I’ve often watched Live Cam footage from tourist destinations and, because I’m a total camera nerd, wondered what tech was being used to capture the live footage. Now, I know – at least for one live camera system that’s beaming mountain conditions from near the top of Mount Säntis in the Swiss Alps. The answer? A Fujifilm X-T5 in custom, hand-made housing.
Roundshot is a Swiss company that builds livecam stations destined to be installed at weather centers, tourist destinations, ski slopes, mountain railways, and other locations. The Roundshot camera stations beam 360-degree views of the location in order to update travelers, adventurers, and the innately curious as to the current conditions.
Roundshot has been working with Fujifilm for these remote camera stations since 2019, but recently shared a white paper detailing the partnership and how those custom camera stations are built. My being the tech nerd that I am – with my own X-T4 tucked into my camera bag – the story caught my attention.
The Roundshot camera stations are actually all individually hand-built and are actually built inside the Lustdorf home, where Roundshot’s business first started. The Roundshot live cam housings are handbuilt aluminum housings that are meant to withstand the weather conditions of places with extreme conditions.
A key component is that these camera rigs rotate in order to create panoramic views of the conditions at the location. The camera is installed inside the housing, calibrated, and tested before being installed on location. Custom SDK software allows the cameras to automate panoramas and livestream the location.
Mount Säntis is just one location where these custom camera systems are streaming continuous live views, but it’s a notable one, as the location has enough weather variations that the mountain station is also a weather station. The mountain is 2,502 meters / 8,209 feet above sea level and draws visitors to its cable car and view from the peak, which allows visitors to see six countries.
Why Fujifilm? “We tested several camera manufacturers, and Fujifilm offered us the greatest support, as well as the best lenses,” Peter Seitz, Head of Design and Production and Owner of Roundshot, said in a video shared by Fujifilm.
The compact size of the 10-24mm lens inside the housing was also a factor, Fujifilm said, noting that the lens focus doesn’t change when zooming, which helps avoid stitching errors.
The cameras are installed with a power supply and data line, and are made to operate 24/7, every day of the year, so guests can get a glimpse of the area in the dark as well as during daylight hours.
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