From: Milton Aupperle <milton@outcastsoft.com>
Date: December 8, 2005 12:04:21 PM MST
To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Astro_IIDC] Optronics Magnafire SP camera
Hi Jim;
We've never tested the MagnaFire, only the MacroFire and MicroFire cameras. The Quanitifire is based off the MacroFire design so it should work fine. I have no idea if the MagnaFire would work or not. The main issue I have with all Optronics cameras is they have very slow IO read/write at the register level compared to any other camera I've worked with. This is really noticeable, especially when Astro IIDC first access the camera and it takes a few seconds before the camera control window appears. With other cameras that's much less thna 0.5 seconds.
You also only get 8 bit out of the cameras and limited frame rate support (7.5 or 15). To run in 16 (12 actual) bit mode means going to Format 7 and I really have very little interest in supporting it within Astro IIDC.
Also they have a huge heavy 120 volt power supply brick for these cameras too - they are not bus powered. Even the cameras themselves are really large and heavy.
So it it may be a "deal", but it may not work. And supporting obsolete camera is pretty low on the totem pole for Astro IIDC.
Hope That Helps..
Milton J. Aupperle
President
ASC - Aupperle Services and Contracting
Mac Software (Drivers, Components and Application) Specialist
#1005 - 815 14th Avenue. S.W.
Calgary Alberta Canada T2R0N5
1-(403)-229-9456
www.outcastsoft.com
On 8-Dec-05, at 11:28 AM, jimchung2338 wrote:
This message is probably best answered by Milton but I also wanted to
let everyone else know about it.
eBay has about three Optronics Magnafire SP cameras for sale, a
discontinued product that is firewire and 1.2 Megapixels designed for
microscope imaging. I know Astro IIDC supports Optronics current
cameras being the Macrofire and Microfire but will Magnafire work
too? Specs look quite good, long exposure time and affordable.
regards,
Jim
SPONSORED LINKS
YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS