Hawkeye-DSLR

[David Brown]

I think I would have noticed a double shutter actuation when I tested the cameras. Nothing has changed except the equipment arrangement. The 4pin connector on the Hawkeye camera is still disconnected.

Anyway, there are two shutter actuations for each frame. This happens with both cameras, Sony and Nikon.

Any thoughts?

The lens used on the Sony was $150 in 2017 new, and it still is.

https://www.amazon.com/Mitakon-Zhong...+lens&qid=1612 564058&sr=8-1

The lens on the Nikon is also 20mm, reverse mounted with extensions.

[Stan Jelavic]

What MSP firmware do you have? The latest version uses HDR in slow mode which provides two triggers per frame. I needed the slow mode for my DSLR setup and had to remove the second trigger from FW. Not sure if that is it but my best guess. Another possibility is the trigger slew rate. Connect a scope onto the trigger line.

[David Brown]

Good Call Stan!

I'm pretty sure that last flash was V12_hdr_turbo.

Here is what I found:


I do have the capstan disconnected, that might impact the speed switch.

I don't have a scope, just a multi-meter! It shows nothing but the question has been answered.

I'm anxious to test the dslr and keep the Hawkeye intact. The parts are just sitting on a table and I adjust the vertical framing with a carpenter's shim. The distance between the Hawkeye's camera and the dslr determine that.

The lens has an attachment I printed that keeps the film parallel and focus distance constant, but it cannot hold the film's position if I stop.

Fun for now! Maybe I need another Wolverine?

Since you are already flashing your dslr version, consider adding a triple shutter actuation. Then you could use the dslr to bracket exposures with ISO and shutter. All fps speeds might need to slow down too.

I have more testing ahead, but so far I've had better results using WDR (std Hawkeye) and low contrast for extreme exposures than HDR. Contrast has to be added back in post.

[Stan Jelavic]

Hi David. Looks like you made a pretty good progress. will be interesting to see what results you get. I finally managed to get to the point where I can get the test shots from my setup. Here it is.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/7oHWXhzqsjUaXC276

The colors looked pretty reasonable when I set the white balance to 10000K. Since I used an old FD macro the image rez was very low. So I decided to use my ancient lens setup by turning the setup on the side just for testing. Ultimately I will have to get a good macro.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/DSa7ah2NZ6ZRxkxZ6

This gave a much better resolution but with a good macro would definitely be better.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/SXUFWmLEWHVwM6SP8

As the image shows, the camera is not centered and that makes the top of the image softer. Will fix that tomorrow and then do the side-by-side comparison with the other cameras that we used.

[Stan Jelavic]

Here is an update. Adjusted the camera so that it is centered properly over the target and used a large HDMI monitor for fine focus adjustment.
Here is the result:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/hbTFc2J8jvEw8o1d8

Had to tweak the colors a bit but have not spent much time on it. The DSLR WB is not capable of correcting the colors properly, so ultimately the final video will have to be postprocessed for color correction.
My conclusion so far is that the images are comparable. So for the people that own a Wolverine and hate its digital artifacts, going with the DSLR approach is feasible. I used the Hawkeye board but the Wolverine controller could also work keeping in mind that the FPS is then fixed to 2FPS which may be too fast for DSLR frame-by-frame. But it may be OK for DSLR video. Have not tested the Wolverine FPS stability i.e. how close it is to 2FPS. If it is off then it will be more difficult to extract the relevant images out of the video stream.

I will try running the Mark2 video and see if the extract script works.

[Stuart Reid]

Apologies if I've missed this covered in an earlier thread, but would the new Raspberry Pi camera be a good contender?

[Stan Jelavic]

Hi Stuart. I tested several RPI cams and was not very happy with them. On of the main issues with them is that they are designed for very short focal length lens and give a pink glow when a longer focal length is used.

The RPI obisp ar0230 camera had no pink glow but gave me high pixel noise.


Ar1335 did not have high ixel noise but did have some pink glow.



The best results with arducam I obtained with the MT9P001
camera module and the USB shield. But that will run you around $100 so might as well go with the TIS camera which is better.

BTW - going with RPI you do not have to dismantle the Wolverine as I did with the DSLR if you can find a camera that would work.

[David Brown]

WoW, some amazing pictures Stan!

Well, those are the "floating Cannon" and the worlds longest lens assembly.

Maybe you could capture the super8 test frame?. I know how sharp that is. The Mark2 image of the famous Lady in White image is a bit softer than the BUC02, even with twice the pixel array (5616x3744). Must be the lens.

I think you're all about the color in this project. The full frame sensor should have better dynamic range off a single shot.

I made a test run. Now I'll do another and match it to a finished Hawkeye clip I have.

I filled an 8gig card pretty quick with 85mb files. I might use jpgs and try not to adjust color or exposure.

[Stan Jelavic]

Thanks David,
I can see you are fascinated by my levitated camera setup he he. I can try capturing the test frame but I am sure it will not be as sharp. Would definitely need a better setup with a proper macro lens but that is more $$$. Possibly get the Venus Laowa which is capable of focus to infinity so that I can use it for everyday shooting with the added macro function:
https://www.amazon.com/Venus-LAOWA-V...dp/B013TQJY1C/
2X magnification is not enough but it is a pretty good compromise.

So why would anybody in the world go this way. Here are my thoughts.

- You do not like the Wolverine camera and have a DSLR with a good macro lens.
- You have some mechanical assembly experience and like little fun projects like this one.
- Possibly very low cost because Hawkeye may not be required (still checking).

OK but what happens with the shutter count and you do not have e-shutter.
Here is a possible answer:
Run the DSLR in video mode.
https://github.com/vintagefilmograph...main/README.md

Here is the setup in video mode:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/jS7GML1z2HUdxSNi9

And the result. It is very small because I do not have the proper macro.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/JZFsTcdDv2CyrGHZ7

[David Brown]

I'm impressed with the video Stan. Yes it's small, but it looks stable.

and I'll add another reason to your list of why to go this way, after spending years trying to make something work, this seems in range?

or not.

I'm done. Not with the DSLR film capture dream, but with the method I chose and tested. This was not a good method. I moved the supply reel to the left of the Hawkeye, made a passive gate that attached to the end of my lens. It was dependent on the Hawkeye's claw and gate to pull the film thru the camera.

This test was about feasibility of motion capture. I have used this method for still frame capture. In the sample below, the best stability I could be comfortable with is still unstable. The only way to increase frame stability is to increase resistance on the supply reel. When the frame's vertical stability is solid, the Hawkeye's claw is stressed. The snapping sound increases and sometimes the film would stop. I even had some torn perforations. Back to the drawing board, the pudding is spoiled!

I have no doubts that the image capture can be better both color (don't judge that from the sample!) and resolution. My Sony has some features like DRO (a kind of WDR) and HDR, but they are not available with the electronic shutter. The capture was made with JPGs, so no serious post was used.

My camera's file size is excessive for 8mm. There are ways to lower file size, the best choice would be to shoot in crop frame. I would need to rework the "gate" I built.

ANYWAY, here is a small sample in 4K. That is well below the capture size of 7952x5304. It's all about the stability, I think the colors are a bit off. These were JPGs.

https://www.amazon.com/photos/shared...yDl6EqlONhZM08

A full version is here, if interested. Captured on the standard Hawkeye, I think it looks great.

https://www.amazon.com/photos/shared..._n7qMNVKx2abpm

I'm still interested in the DSLR option. Like I said, back to the drawing board. That's only necessary if making a dual hybrid Hawkeye. It might not be possible.

[Stan Jelavic]

Thanks David,
Yes the video is very stable and with the proper macro lens it should be pretty good. The color may need to be tweaked in any case I think in the post.
One note, the MSP430 runs off of an RC type oscillator and although I can get it very close to 2FPS there could be some variation from part to part. A 32kHz crystal should be used if this was to be done properly. Maybe the Wolverine controller is more stable. For frame-by-frame this does not matter.

Although your DLSR capture looks very good it does not match your Hawkeye capture which I agree looks great. No real need to go DSLR. But it is fun experimenting with different setups and it is also a learning opportunity.

I will try the setup with the Wolverine controller tomorrow. If it works it could possibly be a good solution for some people.

[Douglas Maxwell]

Great work so far Stan. Thank you!


I’m late for the discussion, but to chime in with my two cents, my personal plan would be to invest in a dedicated camera body and lens for this kind of capture setup. That is a chunk of cash, for sure. But, I look at it as a cost savings over the long haul. For the amount of family films I want to archive, it would cost a whole lot more to send all those rolls off to have a ‘one light’ transfer done at 480p. Plus, there’s the risk of the them getting lost in shipping and damaged by whoever handles them at the transfer house. So, it’s an investment, but one worth making since the end quality will be much better, the film won’t leave my house.

[Stan Jelavic]

Thank you Doug. You have a good point. The only questionable area at this point is the Wolverine LED. It has a blue tinge to it and the cameras that I used did not do a great job with white balance but I am sure this could be corrected in the post.

Here is the color correction test. Used the Olympus PEN camera with a 100mm canon macro lens. The Pen camera is much lighter than the Mark2 and easier to set up vertically with the lens tubes. Here is the setup:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/WV2sgaadEnYp8KZ1A

Using the camera auto WB the resultant video came out too blue. So I did a quick correction in Film9. Set auto WB and auto levels but turned down saturation and increased the contrast a bit. Not perfect but I think this shows that the Wolverine LED is workable with the DSLR.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tQA...ew?usp=sharing

[Stan Jelavic]

Tested the setup with the Wolverine controller. With the DSLR in video mode at 30FPS it works very well. The Wolverine controller uses a crystal and it is rock steady at 2 FPS. So by using a script that I published you get stable images at 2FPS skipping the transitions. This should work for the frame-by-frame as well since the Wolverine uses an opto-coupler claw detector. But to be on the safe side I would add a small relay in between. You will need the 4-pin cable to connect to the frame sync connector and then into a relay. Let me know if you need more details. I also have a bunch of 4-pin cables as well or you can get them directly from digikey.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/TByCnrsUuruabEXn6

[Stan Jelavic]

Will try to reverse mount my Mark2 17-40mm lens using the reverse adapter:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0054ENY8W/
This should give me over 4X magnification and in video mode 1280x720 resolution.
Curious to see what optical resolution I end up with.




Here is little sketch illustrating what happens when you reverse the lens.