Using a TV and a Projector for Some Creative Lighting
Back-Bone
, , , , , Ribcage
Using a TV and a Projector for Some Creative Lighting
A quick video test shot with the TV / Projector setup

With most of us couped up indoors these days it’s a little hard to go out and shoot outdoors or in a studio environment. We did a little testing with a basic setup using a TV as a background and had some good results so we thought we’d share.

A video is played from a Raspberry Pi in this case, and sent to an HDMI splitter. The signal is sent to a large screen TV and to a small projector which is de-focused to add some animated lighting. A small LED light panel provides some highlights. We also used a GripGear module to smoothly rotate the subject – in this case one of our H8PRO cameras. The setup can be seen below.

This doesn’t work well for anything large of course, unless you have a super huge TV, but it’s great for small subjects and perhaps a headshot. Make sure to use a slow shutterspeed if you try it, otherwise you will get banding in the video from the projector. You could also do a similar setup with another TV or a bright monitor in place of the projector.

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Shooting Macro with GoPro HERO7 Black
Back-Bone
, , , , , , , Ribcage
Shooting Macro with GoPro HERO7 Black

Using Back-Bone’s H7PRO C-Mount modified cameras unlocks new potential.

By choosing a modified GoPro camera from Back-Bone you can now unlock its powerful features and use them on applications that would be impossible with the stock camera.

These macro examples were shot with our H7PRO Modified GoPro HERO7 Black. All shots were taken at 4K/60fps and slowed to 24fps. The shooting setup featured a field monitor, two LED lights and a Computar 2/3″ 3.3x Macro Zoom lens. A 2-axis macro focusing rail was used for more precise positioning. The movement seen in the video is actually the natural motion of the plants the insects were sitting on. A 1/1.8″ Computar 25-135mm C-Mount lens was also used in a few shots.

Shooting rig used for macro samples

The H7PRO is capable of accepting M12, CS and C-Mount lenses as well as most popular lens types when optional adapters are used. The powerful features of the camera can now be applied to things other than action and sports. You can use our cameras for professional, scientific and medical applications by simply choosing the lens and filter that suits your needs. The camera can shootin in infrared and even be connected directly to microscopes for 4K/60 recording at a fraction of the cost of other systems!

A macro still of a Bumble Bee
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Using Back-Bone Modified GoPros With Microscopes
Back-Bone
, , , , , , , , , , Ribcage
Using Back-Bone Modified GoPros With Microscopes

 

Microscope camera systems capable of shooting in 4K are bulky and extremely expensive. Back-Bone’s ‘Ribcage’ Modified action cameras provide a cost effective alternative. Here’s a list of features that make these cameras a no-brainer for this type of application. Camera’s and mod kits are available here.

 

Cost

4K microscope camera systems can cost many thousands of dollars. A modified 4K GoPro can range in price from a few hundred dollars to $899 for the H6PRO which supports 4K @60fps. The Ribcage RX0 features a 1″ CMOS sensor and 4K output for $1399.

Industry Leading Specs

Shoot at resolutions up to 4K/60 for a fraction of the cost. Other features include 12MP RAW photos plus full exposure and shutter speed control. Get frame rates of up to 1000fps with the Ribcage RX0.

Portability

Typical microscope recording systems require a computer or wired controller box in order to function. Back-Bone mods are compact, self contained and battery powered so you can take your research into the field. Each camera features a rear display.

HDMI Out

All of Back-Bone’s modified cameras feature live video out. The H5PRO and Ribcage RX0 cameras even feature a clean 4K live output via HDMI so you can see every detail on a large screen or capture to an external recording device.

Hands Free

Operate cameras via wireless remote control, smartphone app and in some cases voice commands so that your subject remains undisturbed (H5PRO/H6PRO & Ribcage YI 4K+ feature voice control)

C-Mount

All of Back-Bone’s modified cameras feature C-Mount – the standard lens mount for machine vision and medical imaging applications. Many microscopes already have a C-Mount camera port or beamsplitter. If replacing the eyepiece you can use a cheap C-Mount nosepiece adapter to mount the camera.

Imaging Options

Record in the infrared or in a slice of the spectrum of your choosing. Back-Bone cameras all feature a removable IR-Cut filter which can be replaced with your own custom filter to suit your needs.

This video shows the results of a Ribcage Modified Hero4 camera on a high-end microscope.

Useful information:

  • GoPro/YI sensor size: 1/2.3″
  • Ribcage RX0 sensor size: 1″
  • Max recording resolution: 4000 x 3000 @ 30fps (H6PRO & Ribcage Yi 4K+)
  • Still image Resolution: 12MP RAW (GoPro / Yi), 15.3MP RAW (Ribcage Rx0)
  • Sensitivity: ~ 350nm – 1100nm
  • 650nm IR-Cut, 635nm IR-Cut, 780nm Cold Mirror, 0.3, 0.6 & 0.9 OD ND filters available
  • Contact Midwest Optics for custom filters
  • Filter size Hero4/Yi 4K/4K+/ RX0: 15.2mm diameter x 1.1mm thick
  • Filter size H5PRO / H6PRO: 9.6mm diameter x 1.1mm thick
  • Filter size Hero3/3+: 9.6mm x 0.5mm thick

Mounting a Back-Bone H5PRO modified Hero5 to your average microscope with an eyepiece adapter.

 

 

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ABOUT INFRARED
Back-Bone
, , , , , , , , , Ribcage
ABOUT INFRARED

In addition to incredible resolution and frame rate options for standard color imaging, Back-Bone’s ‘Ribcage’ camera modifications allow you to shoot in infrared as well. Our cameras all feature a removable IR-Cut filter which can be replaced with one of our Cold Mirror filters for dedicated infrared imaging. You can also use special ‘NDVI’ filters and lenses to image in specific wavelengths such as blue and NIR in order to monitor crop health from drones. Leaves and vegetation typically reflect a lot of IR, so they appear bright white when imaged for a really unique look. (Typically we convert recordings to black and white in post as the color images look very pink)

Remove the IR blocking filter from your camera if you’d like to perform ‘full spectrum’ imaging, however, focus can be soft looking without special ‘IR-corrected’ or ‘Day & Night’ lenses. Infrared is typically blurry when visible light is in focus, resulting in that softness. An ‘IR-corrected’ lens has special optics to allow visible light and IR to be in focus at the same time. Those lens types are typically only available in CS & C-Mount, another great reason to use our gear!

We recommend using a Cold Mirror filter when shooting with ‘normal’ lenses i.e. without special ‘IR-corrected’ or ‘Day & Night’ lenses. Cold Mirror filters completely block visible light and only allow IR into the camera. You can also use an IR illuminator for night vision in the dark. On the Ribcage RX0 you can set up your own custom picture profiles to get exactly the look you want. Certain lenses may not be able to focus to infinity in infrared. For more information check out this helpful page.

Pro Tip: Cold Mirror infrared filters are available in our online shop.

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Shooting the Eclipse with a GoPro Hero5
Back-Bone
, , , , , , , , , , H5PRO, Ribcage
Shooting the Eclipse with a GoPro Hero5

At Back-Bone we’re always looking for creative ways to use our modified cameras. In this case we decided to use one of our C-Mount modified GoPro Hero5 Black cameras to shoot a timelapse of the 2017 eclipse from our location in Ontario, Canada.

We mounted our camera on a heavy duty tripod and fitted it with a Kendrick 6007-SF Solar Filter. The camera was fitted with a 25-135mm 1/2″ C-Mount lens with a 52mm variable ND filter. We also added a 0.9 OD neutral density filter inside the camera along with the IR-Cut filter. A USB power bank was used to keep everything running for the full duration. A Paralinx Arrow+ was also connected to beam the live video inside to one of our TV’s.

We recorded the entire eclipse at 1080/30. We could have done a timelapse with stills obviously, but we where hoping we might catch something interesting like a plane or birds flying in front of the sun, but unfortunately no luck ! Because our tripod wasn’t capable of tracking the sun, we had to manually adjust the position every 10 minutes or so to keep it in frame.

Next we spit out a subset of frames from Adobe Premiere and stabilized the sun’s position using After Effects. We adjusted the image and added a little color to make the shot more interesting. And there you have it!

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Back-Bone and Nat Geo Lions 360
Back-Bone
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , 360 vr, Ribcage, Ribcage AIR
Back-Bone and Nat Geo Lions 360

Don’t you hate it when lions eat all your cameras? We provided our Ribcage modified GoPro cameras and lenses to film National Geographic’s Lions 360 video, plus we were able to help in other ways. During filming several of the production’s stock GoPro cameras were actually destroyed by the curious lions. Rather than write them off, we had the production send them to us. What many people don’t realize about our camera mod kits is that if you install one on a broken GoPro camera it can actually fix many problems, particularly if the lens is damaged. If it still turns on you can likely salvage it!

One of the cameras actually did require a spare part as the lions had chewed through the LCD readout on the front, though that component isn’t required for the camera to function. We disassembled the cameras, installed our Ribcage AIR Mod Kit for Hero4 and… good as new, Only now you can add your choice of lens! Ribcage Mod Kits are available for GoPro Hero3/3+, Hero4 & Yi 4K/4K+.

Please enjoy the Lions 360 video embedded below. Click and drag with your mouse cursor in order to look around.

 

 

 

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