Microsoft's Vexcel Imaging announces 92-megapixel UltraCamLp
By Donald Melanson 
posted Apr 6th 2009 2:06PM
posted Apr 6th 2009 2:06PM
Microsoft's Vexcel Imaging division hasn't exactly caused a whole lot of fanfare during its short time in existence, but it has managed to carved out a nice little niche for itself in the field of aerial cameras, and it's just kicked out its latest model in the form of the 92-megapixel UltraCamLp. Apart from that boost in megapixels, this one looks to be mostly identical to the medium-format UltraCamL that it's based on (pictured above), although it does make use of a smaller 6 μm CCD array that makes that increase in image format possible. Otherwise, you can expect a 1:2.2 pan sharpen ratio, and the ability to collect RGB and NIR in parallel with forward motion compensation by TDI, which will let you use the camera in a whole host of applications ranging from orthophoto production to corridor mapping to lidar integration. No word on price just yet, but it looks like existing UltraCamL users will be eligible for a free upgrade when the UltraCamLp rolls out in November.
[Via GIM International, thanks Thijs]
[Via GIM International, thanks Thijs]
Is this a commercial version of the military surveillance plane cameras? I remember learning about them in a physics class - they were developed/deployed in Iraq I, and were capable of photographing something like every road and vehicle across Iraq in a 12 hour flight (basically the limiting factor was the speed of the plane, as opposed to the size of the sensor/CPU).
Please correct me if I'm wrong, I'm badly paraphrasing what I remember.
my iphone camera is probably way better then that thing
I need my terapixel cam before chrismats plz, kthxbai
A great cilivian use. Use it to update Microsoft Streets & Trips or all gps maps. It blows my mind that gps maps are so inaccurate.
"Sharpest Porn Ever presented by Microsoft"
92 megapixels?!?! I wonder how enormous the resulting file would be in RAW.
not as large as our collected penis-envy for the people who get to play with it.
In regards to your question Aldrich, pretty big! we have two of the big brothers to this camera, the UltraCamX and the UltraCamXp, which clock in at 136 and 196 Megapixels respectively. file sizes for Raw data is about 450mb for the X and 600 for the Xp. the most impressive part? the X can shoot one frame every 1.35 seconds. the Xp every 2 seconds. pretty cool stuff...
Seems like a not too complex a calculation somehow.
Be sure to have lead underwear on before operating camera.
This just in: McAffee has announced antivirus software to protect Microsoft camera hardware in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
As above.
Wow, do not taunt Happy-Fun-conficker-victims.
eheh, yeah what was that all about.
In other news: Apple upgrades the built-in iSight webcams in Macbooks and iMacs to a whopping 2 megapixels.
Microsoft the "me-too" company, creating cameras when everyone knows the iPhone has the only camera you will ever need.
More evidence of Microsoft producing products that is clearly not within their core. The goal of Microsoft, the biggest "me too" company on the planet, is to produce a Microsoft brand from digital cameras to toilet paper. Expect a Microsoft branded Toilet Paper with the tag line "Windows Toilet Paper, Life Without Streaks".
Nah they are just buying a few firms because they see the cloud hanging and don't want to be up that creek without a paddle and a lifevest.
The asses who bashed this Microsoft product should go and have a look live maps...
http://maps.live.com
Generally they buy images from third parties for live maps, and google earth and such I think, and what camera they use is not in the hands of the site buying the images.
I understood like 3 words of that post.