Minimum Camera for Book Scanning

Everything camera related. Includes triggers, batteries, power supplies, flatbeds and sheet-feeding scanners, too.

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curious
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Re: Minimum Camera for Book Scanning

Post by curious »

Antoha-spb wrote:
daniel_reetz wrote:And though it is slower, you can always start with just one camera.
it is NOT much slower with the properly installed platen
Since I'd rather not pick up the book for every page turn (as Antoha's scanner seems to require), I wonder about making a viable 1-camera setup by making a book cradle that rocks or a camera mount that allows the camera to move. Maybe even use mechanics or electronics to make the camera fire when the cradle or camera reaches it's second position -- a bit fanciful.
TomHorsley wrote:So, when the available supply of CHDK compatible cameras completely dries up, I wonder if more drastic measures could open up lots more cameras (literally). There are apparently DIY CCD camera hackers out there
I searched for "build digital camera" and one of the most informative sites that appeared was BigShot, a project to build a 1.9mp camera that elementary school kids can build and use to learn about electronics and photography (still in prototype, no kits for sale, includes a social networking site). The BigShot website has some great explanations of how digital cameras work -- a handy intro for some of the stuff that's mentioned in this forum -- for example, the page about "image detector array":
http://www.bigshotcamera.org/sections/l ... ector.html
daniel_reetz wrote:I am very interested in camera-building and have an "open source camera" in the form of the Nokia N900.
Daniel, I'm curious what controls you have with the N900 that lead you to call it open source.
daniel_reetz wrote:use a servo to press the shutter button, or where we use, say, the brake handle from a bicycle to press the shutters simultaneously.
Seems like a list ways to trigger a camera might be a useful thread (kind of like the thread about ways to detect the surface structure of a book). I'm happy to start it, wherever it might go (it's a mix of hardware and software). One of the first posts in that thread would be, Here's who's done physical triggering so far...
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daniel_reetz
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Re: Minimum Camera for Book Scanning

Post by daniel_reetz »

curious, that's a great first post. Welcome to the forums.
curious wrote:
Antoha-spb wrote:
daniel_reetz wrote:And though it is slower, you can always start with just one camera.
it is NOT much slower with the properly installed platen
Since I'd rather not pick up the book for every page turn (as Antoha's scanner seems to require), I wonder about making a viable 1-camera setup by making a book cradle that rocks or a camera mount that allows the camera to move. Maybe even use mechanics or electronics to make the camera fire when the cradle or camera reaches it's second position -- a bit fanciful.
There have been similar propositions by myself and others, but no one has built anything as far as I can remember. Basically you could put the camera on a pivot and swing it left and right to each position. There might be other, more clever, ways to do it, too.
curious wrote:I searched for "build digital camera" and one of the most informative sites that appeared was BigShot, a project to build a 1.9mp camera that elementary school kids can build and use to learn about electronics and photography (still in prototype, no kits for sale, includes a social networking site). The BigShot website has some great explanations of how digital cameras work -- a handy intro for some of the stuff that's mentioned in this forum -- for example, the page about "image detector array":
http://www.bigshotcamera.org/sections/l ... ector.html
Great site, thanks for the reference.
curious wrote:
daniel_reetz wrote:I am very interested in camera-building and have an "open source camera" in the form of the Nokia N900.
Daniel, I'm curious what controls you have with the N900 that lead you to call it open source.
The whole operating system is Linux and there's a crew at Stanford that created an API for the camera called FCAM that makes it one of the most capable cameras ever in a mobile device. That said, it still sucks for book scanning and Nokia is moving to Windows, so this is really a dead end for most. For me, it's still a fun little camera playground.
curious wrote:
daniel_reetz wrote:use a servo to press the shutter button, or where we use, say, the brake handle from a bicycle to press the shutters simultaneously.
Seems like a list ways to trigger a camera might be a useful thread (kind of like the thread about ways to detect the surface structure of a book). I'm happy to start it, wherever it might go (it's a mix of hardware and software). One of the first posts in that thread would be, Here's who's done physical triggering so far...
[/quote]

Sounds to me like people would naturally look for it in hardware. If you start it I'd be happy to sticky it because it's a very important topic and camera triggering has been done many ways but never collected in one place. I think it's a fantastic idea and think it would improve the forums to have it.
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curious
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Re: Minimum Camera for Book Scanning

Post by curious »

daniel_reetz wrote:Sounds to me like people would naturally look for it in hardware. If you start it I'd be happy to sticky it because it's a very important topic and camera triggering has been done many ways but never collected in one place. I think it's a fantastic idea and think it would improve the forums to have it.
Started in hardware: http://www.diybookscanner.org/forum/vie ... ?f=1&t=910
vynx
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Re: Minimum Camera for Book Scanning

Post by vynx »

is someone have calculation if the object is paper with size A4 then the camera is min. x Mega Pixel, or if the paper A3 then the camera is min. y Mega Pixel?
cgott42

Re: Minimum Camera for Book Scanning

Post by cgott42 »

When buying a dig camera on ebay for this project, how do you find out what firmware it has (I checked the forum and it seems that to find the firmware is an involved process whereby you have to download a file to your camera - which I'm guessing most sellers wouldn't feel comfortable doing)?
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Re: Minimum Camera for Book Scanning

Post by daniel_reetz »

Unfortunately for Canon compacts that is the only way. Are you working with a Powershot that only has CHDK or SDM for one firmware revision?

Usually when there is only CHDK/SDM for one firmware version, it's the last version, so you can upgrade a camera two it. Which cameras are you considering?
cgott42

Re: Minimum Camera for Book Scanning

Post by cgott42 »

daniel_reetz wrote:Unfortunately for Canon compacts that is the only way. Are you working with a Powershot that only has CHDK or SDM for one firmware revision?

Usually when there is only CHDK/SDM for one firmware version, it's the last version, so you can upgrade a camera two it. Which cameras are you considering?

I have no real preference, as the cameras would be solely for book scanning - so I figured on SD1100 or SD870 b/c they were relatively inexpensive , though if you have a good suggestion, please let me know.
cgott42

Re: Minimum Camera for Book Scanning

Post by cgott42 »

correction: my 2nd option (again, I'm open to suggestions) is the SD850 (not the 870)
dbb
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Re: Minimum Camera for Book Scanning

Post by dbb »

Just joined the forum, but have been reading for a while. Also been gathering my supplies and equipment. I came acrossed these cameras which were what I considered a good price. Canon PowerShot SX120IS 10MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Images Stabilized Zoom and 3-inch LCD for $169 each on Amazon, new. A little pricey when you get two, but not too much more than a refurbished a590.

I had initially looked for the Canon A590, but didn't see them new or widely available anymore.

I am hoping they work out well.
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Re: Minimum Camera for Book Scanning

Post by daniel_reetz »

I checked 'em out, and they look pretty good to me.
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