When we first spotted this new cam from Seitz, our jaws hit the floor and rebounded a few times. No, it's not the
highest megapixel count we've seen, but this megalith of a camera shoots at 160 megapixels to create a native 6 x 17-cm image, is packed with an ISO range from 500 to 10,000, a read-out speed of 300MB per second, and a shutter speed of 1/20,000th second. So the next question is, how are you going to store such huge image files (nearly 1 GB per uncompressed full panorama), certainly not on your off-the-shelf
16GB SDHC card, nor the
upcoming 64GB CompactFlash cards -- but rather via gigabit Ethernet to Seitz's "state-of-the-art computer system", which translates to a decked out
Mac mini. So what will this much imaging power cost you? 45,500 Swiss francs ($36,266) for the "mobile version" and 42,300 Swiss francs ($33,715) for the "studio version", and we're assuming that the Mac mini is included for that price. However, given that this camera isn't quite what you'd front for a down payment on a
Swiss châlet, the 6x17 Digital surely must be affordable to average working-class Zürich banker set, no? You can catch a glimpse of this bad boy at the upcoming
Photokina expo in Germany, or can throw down some serious Swiss coinage now to pre-order this gargantuan cam, which won't become available until early 2007. Also, be sure to click through for two more glamour shots.
[Thanks, Amanda H.]
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posted September 20th 2006 6:03PM
I think this thing uses an imaging sensor, not a scanner back because the shutter speed is 1/20,000...
I'd rather buy the film version of the camera at a fraction of the price and get the most expensive film scanner I can find, it still won't cost as much as this....
I really don't understand why it's so wide. That lens can't be focusing light on a sensor that wide, so what the heck is in there? Hamsters to power it?
the roundshot D3 from SEITZ has even more megapixels: 470!!! it takes 360-panoramic pix
http://www.roundshot.ch/xml_1/internet/de/application/d438/d925/f933.cfm
This is the hotness. It goes on the "stupid" list right behind the Cirrus SR-22 timeshare and the Ariel Atom.
The grips look almost big enough to be handle bars! Man, they are ugly. For over $30,000 I would expect something a little less tacky looking.
Such an incredible camera..looks pretty cool!
That's just nuts. 37 grand for a camera with such a restrictive format? I'll stick to my 6x12 roll back and drum scanner.... they give me all the resolution I could ask for.
How are we suppose to connect that to our Telescopes to do Astrophotography??? Damn thing will weigh more than most scopes!
And how much to modify it for Astrophotography? Help Mr. Huetech!!!
as much as I'd like to believe in this 6x17 format the roundshot allegedly features, it appears to me like it's a huge hoax or at least a very well photoshopped PR stunt, meant to draw people at Photokina's stands (the same way the Zeiss announced the 1700 mm lens, remember, a couple of weeks ago, but failed to display anything else but a poor 3d rendering of it, with Arabic writing on a side, to make us believe it was specially built for an eccentric Sultan or Gulf Prince).
let's get a bit to basics and imagine this: 6x17. panoramic. okay. the lens mount appears like it's only TS (tilt and shift) on the image, but no TS lens in this world would offer you _panorama_. now compare please one of your SLR lenses at home with the one displayed on the mega-panoramic gizmo and tell me how big of an image does it project on such a close flat surface, like the one we're imagining contains the ccd? 3 centimeters at most? good. so the lens doesn't pan, it appears normal in size (compared to most pro or prosumer lenses available on the market)... then how on earth does it project a PANORAMIC image on the captor? simple, by defying the laws of physics.
or maybe the captor is in the shape of a conveyor belt that passes in front of the lens once, with each exposure? I am rolling on the floor laughing at this thought.
I am the owner of an 8mm lens (used mostly on a SLR pro body). if I am careless enough I end up taking photos of my own camera strap if I forget to put it around my hand, or my own shoes and jeans if I am leaning too forward. my lens has an 180-degree field of view. Nikon has made a 6mm lens a few years ago, not only it is huge but it takes some 220-degree fov. yes that means taking photos behind your own self. again, physics, if I'm not a complete idiot: what on earth kind of photos would this camera capture?
if there's anyone reading this post and willing to get even more technical, please help the stupid person I am and either confirm or infirm what I'm bragging about here. either I'm missing something, or I am simply refusing to get hoaxed.
Is it waterproof?
That things got kick like a shotgun; take a picture and it blows you backwards off your feet.
I dont think there is a screen sharp or big enough to actually display how great a picture might be if one was taken.
http://www.laptopbatteryclub.com/
It is an amazing monster?
I wonder if the latest Canon can beat it !