I just received this update from Sub2r regarding their 4K Webcam.
FWIW, we interviewed the team twice before the cameras was achieving 4K:
https://www.vuc.me/2017/vuc627-update-from-sub2r/https://www.vuc.me/2016/...mera-for-makers-hackers/The projected selling price was around $600.
Michael
SUB2r 4K @30fps I know a lot of you have been following us and encouraging us over the last 2 years! I/we think we’ve finally built a camera worthy of the wait.
For those of you who don’t want to read this – here’s the link to the video.
For those who don’t like clicking on embedded links – and I don’t blame you, our YouTube channel is SUB2r. Look for the SUB2r Teaser 4K @30fps video.
There should be a 4K icon on the gear and setting is at 4K 2160.
Make sure your browser supports 4K, we find Chrome fairly reliable for this. Sometimes it takes a bit for YouTube to load 4K.
AND
Best viewed on a 4K monitor.
We encourage you to pause the video and check out each frame.
A look back:Almost a year ago we debuted 1080P @60fps and 4K @15fps at Maker Faire Bay Area 2016. Getting 4K @15fps was a challenge. We didn’t have it on Friday and Saturday morning it was pouring rain – miserable to say the least. We didn’t spend the $gazillion for a wired internet so we had to use Vanda’s phone to downloaded the new firmware from Greg. Copied it off the phone and updated the firmware, not on our little camera, but the only working platform we had which was a massive Rupert Goldberg FPGA dev board, wires and eval boards. It was so fragile we put it in a Plexiglas case which Serge dubbed the “Pope Mobile”. It ran, kind of and crashed often. Serge had to continuously relaunch the camera. Add to that we only had three I2C register controls, Gain, Exposure, and Black Level.
In December we were in the truck on the way to a meeting in Hollywood while trying to download a new version of firmware which squeaked 4K @22.5fps. At least we had the new hardware running, 1080p 60fps was very stable and the camera looked good.
Today I am very proud to say, we have achieved what we always knew this camera had the potential to do. 4K @30fps locked. I’m a big Star Wars fan so humor me. (Insert Yoda voice here) “Be or be not, there is no Up To. You are either 4K or you are not. You are either 30 frames per second or you are not.” When we say 4K we produce 4K. When we say 30fps we give you 30 unique captured frames per second.
And now like those late night infomercials, “But wait there is more!” We have a comprehensive pallet of UVC controls, Contrast, Brightness, Saturation, Hue, Gamma, Sharpness, Auto White Balance, and Auto Exposure. We also have a bunch of really cool analytical tools. And, we can characterize and normalize every pixel. DPC – defective pixel cancellation (or Troll Snot) was a challenge for us.
Then there are the I2C controls for RGB Gains, total Gain, Black Level and Exposure. Along with access to the sensor chip level registers.
We also support 3 video formats YUV, NV12 and RAW pre-demaosiced.
The video:This is just a peek at what can be done with our camera shooting in 4K.
The camera was streaming 4K @30fps locked over USB 3.0 in NV12 video format using an Evetar 6.0mm f2.0 lens.
ALL of the image processing took place on the camera using our on board controls and algorithms. There was no post camera processing of the image except to edit the pieces together.
We captured the stream using Microsoft Windows 10 built in camera app. Those files were uploaded into Pinnacle 20 and edited. We then uploaded the final cut to YouTube. At each step of this process fidelity was lost.
The setup:We aren’t professional photographers. We used cheap softbox lights we bought from Amazon. The turntable was made using a motor hacked from a microwave oven – which isn’t very smooth and changed direction every time we turned it on. The glass table top and mirror base we scored from the local Good Will.
Here’s a couple of shots of the setup.
Serge learned the folly of asking Vanda if she had any shoes he could film.
Trying to focus on the watch gear.
Gargoyle on (not in) a microwave
To everyone who supported us, helpped us, and encouraged us to keep going when we felt we had hit the final insurmountable obstacle – we sincerely appreciate you.
Rich, Vanda, Serge, Igor, Greg, Roger, James, Pauli, and Max and Danger Dawg
