Low-light camera distance from dome

[Charles]

Hi,

I am rearranging my low-light / gimbal camera position. I manage to put it very close to the dome. Closest possible while having gimbal movement. I can also put the camera farther apart. Is there a guideline about this? Was to expect about dome distortion?

thank you

[EliotBR (Eliot)]

Hi @Charles,

@rjehangir

The ideal placement is at the center of the dome. If you get close to the dome surface, the field of view will decrease quite a bit.

In addition:

@EliotBR

@kurtnelle

Is a dome even needed? I read somewhere that even a flat window is good enough.

“Good enough” depends on your requirements. A camera with its input at the centre of a dome will have a less distorted image than one looking through a flat window, but it’s possible the reduced distortion at the edges/corners isn’t worth the extra development/expense for you. I’m hoping to make a clear guide and possibly a calculator for that at some point in future, but in the meantime you may be interested in these web pages:

• Optics of Dome Ports
• Planar Interfaces and Apparent Positions
• Dome View Ports – Best Performance Under Pressure - DeepSea Power & Light