PanoTools NG:
Re: Re: Coastal Optics 4.88mm fisheye [1 Attachment]
dbain@... 2014-Oct-15 06:43:13
Scott, very interesting.
I have been trying to forget the entire IPIX story, even though it never
directly involved me. I imagine that, as usual, the guys behind it got their
assets out well before the crash and made a bundle.
I assume it was an auto-correct, or maybe a Freudian slip, when you said "? If
I recall corruptly, Sony paid ..."
Also interesting to see that the PanoTools list is not quite dead. Did you
cross-post to the QTVR list?
Don
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"Scott Highton #removed# [PanoToolsNG]" <#removed#>
wrote:
> My recollection is that these Coastal Optical lenses were designed and built
> specifically for IPIX as an option for APS-C digital cameras, in lieu of
> using the Nikkor 8mm on a 35mm film camera. They were provided with the heavy
> steel rotator, and were intended to capture an entire spherical view in two
> shots. I believe their field of view was about 185° in order to provide a
> small overlap between hemispheres.
>
>
> Coastal Optical designed these to have very minimal chromatic aberration
> (something most other true fisheyes like the Nikkor 8mm suffered -- even
> worse for the Sigma versions), and to contain the full image circle within
> the then less-than-full-frame sensors, which were the only option for digital
> cameras at the time. Hence, their significant price tags. I believe they were
> only sold through IPIX, as they were designed and built specifically for the
> company. After IPIX went bankrupt, I believe Coastal Optical sold them
> independently for a while.
>
>
> During the sordid history of this era of VR photography, Ford Oxxal
> (proprietor of Mind's Eye View) sued IPIX for supposedly stealing his
> intellectual property with their development of the IPIX / Omniview / Tele-
> Robotics International spherical imaging technology. The two parties reached
> a settlement wherein Oxxal was reportedly paid a very small fee, in order to
> make the lawsuit go away. According to sources at IPIX, this saved them the
> incredible expense of defending what they felt was a baseless lawsuit, but
> gave IPIX a license to continue using their own technology, and gave Oxxal
> the ability to maintain that IPIX licensed HIS technology. He promptly
> started going after other players in the VR imaging industry, threatening
> legal action if they didn't pay him licensing fees, as well.
>
>
> After IPIX's bankruptcy, Oxxal / Mind's Eye View and others pursued purchase
> of IPIX's patent portfolio at bankruptcy auction, but were outbid by Sony. If
> I recall corruptly, Sony paid about $7 million for these, and many of us were
> excited about what a large company like Sony might do with them in terms of
> releasing commercial VR products. Unfortunately, we've not really seen
> anything in this area resulting from Sony since then, and I suspect that most
> of the patents have expired (or are close to it) by now. Oxxal and Mind's Eye
> View were the successful high bidder on IPIX's remaining physical property at
> a subsequent auction, which included furniture, electronics, software
> packages, various cameras and lenses (including Coastal Optical items, plus
> one Nikkor 6mm, several Nikkor 8mm, etc.), as well as the IPIX name, web
> domain, and logos. Oxxal and Mind' Eye View have continued to sell IPIX
> software and camera kits (using predominantly Sunex lenses) on the ipix.com
> web site, with IPIX's Interactive Studio software -- which still requires
> payment of an annual licensing fee.
>
>
> I never did use any of these Coastal Optical lenses, but I understood from
> others that they were quite good for their intended purpose. My experience
> with IPIX technology was limited to shooting primarily with the Nikkor 8mm on
> 35mm film, but we did a number of leading edge projects with this combination
> (including photography of Toyota's entire product line in the late '90s for a
> couple of years). I still have an 8mm Nikkor, as well an an inferior Sigma
> 8mm, in my studio closet, along with several of the heavy IPIX rotators. None
> of them have seen any use for quite a few years now.
>
>
> Scott Highton
>
> Author, Virtual Reality Photography
>
> Web: http://www.vrphotography.com
>