Originally Posted by Picofly

Has anybody received the camera yet? I wonder how does the circuit board and the camera module look like without the plastic case?

I don't have pics yet, but it's not very practical to entirely remove the Mini case. The CMOS ribbon cable has a very tiny "press/snap in place" connector on the bottom of the circuit board, and the case bottom helps assure that plug does not jar loose. Removing the top part of the case might be OK since that white mid-piece has a ring that surrounds the lens barrel and helps keep it in place. But that would only save a few gms. at best. Removing the entire case and encapsulating the circuit board with heat shrink likely will not work, or will not be good it if does. The DSP chip gets VERY hot with no heat sink and restricted ventilation (way too hot to touch). The heat shrink plastic might even be severed by the heat.

Originally Posted by Tom Frank

Comments in GREEN below.

Thanks Tom, i'd better look at the M2 then.

Hopefully it'll get a timed mode function, but that Q I asked in the other (M2) thread. Maybe you could go into that there?

Originally Posted by xanuser

but an all white case would run cooler.

The opposite - black radiates heat better

I am now getting into changing lenses on my Mobius 1 so will this have the same thread and pitch. I know the sensor array is different but if I get one I'd like to continue with changing lenses as it took me a while to figure out how to do it on the Mobius 1.

Originally Posted by Tom Frank

I don't have pics yet, but it's not very practical to entirely remove the Mini case. The CMOS ribbon cable has a very tiny "press/snap in place" connector on the bottom of the circuit board, and the case bottom helps assure that plug does not jar loose. Removing the top part of the case might be OK since that white mid-piece has a ring that surrounds the lens barrel and helps keep it in place. But that would only save a few gms. at best. Removing the entire case and encapsulating the circuit board with heat shrink likely will not work, or will not be good it if does. The DSP chip gets VERY hot with no heat sink and restricted ventilation (way too hot to touch). The heat shrink plastic might even be severed by the heat.

Ok. Thank you, Tom!

Seems like somebody has uploaded a sample clip.

Mobius mini (1 min 18 sec)

I like it very much.

Only thing is that it needs to be refocused for sharper depth.

Originally Posted by fmimages

I am now getting into changing lenses on my Mobius 1 so will this have the same thread and pitch. I know the sensor array is different but if I get one I'd like to continue with changing lenses as it took me a while to figure out how to do it on the Mobius 1.

Someone already mentioned that the lens would be different between models. I am hoping they call the lenses for the mini different letters to make sure people don't order the wrong lenses. Leave A, B, etc for the Mobius and create L, M, etc for the Mobius Mini.

Originally Posted by dirkzelf

Thanks Tom, i'd better look at the M2 then.

Hopefully it'll get a timed mode function, but that Q I asked in the other (M2) thread. Maybe you could go into that there?

I'm just a camera user, like you. I don't know if it's even possible to do what you want with the very different hardware in the M2, and I never have much insight into what the developer might be working on behind the scenes until its mostly proven and needing some beta testing.

Originally Posted by Bill Glover

The opposite - black radiates heat better

Yep, and it also absorbs radiation better as well. I guess it depends on whether the camera is sitting in the hot sun during the day, or alone in the cold of night?

You are assuming that it is out of focus. The center and right side seems to be in focus at the 1:00 time. Maybe the compression (either by youtube or the camera) has created the effect you are seeing. We really need to see the raw video to know. Youtube is a bad way to compare quality.

Originally Posted by ///Leo

I like it very much.

Only thing is that it needs to be refocused for sharper depth.

Perhaps, but the grass up close is not as sharp as the native video would be. I think much of it is the very low bit rate re-encoding YT uses, which is why I don't post video there to show image quality.

Originally Posted by xStatiCa

Someone already mentioned that the lens would be different between models. I am hoping they call the lenses for the mini different letters to make sure people don't order the wrong lenses. Leave A, B, etc for the Mobius and create L, M, etc for the Mobius Mini.

Lens designation will be (A, B, C ... etc.) for the various cameras from this developer, but they will identified with the camera in question, e.g. Mini A lens, Mini B lens, M2 A Lens, M2 B lens, etc.

Changing lenses on the mini will not be as easy as the M1 and M2. The module is much smaller with no set screw to secure the lens, which will be glued in place. I was able to carefully pick the glue off with a needle and hobby knife on a lens I have, but it's hardly worth the effort if you manage to damage the ribbon cable in the process. The ribbon cable is NOT replaceable on the Mini, it's bonded to the CMOS circuit board which is bonded to the plastic lens module.

Originally Posted by Tom Frank

Yep, and it also absorbs radiation better as well. I guess it depends on whether the camera is sitting in the hot sun during the day, or alone in the cold of night?

You mentioned that the camera runs pretty hot so I assumed radiation would be the most important factor

Black case in the shade would be the winning setup!

Originally Posted by Bill Glover

You mentioned that the camera runs pretty hot so I assumed radiation would be the most important factor

Black case in the shade would be the winning setup!

Yes, and especially with a cool breeze blowing as well to take better advantage of the heat transfer via conduction (internal heat to the heat sink and case shell) and convection via the breeze continuously moving the hot air off the camera exterior surface. I think the airflow is the most efficient component for heat removal for the Mini, but haven't tried to measure it.