Ken Warner
Posts: 615
Location: Mammoth Lakes, United States
Registered: 14 Aug 2004
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Re: Ipix FC-E8 on sale for $49.99
Posted: 28 Mar 2009 at 7:58 GMT
updated: 28 Mar 2009 at 8:07 GMT
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[sigh] Java is so painful ... I wish I could sit in front of your screen and figure things out. My web host might be a little slow and maybe zooming in would help. Oh well, one does the best one can...
Yes, please feel free to view the image anyway you can.
A new lens is like a new friend. It takes a while to get to know it. I have to figure out how to judge the exposure. I'm guessing that using spot photometry is probably not such a good idea given the broad area viewed. Maybe average would be better.
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John Houghton
Posts: 2787
Location: Hitchin, United Kingdom
Registered: 17 Jan 2005
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Re: Ipix FC-E8 on sale for $49.99
Posted: 28 Mar 2009 at 9:27 GMT
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Ken, It works in Firefox - but DevalVR gives a better idea of the quality of the image.
John
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mediavets
Posts: 1092
Location: Isleham, Cambs., United Kingdom
Registered: 8 Feb 2008
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Re: Ipix FC-E8 on sale for $49.99
Posted: 28 Mar 2009 at 9:35 GMT
updated: 28 Mar 2009 at 9:43 GMT
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Ken Warner said: A new lens is like a new friend. It takes a while to get to know it. I have to figure out how to judge the exposure. I'm guessing that using spot photometry is probably not such a good idea given the broad area viewed. Maybe average would be better.
Metering is always challenging with FE lenses - at least I find it so.
Andrew
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mediavets
Posts: 1092
Location: Isleham, Cambs., United Kingdom
Registered: 8 Feb 2008
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Re: Ipix FC-E8 on sale for $49.99
Posted: 28 Mar 2009 at 9:43 GMT
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Ken Warner said: Story too complicated but I finally got the lens. And today I got the step down ring I needed to put it on my Fuji e900.
Ran outside just before dark and shot 4 around. Didn't even focus the thing or try to find the nodal point. Threw the images into PTGui; cropped a little and pressed the button.
Came out like this with out any post.
pancyl.com/FisheyeTest.htm
Verdict: For 50 bucks -- I can live with it. Shudda bought two...
Glad to hear you got the IPIX FE lens in the end - that's great.
Your quick pano looks pretty good to me. Spring comes late there by the looks of it.
I got the step ring for mine a couple of days ago to mount my IPIX FE on my P5100. I'd say the images it produces are about the same quality as my FC-E8, but the smaller diameter of the front element on the IPIX FE means I can mount the P5100 with IPIX FE on a NN head just using the T-30 adapter which I can't with the FC-E8.
Andrew
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Ken Warner
Posts: 615
Location: Mammoth Lakes, United States
Registered: 14 Aug 2004
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Re: Ipix FC-E8 on sale for $49.99
Posted: 28 Mar 2009 at 9:43 GMT
updated: 28 Mar 2009 at 10:12 GMT
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Yes, DevalVR is the best viewer IMHO. I'm glad you got it to work. Here's one with a little more work, shot raw.
pancyl.com/FisheyeTest2.htm
and
oops I should figure out how to use that tinyurl thing.
You can figure out where the pano is. Grab it and use your favorite viewer.
I'm happy -- it's going to be a fun lens to work with.
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Ken Warner
Posts: 615
Location: Mammoth Lakes, United States
Registered: 14 Aug 2004
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Re: Ipix FC-E8 on sale for $49.99
Posted: 28 Mar 2009 at 9:50 GMT
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mediavets said: Your quick pano looks pretty good to me. Spring comes late there by the looks of it.
I got the step ring for mine a couple of days ago to mount my IPIX FE on my P5100. I'd say the images it produces are about the same quality as my FC-E8, but the smaller diameter of the front element on the IPIX FE means I can mount the P5100 with IPIX FE on a NN head just using the T-30 adapter which I can't with the FC-E8.
Andrew
Up here, Spring starts in May. And my Fuji e900 is a little smaller than the P5100 so the lens is just about right on the arm of my NN3 even with a T-20. An FC-e8 probably couldn't be positioned at the NP.
Fun stuff...
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Doug Aurand
Posts: 1648
Location: Albuquerque, NM, United States
Registered: 2 Jan 2008
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Re: Ipix FC-E8 on sale for $49.99
Posted: 28 Mar 2009 at 14:44 GMT
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OMG!!...Non-iPIX Virtual Tour Photographers that like something from iPIX??????????
Never thought I'd see the day 
You should be able to get full coverage with 2 or, at most, 3 shots.
Have fun guys
Doug Aurand
Albuquerque, NM
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Ken Warner
Posts: 615
Location: Mammoth Lakes, United States
Registered: 14 Aug 2004
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Re: Ipix FC-E8 on sale for $49.99
Posted: 28 Mar 2009 at 17:28 GMT
updated: 28 Mar 2009 at 17:29 GMT
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Yeah, yeah ...
I wonder who actually made this lens. We know that there is a Soligar version. Did/does Soligar make glass or buy it from someone else?
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Doug Aurand
Posts: 1648
Location: Albuquerque, NM, United States
Registered: 2 Jan 2008
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Re: Ipix FC-E8 on sale for $49.99
Posted: 29 Mar 2009 at 16:19 GMT
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I think I remember Andrew Baddeley, who's an long time iPIX reseller in the UK, calling them "Acer" lenses. But I've never heard anthing definite about who actually made them.
What I'm curious about is who it is that has 180 of them to sell. I wouldn't think anybody but iPIX/MEV would have an inventory that big of such an obscure lens converter.
Odd?
Doug Aurand
Albuquerque, NM
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mediavets
Posts: 1092
Location: Isleham, Cambs., United Kingdom
Registered: 8 Feb 2008
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Re: Ipix FC-E8 on sale for $49.99
Posted: 29 Mar 2009 at 17:56 GMT
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Doug Aurand said:
What I'm curious about is who it is that has 180 of them to sell. I wouldn't think anybody but iPIX/MEV would have an inventory that big of such an obscure lens converter.
Odd?
Doug Aurand
Albuquerque, NM
AS I mentioned in an earlier post, mine has a bar coded label on the barrel that says 'Virtual Imaging Corp.'.
This company was acquired by Zaio Corp. in 2007 and then Zaio closed it down in 2008. So I guess these were old stock from VIC.
www.zaio.com/PDF/PressRelease/PR%20VIC%20Closing....
I think someone - IPIX MEV,perhaps - bought most of the stock offered on eBay.
Andrew
Andrew
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Doug Aurand
Posts: 1648
Location: Albuquerque, NM, United States
Registered: 2 Jan 2008
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Re: Ipix FC-E8 on sale for $49.99
Posted: 29 Mar 2009 at 18:47 GMT
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Andrew
Thanx for reminding me, now it maks sense
V-I-C was a division of iPIX at one time. When Interactive Pictures Corp bought Bamboo.com, Interactive Pictures Corp changed its name to iPIX Corp and bamboo became V-I-C, the "full service" division.
Bamboo's "full-service" business model was different than iPIX's; they had a network of contracted photographers who shot real estate tours using bamboo's equipment, but bamboo did all the stitiching, hosting and distributing. Interactive Pictures sold equipment and stitching software to Realtors and independent photographers and offered a hosting & distributing service. Its still referred to as "Self Service"
VIC/bamboo switched to iPIX's capture method, 2 or 3 fisheyes instead of something done with an auto-rotating video camera. I remember the local bamboo photographer calling me about using a fisheye on a Kodak compact that needed 3 shots instead of the 2 I used on my old Coolpix 950/FC-E8. He didn't have to do any of the stitching, just uploaded the source photos. Also, VIC did all the billing, just paid him something like $50 to shoot 4 scenes
Later VIC's management bought it from iPIX and, like you say, somebody later bought them and eventually shut them down.
So you may be right, these are forgotten VIC inventory from after the split with iPIX.
The "iPIX Fisheye" was what both used on the non-Nikon Coolpix compact cameras.
Now it makes sense
Thanx
Doug Aurand
Albuquerque, NM
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Ken Warner
Posts: 615
Location: Mammoth Lakes, United States
Registered: 14 Aug 2004
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Re: Ipix FC-E8 on sale for $49.99
Posted: 29 Mar 2009 at 23:08 GMT
updated: 29 Mar 2009 at 23:12 GMT
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I'm just getting to know this lens but so far, I would say that a two around pano would be difficult. I guess it would depend on the camera and the lens on the camera. When I shoot with my Fuji, I can get a full circle but that's not a lot of pixels. And if I zoom in to make the circle bigger, the edges get soft. I made a decent pano with 4 around but the zenith was real soft. I tried three yesterday and there where lots of soft zones were the overlap is.
But like I said, I'm still learning about this lens. Maybe I'll figure it out.
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mediavets
Posts: 1092
Location: Isleham, Cambs., United Kingdom
Registered: 8 Feb 2008
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Re: Ipix FC-E8 on sale for $49.99
Posted: 29 Mar 2009 at 23:14 GMT
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Ken Warner said: I'm just getting to know this lens but so far, I would say that a two around pano would be difficult. I guess it would depend on the camera and the lens on the camera. When I shoot with my Fuji, I can get a full circle but that's not a lot of pixels. And if I zoom in to make the circle bigger, the edges get soft. I made a decent pano with 4 around but the zenith was real soft. I tried three yesterday and there where lots of soft zones where the overlap is.
But like I said, I'm still learning about this lens. Maybe I'll figure it out.
I shoot 4 around with FC-E8 on my Nikon P5100 when shooting with Bophoto bracket on a monopod.
If you are using your NN3 with the IPIX then try shooting 4-around at a +3-+5 degree pitch, or 4-around at zero pitch plus a 'zenith' at say +60.
Andrew
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Ken Warner
Posts: 615
Location: Mammoth Lakes, United States
Registered: 14 Aug 2004
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Re: Ipix FC-E8 on sale for $49.99
Posted: 30 Mar 2009 at 2:29 GMT
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mediavets said:
I shoot 4 around with FC-E8 on my Nikon P5100 when shooting with Bophoto bracket on a monopod.
If you are using your NN3 with the IPIX then try shooting 4-around at a +3-+5 degree pitch, or 4-around at zero pitch plus a 'zenith' at say +60.
Andrew
Yup... That was going to be the next thing I try. For outdoor shots, usually I can clone the nadir out.
I have a NN3. 3-5 degrees should be enough to smooth out the sky and stuff at zenith -- I hope. I would like to reduce the number of shots. Now I usually do 24. 3 rows of 8. Real pain. Maybe someday I can buy a real camera and lens like the grownups use.
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Rip-n-Burn
Posts: 3
Location: United States
Registered: 19 Mar 2009
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Re: Ipix FC-E8 on sale for $49.99
Posted: 30 Mar 2009 at 22:20 GMT
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I found that 4 shots around covers the whole shebang and I can/need to clone the nadir. I did notice the images were very fuzzy on the overlaps and determined it was the alignment of the lens on my homemade mount. It took me like 30 plus pano tests to "dial it in" to what was exceptable to me. (Keep in mind I have little to no experience with 360's)All in all I'm very happy with this lens for the price I paid. The information here on the history is very interesting as well. Thanks for sharing.
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