[sci.electronics] Canon Xapshot?

denns@sys6626.bison.mb.ca (darren enns) (04/20/91)

Hello all!  Most of the still video cameras on the market use the Sony
standard 2 inch floppy diskette with 50 picture capacity, like the Canon 
Xapshot camera.  Since it is silly to fee the analog video signal from 
that camera into a computer video digitizer (turning it back into digital 
format), I wondered if Canon or anyone had found a way to get the raw 
digital data of such a diskette directly into a computer for 
manipulation?  Has anyone experimented with such a concept?
 
Darren Enns

--- (darren enns) a user of sys6626, running waffle 1.64
E-mail: denns%sys6626.bison.mb.ca@niven.cc.umanitoba.ca
system 6626: 63 point west drive, winnipeg manitoba canada R3T 5G8

lairdkb@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Kyler Laird) (04/21/91)

(This was originally e-mail, but the mailer returned it.)

I have asked Sony (Mavica) that question several times.  I always get some
answer that includes the disk->composite video->digitizer->computer route.

Is the video stored digitally on the disk?  I remember seeing a TV report
on the Mavica professional line that demonstrated their modem.  The report
stated that pictures could be sent xxxxx miles with _little_ degradation.
If it's digital, there should be _no_ degradation.

I'm am waiting for a disk drive I can put in a computer to read these disks.
If I must manually advance the picture, then digitize, this system is next
to useless.  If I can pop a disk in and hit "download/copy", I'm all set.

My application:  Purdue Musical Organizations (PMO) has mass auditions every
year.  About 280 students show up.  Each student fills out a card and has
his/her picture taken.  Currently they use a Polaroid camera - expensive film.
I'd like to put everything on computer so that we have a permanent record
of everyone who tried out.  (Sometimes more people are needed ito replace
people who co-op/graduate mid-year.)  This would also save lots of money and
material eaten up by the Polaroid.

If you find anything close to what I'm describing, please tell me.  If will
appreciate it greatly.  I will keep you posted on any developments from this
end.

--kyler

tell@oscar.cs.unc.edu (Stephen Tell) (04/21/91)

In article <k4Ho11w164w@sys6626.bison.mb.ca> denns@sys6626.bison.mb.ca (darren enns) writes:
>Hello all!  Most of the still video cameras on the market use the Sony
>standard 2 inch floppy diskette with 50 picture capacity, like the Canon 
>Xapshot camera.  Since it is silly to fee the analog video signal from 
>that camera into a computer video digitizer (turning it back into digital 
>format), I wondered if Canon or anyone had found a way to get the raw 
>digital data of such a diskette directly into a computer for 
>manipulation?  Has anyone experimented with such a concept?

Its my understanding that the information recorded on the 2" diskette is
analog, not digital.  So, running the video output into a conventional
video digitizer is not so silly after all.  Since its a still frame,
its ideal for a slow-scan digitizer, like DigiView.

>(darren enns) >E-mail: denns%sys6626.bison.mb.ca@niven.cc.umanitoba.ca

Steve

-- 
Steve Tell       tell@cs.unc.edu    H: +1 919 968 1792   #5L Estes Park apts
CS Grad Student, UNC Chapel Hill.   W: +1 919 962 1845   Carrboro NC 27510
Duke Blue Devils:  1991 NCAA Basketball National Champions! We're Number 1 !!
UNLV 90-91 record:  "34 and DUKE."  

moonhawk@bluemoon.uucp (David Culberson) (04/22/91)

> that camera into a computer video digitizer (turning it back into digital 
> format), I wondered if Canon or anyone had found a way to get the raw 
> digital data of such a diskette directly into a computer for 
> manipulation?  Has anyone experimented with such a concept?

        I was wondering a similar thing. The same idea applies to CD's and 
to videodisks. I want to just directly copy the digital data off of such 
disks for use on my Amiga. I have an SCSI card, but no cD-ROM drive. Would 
it be possible to use a CD-ROM drive to do such things? If so, how would I 
need to alter it? Or would it be software? As for the Cannon, I think the 
only way would be if it was specifically designed for that, or if you 
opened it up and took the data lines out, built your own interface, and 
used that. OR the hardest way, find a replacement disk drive for one of 
those (Check at your cannon dealer), make sure to get the right contorl 
circutry... You get the idea. That would be quite a project. I think it 
might be possible with one of the first two ways, so just ignore the last. 
How good are you with electronics? I'm not good enough to attempt such a 
project, especially with a $500 or up camera! Hope you find a way to do 
it!

                        MoonHawk

 This is from
     moonhawk@bluemoon.uucp
     moonhawk%bluemoon@nstar.rn.com
who doesn't have their own obnoxious signature yet

graeme@research.canon.oz.au (Graeme Wong See) (04/22/91)

In article <10919@mentor.cc.purdue.edu> lairdkb@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Kyler Laird) writes:
>(This was originally e-mail, but the mailer returned it.)
>
>I have asked Sony (Mavica) that question several times.  I always get some
>answer that includes the disk->composite video->digitizer->computer route.
>
>Is the video stored digitally on the disk?  I remember seeing a TV report
>on the Mavica professional line that demonstrated their modem.  The report
>stated that pictures could be sent xxxxx miles with _little_ degradation.
>If it's digital, there should be _no_ degradation.
>
>I'm am waiting for a disk drive I can put in a computer to read these disks.
>If I must manually advance the picture, then digitize, this system is next
>to useless.  If I can pop a disk in and hit "download/copy", I'm all set.
>
>My application:  Purdue Musical Organizations (PMO) has mass auditions every
>year.  About 280 students show up.  Each student fills out a card and has
>his/her picture taken.  Currently they use a Polaroid camera - expensive film.
>I'd like to put everything on computer so that we have a permanent record
>of everyone who tried out.  (Sometimes more people are needed ito replace
>people who co-op/graduate mid-year.)  This would also save lots of money and
>material eaten up by the Polaroid.
>
>If you find anything close to what I'm describing, please tell me.  If will
>appreciate it greatly.  I will keep you posted on any developments from this
>end.
>
>--kyler


The Canon Still Video stores the video data in analog format, not digital
format.
You need to buy another box from Canon to get the image into digital format
and downloaded into a computer so you can manipulate it.

Graeme

-- 
Graeme Wong See, Hardware Engineer           | Net:  graeme@research.canon.oz.au
Canon Information Systems Research Australia | Phone: +1 61 2 805 2912
P.O. Box 313 North Ryde, NSW, Australia 2113 | Fax:   +1 61 2 805 2929

greg@pluto.dss.com (Greg McAdoo) (04/23/91)

In article <k4Ho11w164w@sys6626.bison.mb.ca>, denns@sys6626.bison.mb.ca (darren enns) writes:
> format), I wondered if Canon or anyone had found a way to get the raw 
> digital data of such a diskette directly into a computer for 
> manipulation?  Has anyone experimented with such a concept?
>  
> Darren Enns
> 
> --- (darren enns) a user of sys6626, running waffle 1.64
> E-mail: denns%sys6626.bison.mb.ca@niven.cc.umanitoba.ca
> system 6626: 63 point west drive, winnipeg manitoba canada R3T 5G8

   I'm evaluating the possibility of building a device that reads these
disks and digitizes the information into some format (probably async
serial) easily read by a variety of computers. If anyone has any
information about the format of these images or can point me in the
direction of a source for the industry standard for these products,
it would be of great help. Additionally, if anyone's heard of a
commercially availible device that does the same thing I'd be
curious to hear about it.

					Thanks in advance,
							Greg
	

jon_sree@world.std.com (Jon Sreekanth) (04/25/91)

In article <4263@pluto.dss.com> greg@pluto.dss.com (Greg McAdoo) writes:


      I'm evaluating the possibility of building a device that reads these
   disks and digitizes the information into some format (probably async
   serial) easily read by a variety of computers. If anyone has any
   information about the format of these images or can point me in the
   direction of a source for the industry standard for these products,
   it would be of great help. Additionally, if anyone's heard of a
   commercially availible device that does the same thing I'd be
   curious to hear about it.

From memory, Sony, Canon and others make "players" for their analog
floppies, to view images on a TV screen, to print, or to transmit over a 
telephone line to a similar unit at the other end. I'd be surprised
if they did not provide some digital data output. 

Apart from contacting the manufacturers for info, I've seen one book
on the subject : Understanding Electronic Photography, John Larish, 
TAB Books, 1990, $24.95. TAB Books, Blue Ridge Summit, PA 17294
No phone number given. 

Regards, 

/ Jon Sreekanth

Assabet Valley Microsystems			Fax and PC products
346 Lincoln St #722, Marlboro, MA 01752		508-562-0722
jon_sree@world.std.com

phil@b11.ingr.com (Phil Johnson) (04/25/91)

In article <1991Apr22.045816.19385@research.canon.oz.au> graeme@research.canon.oz.au (Graeme Wong See) writes:
>In article <10919@mentor.cc.purdue.edu> lairdkb@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Kyler Laird) writes:
>>
>>My application:  Purdue Musical Organizations (PMO) has mass auditions every
>>year.  About 280 students show up.  Each student fills out a card and has
>>his/her picture taken.  Currently they use a Polaroid camera - expensive film.
>>I'd like to put everything on computer so that we have a permanent record
>>of everyone who tried out.  (Sometimes more people are needed ito replace
>>people who co-op/graduate mid-year.)  This would also save lots of money and
>>material eaten up by the Polaroid.
>>
>>If you find anything close to what I'm describing, please tell me.  If will
>>appreciate it greatly.  I will keep you posted on any developments from this
>>end.
>>
>>--kyler

The Cannon Snapshot connects to the Amiga through the Digiview product, where
the camera image can be stored in digital format for use as a standard graphic
image.  The picture can then be used in a variety of products.  A local Amiga
dealer sells the Cannon/Digiview (sans Amiga) for $899.

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