Other – imatest https://www.imatest.com Image Quality Testing Software & Test Charts Thu, 09 Apr 2020 14:33:26 -0600 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.3 Photographing the Northern Lights https://www.imatest.com/2018/11/northernlights/ https://www.imatest.com/2018/11/northernlights/#respond Mon, 19 Nov 2018 20:13:59 +0000 http://www.imatest.com/?p=23565 Witnessing the Aurora Borealis should be at the top of every photographer’s bucket list. This guide details the most important considerations for capturing images of the Northern lights. To be successful, you’ll need to be in the right place at the right time, equipped with the right camera and a decent amount of luck on your side.

Location and Timing

The intensity of the Northern Lights is dependent on solar activity. As solar winds come crashing into Earth’s magnetosphere, charged particles dissipate in the sky, creating the nighttime spectacle known as Aurora Borealis. Typically, this phenomenon can only be observed at high latitude regions (North and South Poles). To see the Northern Lights requires dark skies, which means that they are only visible between September through March. Below is a live 30-minute forecast for the Northern Lights, based on magnetic readings from NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).

Unfortunately, it is not always simple to see the Northern lights, even if you are in the right place at the right time and have limited light pollution. You may often be at the mercy of Mother Nature. The sky must be free of overcast since the Aurora Borealis phenomenon happens high in the atmosphere and any clouds would block the view. Thankfully, the skies were mostly clear when I stopped in Norway during my recent backpacking trip through Europe. In September, I visited the island city, Tromsø, Norway, to catch a glimpse of the phenomenon. My first day in the Arctic Circle, after sunset, I gathered with a group of Northern Lights chasers to climb to the summit of Mount Fløya, which is 642 meters (2100 feet) above sea level. Everything came together for a perfect photo opportunity, and I must say, pictures don’t do it justice! 

Camera Setup and Exposure Settings

As with all astral photography, sturdy camera support and correct exposure settings are vital for capturing good images of the Northern Lights. My setup consisted of a GorrillaPod, and a Panasonic GH3 with a f/3.5 lens. While you can get sharper, less noisy images with a higher quality lens, my f/3.5 kit lens was sufficient. You’ll want a wide angle to capture as much of the landscape as possible. I was shooting at 14mm. You’ll also want to focus at infinity because the Northern Lights occur at 80 km (50 mi) in the atmosphere. To reduce vibrations, I recommend using a timed shutter or a remote capture device. My camera had a built-in time-lapse function, which is especially handy for capturing the motion of the Northern lights dancing across the sky. Exposure time should be anywhere from 2-15 seconds. Anything longer than 15 seconds will cause blurry images because the Northern Lights tend to move a little faster than clouds.

Results

Below are the time lapses I captured at the summit of Mount Fløya on September 17th, from the hours of 11pm-2am.

Good luck, and happy searching!

Sources:

https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/aurora-30-minute-forecast

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora

https://www.visitnorway.com/things-to-do/nature-attractions/northern-lights/

 

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Skype Recommends Imatest For Video Quality Testing https://www.imatest.com/2011/11/skype-recommends-imatest-for-video-quality-testing/ Wed, 16 Nov 2011 23:39:01 +0000 http://www.imatest.com/?p=2530 Update

You can find the latest Skype/Lync standards documents here:

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/office/dn788953


The Skype Hardware Certification Specifications version 5.0 recommends imatest for sharpness testing.

You can find us mentioned on pagees 23, 85, 86

For Acuity testing, Skype recommends our SFRplus test chart, 24X40″, 5X7, semi-gloss, black&white, 2-tone

For >1.5m depth of field testing, Skype recommends our SFRplus test chart, 40X60″, 5X7, semi-gloss, black&white, 2-tone

The skype certification test charts are available for purchase in the Imatest Store.

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Microsoft Lync Logo selects Imatest https://www.imatest.com/2011/05/microsoft-lync-logo-selects-imatest/ Thu, 05 May 2011 21:30:14 +0000 http://www.imatest.com/about/news?p=2115 Imatest is the standard test software used in the recently published Microsoft USB peripheral requirements specification entitled “Optimized for Microsoft Lync Logo”, which can be downloaded here.

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Imatest Users Group on LinkedIn https://www.imatest.com/2010/02/imatest-users-group-on-linkedin/ Sat, 06 Feb 2010 19:22:17 +0000 http://www.imatest.com/about/news?p=1912 Join the new Imatest users group to share questions and answers with other image quality testing professionals. Join here

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Imatest expands consulting services https://www.imatest.com/2009/09/imatest-expands-consulting-services/ Tue, 01 Sep 2009 18:32:53 +0000 http://www.imatest.com/about/news?p=1695 Imatest has expanded its capabilities and staffing to better meet customer demand for consulting services. Now offering skills and experience in imaging science, optics, image quality testing, camera system design, software development, and project management, Imatest looks to play an increasing role in helping customers deliver leading-edge imaging systems. Details here

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Optical Research Associates Case Study https://www.imatest.com/2008/12/optical-research-associates-case-study/ Fri, 26 Dec 2008 21:58:05 +0000 http://prelaunch.imatest.com/?page_id=1056 Imatest partners with ORA to deliver customized charts and software

ORA Finds Imatest Charts and Software to be Just the Right Medicine In medicine, seeing the problem requires clarity. Is that blemish part of the imaging system, or an early-stage tumor? Companies on the forefront of medical diagnosis systems know that image quality is paramount to the success of any new product. So, when one of the world leaders in medical imaging needed help, they turned to the combined team of Optical Research Associates (ORA), one of the most respected optics consulting companies in the world, and Imatest, the leader in image quality testing.

“As part of a major product development project, our client needed a way to thoroughly and quickly test the imaging quality of their new skin cancer detection system.” said Mark Kahan, chief electro-optical systems engineer at ORA “We immediately thought of Imatest and were delighted to learn of their latest software feature, SFRplus, which automates much of the image testing process. We could see that our client could speed time to market by adopting SFRplus, but we needed a customized test chart and software that would work within our client’s unique testing environment. Imatest was able to deliver both within weeks.”

After a short discussion with ORA, Norman Koren, Imatest founder and chief technology officer, was able to design a version of Imatest’s SFRplus test chart that met the needs of ORA’s client. “Once we understood which image quality factors needed to be assessed in their development process, I could see it was possible to design a custom SFRplus chart that worked within the constraints of their testing environment. After that, it was a straightforward task to customize our software to work with the new chart.” Koren said.

The results were dramatic: not only was ORA’s client able to more accurately assess the image quality of their new product, they were able to do so many times faster.

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About ORA ORA is the world’s leading developer of optical design software, CODE V(R) and LightTools(R), and is the largest independent supplier of optical design and engineering services, with more than 4,000 completed projects since the Company was founded in 1963.

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Pelco is Secure Using Imatest to Manage Image Quality https://www.imatest.com/2008/11/pelco-is-secure-using-imatest/ Sun, 30 Nov 2008 23:13:36 +0000 http://prelaunch.imatest.com/?page_id=563 In the world of video security systems, a picture is worth a thousand words, but only if the picture is sharp, crisp, and has deep contrasts. It is an industry so intolerant of doubt and shades of gray that it depends on software to achieve precision, clarity and resolution.

Pelco, the world leader in the design, development and manufacture of video and security systems, has long understood the software component in the image quality equation, which is why it has relied on Imatest software and testing products for years. Imatest’s digital image testing products enable Pelco engineers to quickly evaluate alternative imaging system components and deliver quality with confidence. “Because Imatest software supports nearly every image quality test, using standard algorithms and test charts, we applied it to help us deliver the optimum configuration of components,” says David Campbell, Pelco Senior Optical Engineer.

Like many digital imaging system manufacturers, Pelco manufactures hundreds of products every day – products that must meet customer expectations and the company’s exacting quality standards. So when Imatest IT (industrial testing) was released, Pelco realized it was the most cost-effective way to ensure that the high-quality designs from its laboratories were delivered in its manufacturing process. “Operators on the manufacturing line needed to be able to test complex image quality factors in the products coming off the line. Imatest IT is the answer,” Campbell says.

Nell Papavasiliou, Camera Optics Engineer at Pelco, spearheaded a trial project to integrate Imatest IT into the manufacturing process at Pelco’s world headquarters in Clovis, CA. “I don’t have a strong background in software development, but it was a straightforward process for me to integrate Imatest IT into our manufacturing system. I wrote a few lines of C# and that was all it took,” Papavasiliou says.

Pelco management says that with the success of the California trial, the company is moving forward with Imatest and Imatest IT for other manufacturing lines to deliver a new level of quality control.

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About Pelco

Pelco, Inc. is a world leader in the design, development and manufacture of video and security systems and equipment ideal for any industry. Pelco produces the security industry’s most respected offering of discreet camera domes and enclosures, video matrix systems, next-generation digital video recorders, IP solutions and fiber optic transmission systems for video/data – and much more. For additional product or company information, please visit www.pelco.com.

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