Mockup One: Figuring out proportions and scale.
+ Camera capture button and focus wheel are on top.
Things absent from model:
- iPhone dock
- Microphone
- Shotgun mic
- Power button
Mockup Two: Refining form, integrating iPhone.
+ iPhone snaps into place below eyepiece.
+ Zoom is adjusted with ring around eyepiece.
Things absent from model:
- Microphone
- Shotgun mic
- Power button
I'm starting this blog with the hopes of getting some weekly feedback from birders about a project I'm working on to create a digiscope that integrates with an iPhone.
I'd love to get some feedback about why certain things are the way they are with current scopes and to hear some criticism about my ideas.
The design I'm working on is focused on:
+ Taking photos of birds
+ Automatically IDing birds via a shotgun mic (not shown in physical mockups but would be a long thin cylinder along the top of the scope)
+ Finding and communicating with other birders (think of a minimalist social network for birders where you can post photos/audio/comments to a blog as you are birding, the photos are geotagged, other people in the park can be alerted to where birds are and seek them out if they wish)
+ Locate birds via an omni-directional microphone (maybe)
+ Use the iPhone to view, zoom and focus (also wirelessly for vibration-free digiscoping)
+ Possibly a case/tripod that is quicker to setup and easier to carry. (Think of something you sling over your shoulder that has a soft exterior so that it is comfortable to carry, but a rigid inner area so the scope is safe. The tripod is integrated to the case so that you take off the pack, unfold the tripod legs and you're ready.)
Some questions I have:
+ When viewing through an iPhone, would you prefer the screen to be in landscape (wide) or portrait (tall) mode?
+ Is viewing through the screen of an iPhone high enough resolution? If not, would you use that for relaxed viewing and switch to the eyepiece for a better look. Or maybe the phone is used so that someone you're birding with can see what you're seeing.
+ What are your thoughts on digiscopes vs. using a scope + digital camera? I'm thinking about the high price of digiscopes and the customization that using your own camera allows.
Can you take a look at the photos of my first physical studies and let me know what you think? There are a few things missing (power button, microphone). I'm interested in what you think of using an iPhone as you bird.
Thanks so much for any insights you can offer!
Matt
I like the idea of being able to identify birds in the field, but I don't want to have to have an iPhone to do it. How far would it be able to ID birds from?
ReplyDelete-Charles (MN)
The Iphone adapter has to slide on and off the scope easily such that the camera lens aligns properly with the scope eyepiece. The adapter must be designed to use the scopes that serious birders use.. Kowa, Swarovsky, Leica & Leitz. If you could come up with a simple plastic adapter you could sell many, as it would open up a whole new aspect to birding. Current digiscope setups require complicated rings and adapters for single-lens reflex digital cameras and point and shoot cameras. Everyone's got an Iphone and carries it in the field... a $50 adapter would be terrific.
ReplyDeleteIssue 1. vibration... a heavy camera on a scope is difficult keep from bouncing around. A Iphone is so tiny that this may not be a problem.
Issue 2 Glare. Its very hard to use the screen on a camera (Iphone or other) in daylight. A small hood that shades the screen would be helpful.
Issue 3 Shutter actuation. Pressing the button on a camera on a tripod at low shutter speeds is a big problem in digiscoping. There may be nothing that can be done to fix this on an Iphone.