Camera and Lens Combinations (Hardware Preferences)

The following factors in sensor and lens selection are critical for 3D model geometry and quality:

§  A high quality lens, with minimal distortion.

§  Fixed focal length - to avoid alternating focal lengths in photos which are meant to be processed in the same dataset.

§  For a standard grid collection pattern, it is important to have a lens with a field of view (FOV) at least 90 degrees wide in the long axis (60 degrees in the short axis, ~108 degrees in diagonal).

§  A FOV < 120 degrees in the long axis, since these lenses tend to be fish-eye and too distorted for high-quality aerotriangulation.

§  A lens which can maintain sharpness in the edges of the image - for proper aerotriangulation and texturing of facades in the 3D model.

§  A sensor which can collect images rapidly - to maintain high overlap collection in low altitude flights while achieving proper overlap.