
Automatic or manual; f2.8 to f22
Remote control

Wireless remote control device: Apple iPod touch or similar WiFi-enabled mobile device. Android phones or tablets are supported.

  • Wireless network: Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11g (54 MBit/s)
  • Encryption: WPA and WPA2 with TKIP or AES encryption (pre-shared key)
  • Unencrypted or WEP-encrypted connection attempts are denied
  • WiFi can be physically disabled

Remote control is also possible when using the built-in Gigabit Ethernet port for cable-based network connections. Any network-enabled computer with a modern web browser will work.

Note: Ethernet remote control is for changing capture settings only. For safety reasons the device will not move while a network cable is connected.

Essential functions can be remote-controlled with a key fob device. Start/Stop and Pause functions are supported.

Image capture speed

Depends on scenery (daylight, indoors, night) and capture settings.

  • About one minute typical capture time for a reasonably lit indoor scene (“Full HDR” mode at 1 second base exposure)
  • 20 seconds shortest capture time for an outdoor scene and full daylight ("Fast HDR" mode at 1/15th second base exposure)
  • about 7½ minutes longest capture time for a night scene with minimal lighting ("Full HDR" mode at 30 seconds base exposure)

Scenes taken in "Fast HDR" mode will capture faster. Well lit scenes will generally allow faster capturing. Capturing in darkness with only minimal lighting is possible.

The boot-up time from pressing the power button to being ready to capture is about 20 seconds.

Image processing speed

Depends on scenery, capture settings and computing power. The processing of camera RAW files into the final panoramic image is a matter of a few minutes. Scenes with lower contrast will generally render faster. Scenes taken in "Fast HDR" mode will generally render faster.

Processing will typically take between 1 and 3 minutes on current high-performance notebook hardware.

Automation and "fail-safe" features
  • Auto exposure for automatic selection of capture parameters
  • Accurate inclination sensor for automatic leveling of images
  • GPS built-in for automatic geotagging of images
  • Acceleration sensors for sensing of undesired tripod movement
  • Friction brakes on both axes for eliminating wind-induced movement
Battery and power

Replacable Lithium Ion battery with charge status indicator.

Idle endurance:
approx. 8 hours at 20°C (battery life when device is powered on but not capturing)
Busy endurance:
approx. 200 panoramic images at 20°C (battery life when device is capturing continuously)
Line voltage:
AC adapter for 100 to 240V AC, 50 to 60 Hz. Battery can be charged while inserted in device. Device may be operated without battery.

The LizardQ device will also supply power to the Canon EOS 5D Mark II camera. Canon batteries and charger are not required.

External connectors
  • 1x DC in (for AC adapter to power the internal battery charger)
  • 2x USB 2.0 (for recharging the iPod or attaching a USB memory stick)
  • 1x Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45 connector)
  • Cables for Canon camera connection (USB and power)
Environmental
  • Temperature (operating): 0°C to 40°C (-10°C in preparation)
  • Temperature (internal battery charging): 0°C to 40°C
  • Temperature (storage): -20°C to 60°C (20°C recommended)
  • Humidity: <80% RH non-condensing
Size and weight
Size:
 
  • Width: 200 mm (7.9 in)
  • Depth: 160 mm (6.3 in)
  • Height: varies with camera position, maximum is 250 mm (9.8 in)
Weight:
 
  • Device: 3.7 kg (8.2 lbs) (including camera, lens and battery; without tripod)
  • Battery: 340 g (0.75 lbs)
Wheeled trolley case:
 
  • Size: 545x350x230 mm (21.5x13.8x9.1 in)
  • Weight (empty): 5.5 kg (12.2 lbs)
Chassis

Chassis material is aluminum (anodized), some parts stainless steel and plastics. Color black.

Device has a centered standard 3/8”-16 thread for attaching a tripod adapter.

Scope of delivery

We supply complete systems (including Canon camera, tripod, etc.) as well as “barebone” configurations. Please see the price list for details.

The device can be used with existing Canon EOS 5D Mark II cameras.

Camera model and handling

Camera models or manufacturers other than the Canon EOS 5D Mark II are not supported at this time.

The camera can be unmounted from the LizardQ device and used independently.

Processing software system requirements
Operating systems:
  • Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP
  • Mac OS X 10.7 (Lion) and 10.6 (Snow Leopard)
  • Linux, e.g. Ubuntu (ask for specifics)
Hardware:
  • Intel compatible CPU (Intel Core2 or later, AMD Athlon/Opteron or later)
  • Graphics chip (GPU/graphics card) with OpenGL 2.0 support
  • min. 2 GB of RAM
  • min. 8 GB of free hard disk space

The processing software depends on the graphics processing unit (GPU) for basic operation and speed. It will not run on computers without graphics card or with an outdated GPU. Computers with multiple CPU cores are recommended. A recent NVIDIA GPU is strongly recommended.

File formats and size
The LizardQ system shoots "camera raw" images to obtain maximum image quality. The space consumed by the set of raw images per panorama depends on the selected HDR mode and the dynamic range of the scene and varies between 150 MB and 1 GB. Typical raw file sizes for one panorama are
  • Full HDR mode: 1 GB
  • Fast HDR mode: 450 MB
  • LDR mode: 150 MB

After stitching, the panoramic HDR image will be saved in equirectangular geometry in the RADIANCE (*.hdr) file format with a dimension of 14140 x 7070 pixels. The size of such a file will typically be about 290 MB (varies with image content).

Additionally, a tone mapped JPEG image is produced at full resolution and at a thumbnail resolution of 1000 x 500 pixels.