EarthCam, a provider of webcam technology and services used by the likes of NASA, CNN and Walt Disney Pictures, recently released two new high-resolution timelapse cameras. The company that famously created ‘The World’s Largest Photo of New York City’ to commemorate the release of its GigapixelCam X80 webcam this past May, has continued to leverage its relationship with Sony Electronics for their two latest releases—the 61 MegapixelCam and the 61 MegapixelCam Robotic, which offers up a 360° pan/tilt base.
Both cameras use Sony’s full-frame 61 megapixel sensor found in their Alpha 7R IV camera. The 61 MegapixelCam uses a Sony 20mm F1.8 lens while the 61 MegapixelCam Robotic, which is not customizable, uses a Sony 25-70mm F3.5-5.6 OSS lens. The latter can automatically generate up to 1 gigapixel (1,000 megapixels) 360º multi-layer panoramas. The company also states that resolution has been increased by 154% compared to their previous versions. Both cameras provide live video streaming and can capture uncompressed RAW images locally for transfer when needed.
‘EarthCam has consistently been the gold standard for archival documentation, and this line of timelapse cameras will exceed the needs of the most demanding clients long into the future,’ says Brian Cury, EarthCam’s Founder and CEO. ‘We’re expanding this high-resolution full-frame sensor technology to our mid-priced cameras, so that projects of all sizes can be documented with incredibly detailed imagery and 8K cinematic timelapse.’
Sony’s Remote Camera SDK allows EarthCam, and other companies, to customize their systems to fit the needs of their user bases. EarthCam’s cameras boast casing to protect it from the rain along with other elements, maintenance-free wipers, solar options, a Linux OS platform with an ARM9 CPU and up to 64GB of on-board back up storage. The camera, which connects to either 4G LTE or 5G networks, can be controlled from a remote location.
Some significant commercial projects have been documented using EarthCam’s products and they can be viewed on their official site. There are also live timelapses of cities and world wonders, including the Grand Canyon, posted on EarthCam.com. The company does not publicly display the pricing for its cameras. They state that their long-term timelapse systems are ‘mid-priced’ to appeal to small and medium-sized business owners. Rentals start at $680 per month.