Reuters has teamed up with Canon and Sprint to develop a system that captures shuttle launch images from multiple remote cameras moments after they are taken, reducing the time it takes for wire transmission by 95 percent.
Historically, photographers were forced to wait for hours after lift-off before retrieving their cameras from the launch pad area. The introduction of digital cameras in 2005 reduced the processing time for photos after launch, but not the delay in retrieving equipment.
Sprint’s EVDO, allows the cameras to be placed in any location near the launch pad. Using an antenna to connect to the closet cell tower, the digital images were sent from all four Canon EOS cameras.
The Canon EOS 40D, EOS 1D Mark III, EOS 1Ds and EOS 1D Mark IIN Digital SLRs have been used with a uniquely designed transmitter from Canon and new Reuter developed picture-editing software, called Paneikon. Reuters now receives images just minutes after a shuttle’s launch, two-three hours before its competitors.
For other events, the ZAP-SHOT (right) is a wireless remote shutter release for the Canon EOS 300D, 350D, Rebel, and Rebel XT. It uses Radio Frequency so the photographer is able to trigger the camera from up to 75 feet (or more) away and without a line-of-sight limitation. Breeze Systems software can control cameras from a Windows PC.
Eye-Fi is a 2 Meg SD memory card with integrated WiFi ($99). It might work in a variety of cameras that take SD cards. Point and shoot cameras with WiFi built-in include Nikon’s S51c and Canon’s PowerShot SD430 among others.
Mobile WiFi Routers (with cellular backhaul) include the Kyocera KR2 EVDO Router, Motorola’s AP-7131 Access Point and others.
DailyWireless has more on Super Bowl XLII photography, CNN’s News Bureau in a Bus and Chicago’s Net of 3000 Cameras.
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