*** Please scroll down the page to read the interview with Marc Kairies and Dr. Clauss. ***

Karline rodeon is a new motorized VR head for high quality cylindrical and spherical panoramas. It works with almost any high-end digital camera, such as the Canon EOS series, Nikon D series, Konica Minolta, Sigma, etc. The VR head has a built-in control unit that captures the chosen motif horizontally and vertically. Your digital camera is mounted on to the Karline rodeon VR head so that its projection center coincides with the nodal point.

In the past, a full 360° panorama needed to be worked on extensively before being presentable. The Karline rodeon VR head is motorized, its movements – horizontally and vertically – controlled by the built-in electronics. It is destined for high-quality cylindrical and spherical panoramas; a perfect tool for high-resolution multirows.

Three in one:
- The KARLINE rodeon VR head turns almost any high-end digital camera (e.g. the Canon EOS series, Nikon D series, Konica Minolta, Sigma etc.) into a real panorama machine.

- The VR head has a built-in control unit and, turning in the nodal point, captures the chosen motif fast and precise, horizontally and vertically. The camera release is perfectly timed – done is the picture series.

- In no time the panorama software e.g. Realviz Stitcher (with automatic mode) knits your picture series into a 180° x 360° spherical panorama.

There are no limits: panoramas for print or internet; cylindrical, spherical, cubic or high-resolution mutirows (e.g. for zoom servers). Your “standard” digital camera is mounted on the Karline rodeon VR head so that its projection centre coincides with the intersection of the turning axes (the nodal point). A guarantee for perfect panoramas.

It works like this:
The Karline rodeon VR head effects camera release automatically upon reaching each scheduled position. The software e.g. Realviz Stitcher (with automatic mode) arranges your single pictures to form a full 180° x 360° spherical panorama. Of cours you are free to use any stitching software you might prefer.

The built-in control unit offers eight programmes –adjustable to your preferences – and is responsible for the following functions: horizontal and vertical angle, steps per angle, inclinations (e.g. for multirow), braketing, timer (on/off), programme memory for eventual repetions, single pictures can be re-taken, start/stop…

Delivery includes:
KARLINE rodeon VR head, charger, cable for either Nikon, Canon, Sigma or Konica Minolta SLR (other models are feasible).

KARLINE rodeon
Price: EUR 1995,00
(FOB Germay)

KARLINE rodeon pro (for heavy cameras and lenses)
Price: EUR 2499,00
(FOB Germay)

Special feature:
radio remote control
Price: EUR 395,00
(FOB Germay)
Place order when placing your order for the VR head. It cannot be included later!

10% Discount for all VRMAG readers (until 08-31-2004)
Order key: VRMAG-rodeon

OTHER PRODUCTS

NEW: EYESCAN 624
Panoramic camera for professionals and sophisticated amateurs

Dr. Clauss: Karline

The rotating lens of the Eyescan 624 panoramic camera guarantees genuine panoramic images. The angle of view of 120° corresponds to the natural space perception of human vision. The camera, equipped with a T-type 105mm lens, is exceptionally well suited for group portraits and landscapes. The rotating lens drum is driven by a computer-controlled powerful DC motor to produce an absolutely even exposure. This motor is also responsible for film transport (type 120) after each shot. The wide range shutter speeds – from 1/250 sec up to 1 sec – turn our new camera into an easy-to-handle and indispensable working tool. Made in Germany

Price: EURO 4195,00 (FOB Germay)

10% Discount for all VRMAG readers (until 08-31-2004)
Order key: VRMAG-eyescan

Karline 17 million pixel
The world’s only digital stereoscopic 360° panoramic camera. It offers two different types of panorama photography – normal and stereoscopic. Create your own spherical worlds, fascinating panoramas and let your fantasy roam.

• 17 million pixel per image / approx. 50 million pixels per spherical image
• Horizontal angle: from 0° up to 400°
• Vertical angle: up to 90°
• Visual axle: inclines from -30° to +50°
• Automatic and manual exposure regulation
• 24 Bit colour depth
• Battery-operated
• 9 aperture steps from
1/1000 to 1/8 sec exposure time
• Dimensions: diameter 80 mm x height 230 mm
• Weight: 800 g

Digital solution. Made in Germany

Price: EUR 4970,00 (FOB Germany)
Special offer: EUR 2995.00 (FOB Germany)
---only 5 cameras---

Discount for all VRMAG readers (until 08-31-2004)
Order key: VRMAG-karline

We contacted Marc Kairies of MK Panorama Systeme and Dr. Clauss of Dr. Clauss Imaging and Data Technologies to learn more about the Karline rodeon head.

Can you give us a little historical background about your company?

[Marc Kairies] Before starting my very own company, I was quite active in different media projects - such as work for the Association of young journalists in Berlin-Brandenburg (1993-1998), founding and working in the first German Minox Club (founded in 1991) and sales and marketing activities for Noblex (1996-1998).

In 1998 I started my own company (MK Panorama Systeme). It was the sole distributor in Germany for Seitz Phototechnik AG, Switzerland (producer of the Roundshot panorama cameras). Since 2001, we’ve been the distributor for Grigull Lichtsysteme GmbH & Co (producer of fluorescent and spot lights for photographers etc and crash test facilities/car industry), and since 2003, we’ve been the sole distributor worldwide for Dr. Clauss Bild & Datentechnik GmbH (producer of Karline products, Circon etc.) and this year for KST-Dresden (worldwide distributor of the EYESCAN 624).

[Dr. Clauss] As early as 1993 I developed the first electronic panorama camera with a CCD scanning line - at the time for another company. Dr. Clauss Bild- und Datentechnik GmbH was founded in Zwoenitz in 1996. In 1997 I was able to present a prototype of the first scanner working with a system of spherical coordinates - a precursor of today's laser scanners. With this invention and the later development of the picture format OPD (Open Picture Description) in 1999, I began to deposit all picture informations in a rectified spherical model. This way, a pixel grows from being the information of a certain coordinate in a picture plane into the optical information received by a camera in a defined angle of incidence. It is of no importance whether you are looking at a "finished" spherical panorama or just the single picture of a matrix camera. The spherical picture data model is so universal that any desired projection - be it a plane, cylindrical or spherical image - can be won with a simple equation.

Since 2000 we have been offering the stereoscopic line scanner panorama camera Karline at a unique price-performance ratio. With the recording system Rodeon we began the perfection of a more practical approach to the wide-angle and panorama photography.

What was lacking in the existing motorized heads and what particular technical challenges does the Karline rodeon solve? Also, when was it released for commercial use?

[Marc Kairies] The Karline rodeon is brand new; it was released for commercial use in April this year. The most striking feature of the Karline rodeon is the full process automation. Following specific programs that can be defined by the user, the rodeon VR-head moves automatically to each position and works the camera release. It turns in any direction, horizontally or vertically. No movement has to be worked by hand, as it is required with other VR-heads.

Stitching the single pictures together is a very labor-intensive process - the Karline rodeon comes with a special automatic mode for the Realviz Stitcher. The software arranges your single pictures to form a full 180° x 360° spherical panorama. Of course you are free to use any stitching software you might prefer.

[Dr. Clauss] All existing motor-driven rotating heads are just motorized, in some cases programmable, varieties of manual VR heads. Rodeon is much more: A finely tuned system of camera with lens, the VR head with its programmable controls and the software Rodeon Glue that takes care of camera calibration and stitching. Rodeon is a concept (patent pending), wherein the angle positon of the VR head is compared with picture data so as to define the distortion function of the lens. Thus all single pictures of a panorama can be straightened out, enabling automatical stitching with minimal errors.

The Rodeon head was introduced to the market in spring 2004. In comparison with other panorama heads, it is a product that stands out for its compactness and easy operation while preserving its overall programmability.

Your pricing for the head is considerably lower than other companies; can you outline your target customer.

[Marc Kairies] Our typical target customer is somebody who enjoys panorama photography. They are amateurs as well as professionals - we always try to fulfill all requirements, so as to offer a high-quality product and yet keeping the price as low as possible.

[Dr. Clauss]Just like you don't recognize the professional photographer by the weight of his equipment, you won't recognize our target group by the equipment price. Rodeon has been developed for professional use, but it definitely affordable for ambitious amateurs. We set great store by cost-effective development and production technologies and our prices are calculated on base of the actual production and distribution costs. Everybody, including the professional, should be happy to dig a little less deep in one's pockets.

The current Rodeon series was designed for small up to middle-weight reflex cameras. At the latest by the Photokina '04 in Cologne we will present an additional version for heavy cameras that will, however, keep its easy manageableness and transportability.

Dr. Clauss: Kugelpanorama