Truesense Imaging

[RickS]

The private equity firm that carved Truesense out of Kodak is now flogging it off (no surprise there.) It will be interesting to see if the new owners are willing to invest in the business.

http://www.truesenseimaging.com/news-and-events/64-platinum-equity-to-sell-truesense-imaging-to-on-semiconductor

[gregbradley]

Oh no. I got the idea they weren't doing that great. No real new sensors since Kodak sold it.

I think we are going to have to rely on other manufacturers in the future more and more.

I hope Sony starts producing larger CCDs.

Greg.

[MrB]

This could be a blessing in disguise. ON Semi is no small fry, has 19,000 employees and in 2013 placed #19 in the Top20 worldwide for semiconductor sales, albeit with a 0.9% market share.
It used to be part of Motorola.
They acquired Sanyo back in 2011 and also:
"In February 2011, ON Semiconductor completed the acquisition of the CMOS Image Sensor Business Unit from Cypress Semiconductor, for $31.4M"
Their CMOS sensors: http://www.onsemi.com/PowerSolutions/parametrics.do?id=101682

Kodak has 8,800 employees.

[Shiraz]

Thanks for the info Rick.

agree, it seems a good move. I assume that the private equity firm was mainly interested in tidying up the company and temporarily maxing the bottom line - so R&D would have been focused on maximising yield and minimising costs on current designs, not taking a punt on new stuff.

the new owner looks quite progressive with a focus on CMOS - could be good news for our tiny market.

[MrB]

ON Semi have come through with a 'new' sensor.
It's not a 'from the ground-up' new design, but I think it shows they are interested in scientific imaging sensors.
http://www.flicamera.com/51.html

[PRejto]

That FOV looks amazing. I bet the price is too!!!

Peter

[RickS]

I saw that too. Would work very nicely with my Tak FSQ-106ED :D

[Octane]

What Rick said!

Wow! Extreme widefield wuss. Fred'll love it!

H

[MrB]

It will be interesting to see the datasheet for the 'new' sensor.
The datasheet for the non-microlensed version shows a peak QE of 25% from 550 to ~580nm, and approx. 19% at the Ha wavelength of 656nm, and ~20% at the OIII wavelength of 500nm(see attached)

Looking at the graph for the KAF-8300 mono version with no cover glass, the microlenses increase QE by approx. 75% at ~656nm, taking the non-microlensed 8300 from ~28% to ~49% QE, and about 100% gain at 500nm, taking it from ~28% to ~56%.

I'm not sure it works this way, but if we translate these to the 50100 the QE should be somewhere in the region of 33% for Ha and 40% for OIII.

[gregbradley]

I have been told by FLI that performance is similar to 8300 and 16803. I would suggest more like KAI11002 - around 50% QE and probably 25% in Ha or so.

Enough to make some lovely widefield images. Well depth is around 45,000 electrons which is less than half of a 16803 at around 100,000 but still plenty given the 8300 is only about 25000 and the Sony ICX694 is only 20000 or less.

The downside is it needs 65mm filters which if you get Astrodon then LRGB plus 5nm Ha is US$3105. Ouch. The Proline 50100 is US$15,995 plus exchange rate conversion shipping and GST.

You would really need to check out your scopes corrected circle as this one will need around 65mm. If its far away from the end of the scope of a fast scope it may need even more. AP refractors, TEC refractors, perhaps FSQ106 (not sure).

6 micron pixels would be a good match for 1500mm focal length or less.
This is a medium format sized chip and this chip is used in Hassalblad medium format cameras ($40000 or so).

Pentax 67 lenses should work with it.

Greg.

[RickS]

FSQ-106ED at native f/5 has an 88mm image circle. With reducer or extender it's only 44mm.

Cheers,
Rick.

[gregbradley]

Well then another FSQ106ED would be nice. I wonder if my TEC110 could handle it? Perhaps.

No reducer is no biggie with FSQ as the reducer is a bit wide and takes the FSQ down to 300mm lens territory.

I wonder what the vignetting is like though. I bet the vignetting increases significantly before 88m is reached. Usually there is a compromise.

Greg.

[Octane]

I will try attaching my 6x7 Mamiya once my SBIG goes for surgery and will check for vignetting.

H

[alocky]

I'd be interested to see how you go, as I have an RB67 I'd like to hang offmy FSQ, but as far as I can tell, tak only made adapters for the mamiya 645? Not sure how you're gong to get the rz on there. I was thinking of picking up another extension tube, and getting 'someone' to machine the lens end to fit the FSQ.
Cheers,
Andrew

[Octane]

Andrew,

PreciseParts might be able to sort us out!

I'll email Ashley this morning and see what he says. :)

H

[alocky]

Excellent - let me know how you get on!

[Octane]

Will do. I sent the mail off, awaiting a reply.

I've offered to send one of my lenses across to him, in case he needs it for the figuring/machining.

I don't imagine this to be a cheap exercise. It cost me a $105 + postage for an adapter to connect my STL-11000M to the Extender-Q 1.6x varitube. This will likely be closer to $200.

H

[alocky]

Don't suppose we'll get a group discount, but that sounds OK. I'd love to see what it could do, and we can still get 120 roll transparency here cheaply enough.
Cheers,
Andrew.

[Octane]

I'd love to see what it can do, too!

Need to figure out how to work out the field of view on the 120 film and then create field of view indicators.

The majority of the film photography I've seen has been done on Kodak E-200. This is still available on eBay (in 120, too).

I buy film from filmfestival (or, filmsfestival; I can never remember) on eBay. Decent prices and quick delivery.

H

[Octane]

Andrew,

I got a reply from Ashley. Sadly, it's not in the positive.

He said that they don't make SLR/DSLR adapters as they can be purchased off the shelf, and, provided me links to B&H and Fotodiox. I'd have thought that as it was a fairly specialised item (not everyone owns a Takahashi telescope) that they'd be into building this type of thing.

I had already looked at OPT, B&H, Anacortes and Fotodiox before I sent my query, as well.

OK, who here has the skills and know-how to build an adapter? :)

H

[alocky]

That's a pity - maybe the easiest way is to sacrifice an extension tube, as the mamiya side would be a challenge for a very skilled machinist. Funny that tak made adapters for the Pentax 6x7, hassleblad and the mamiya645, but none of the big mamiyas.
I'm travelling at the moment but will chase up some options too.
Cheers,
Andrew.

[Octane]

I'm in the process of buying two extension tubes.

Would be great to see if you can find anything, too.

H

[gregbradley]

Ashley does in fact make DSLR lens adapters. Maybe he doesn't want to do them anymore. I got one from him to fit Pentax 67 lenses on a FLI focuser about a year and a half ago. It works great.

You could make one by getting the adapter from Ebay for the Mamiya. Then getting some adapter that you bolt to it that will fit the Tak. That's basically what Precise Parts did. Its an Ebay Pentax 67 adapte attached to another adapter to fit into a FLI Focuser.

Tak exploded diagram usually shows adapters for 67 cameras. Perhaps they still make them. You could try Peter Tan from Hong Kong.

Greg.