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Posts Tagged ‘provides’

Sony provides an in-depth look at the Sony Xperia 1 II camera tech

30 Apr

Sony first announced its triple-camera-equipped Xperia 1 Mark II flagship phone in February but users around the world are still waiting for the commercial release of the device. Once available, with its photo-centric design that borrows a number of features from Sony’s Alpha series cameras, the Xperia 1 Mark II should be a compelling option for mobile photographers. Now the company has shared additional information on camera technology and features in Japan.

In its primary camera the new Sony offers the same 12MP resolution as its predecessor. However, those pixels are distributed across a larger sensor surface. The Mark II’s 1/1.7″ primary sensor is quite a bit bigger than the Mark 1’s 1/2.6″ variant, but still falls short of some other flagship phones. The Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro and Huawei P40 Pro for example come with 1/1.33″ and 1/1.28″ sensors respectively.

The Xperia 1 Mark II comes with a larger sensor than its predecessor.

However, Sony is deploying a different strategy to most of its direct rivals. Both rival phones mentioned above use much higher resolution sensors and pixel-binning technology to reduce noise levels and capture images with a wide dynamic range.

Sony bets on ‘traditional’ large 1.8µm pixels, which, according to the company, make the new sensor 50 percent more light sensitive than its predecessor and results in improved low light performance.

The 12MP sensor offers faster read-out than the 108MP Quad-Bayer sensors used in some competitors.

Sony says the conventional design of the sensor offers faster read-out speeds than the pixel-binning Quad-Bayer technology deployed in most current high-end phones. The entire sensor can be read out in 10ms versus 32ms for a 12MP image from a Quad-Bayer sensor.

The sensor features 247 phase detection points.

This speed is necessary to enable the Mark II’s 20fps continuous shooting with autoexposure and autofocus. Dual-Pixel AF is embedded into the sensor and an additional 3D time-of-flight (ToF) sensor supports the system. Overall, the camera can use 247 phase detection points on the image sensor and 43,200 points from the ToF sensor to perform AF calculations.

The AF also uses data from a 3D time-of-flight sensor.

This is done by Sony’s BIONZ X branded image processor which performs 60 AE/AF calculations per second to keep subjects in focus and the image well exposed. The new phone also comes with the Eye AF feature that we already saw on the original Xperia 1. However, now it can lock on to animal eyes in addition to human eyes.

The ultra-wide and tele lenses of the triple-camera setup cannot quite keep up with the primary shooter in terms of read-out speed and processing, though. They both offer continuous shooting at 10fps with AE/AF enabled and AE/AF calculations are performed at a slower rate of 30 per second.

Sony says the triple-camera offers the same flexbility as a camera system with 16-35, 24-70 and 70-200mm lenses.

This said, with equivalent focal lengths of 74mm for the tele and 16mm for the ultra-wide, both cameras make nice additions to the primary camera’s 24mm-equivalent lens, covering a wide range of shooting situations. Sony goes as far as comparing the lenses in the Xperia 1 Mark II triple camera to a full-frame lens set including a 16-35mm wide-angle, a 24-70m standard zoom and a 70-200mm tele-zoom. Those lenses should have you prepared for almost anything, and according to the company the same is true for the phone’s triple-cam.

To make the new device even more attractive to serious photographers it comes with Sony’s new Photography Pro app, which features Shutter and Aperture priority modes in addition to a bunch of other manual controls you would find on the company’s mirrorless cameras. Most camera apps offer some sort of manual controls these days, usually in the shape of a separate ‘Pro mode’, but it looks like Sony is taking things a step further than most.

The Photography Pro app offers a range of manual modes and settings.

The Xperia 1 Mark II is also the first Sony smartphone to feature a ZEISS lens. ZEISS lenses can be found on many of Sony’s Cybershot compact cameras and are also available with an E-mount for Alpha cameras. ZEISS lenses featured on Nokia phones previously but the new Sony is the first to come with the German lens maker’s T* anti-reflective coating to reduce glare and ghosting effects.

It’s good to see Sony, which is the only current smartphone manufacturer that also runs a sizeable camera operation, creating more synergies and technology interchange between its mobile and Alpha divisions. Now we just need to wait for the device to appear in the market and see if the camera can compete with the best. According to rumors that could happen as soon as next week, starting in Taiwan.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Xiaomi provides more information about under-screen front camera technology

05 Jun

Earlier this week smartphone manufacturers OPPO and Xiaomi both teased under-screen front-cameras that would allow for the design of ‘notch-less’ devices with uninterrupted edge-to-edge displays.

Xiaomi Senior VP followed up with several tweeted slides that provided some additional information about the technology. According to the slides the display area covering the front camera is capable of turning transparent when the camera is activated, allowing for light to pass and hit the lens and sensor, but looks and works normally when the front shooter is not in use.

To achieve this, Xiaomi is using a using ‘special-low-reflective glass with high transmittance’. The company claims the technology can capture better images than the pinhole solutions we have seen previously although OPPO VP Brian Shen stated that the technology was still new and ‘there’s bound to be some loss in optical quality.’

The slides also hint at a 20MP camera hidden under the display but at this point we don’t know which new model the technology could be implemented in. Given the current buzz around the subject it likely won’t be too long before we find out, however.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Market report provides interesting insights into camera module industry

07 Nov
Graph: Yole Développement

Market research & strategy consulting company Yole Développement has just released its “Camera Module Industry Market and Technology Trends 2017″ report, and the document includes a number of interesting findings and forecasts that photographers, specially those interested in smartphone photography, should pay attention to.

According to the report, the market for cameras in mobile devices is still the main driver of the camera module industry that reached $ 23.4 Billion in 2016 and is projected to reach $ 46.8 Billion by 2022.

The researchers at Yole Développement also found the manufacturers of autofocus and optical image stabilization systems had to adapt to the large production volumes and low cost requirements of the smartphone makers. This has resulted in a restructuring effort and a move of production capacity from Japan and Korea to China and Vietnam. Companies like New Shiko and TDK have been able to benefit the most from these developments.

In the sub-markets for image sensors and lens sets, the quasi-monopolies of Sony and Largan are about to end as the competition is quickly catching up in terms of technology. Module makers, like market leaders LG Innotek, are hugely dependent on customer loyalty as the loss of a large customer could potentially result in a collapse of the company.

The report also finds that the average cost for mobile camera modules has remained relatively constant. However, with high-end AF- and stabilization systems and and active alignment now being much more commonplace, complexity has increased disproportionally. The current total cost of camera module per phone is pretty much proportional to the number of cameras installed—two cameras cost the manufacturers $ 16, three cameras around $ 24, and those implementing four cameras in their devices have to calculate with a cost of more than $ 30 per handset.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Sony provides firmware updates for ten E-mount lenses and LA-EA3 adapter

25 May

Sony has issued firmware updates for ten of its E-mount lenses and the LA-EA3 adapter. The updates address a variety of bugs and stability issues. You can view details and download the update for your operating system by clicking on the Drivers & Software button on the linked product pages below:

  • 70-200mm GM 
  • 70-200mm G 
  • 24-240mm G 
  • 28-70mm G 
  • 24-70mm Zeiss 
  • 16-35mm Zeiss 
  • 50mm f/1.8 
  • 24-70mm GM 
  • 50mm Zeiss 
  • 85mm GM 
  • LA-EA3 adapter

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Finally! Sony NPA-MQZ1K Multi-Battery Adaptor Kit provides power for E-mount users

20 Apr

Announced alongside the a9 is an accessory that should excite existing E-mount camera owners, particularly videographers: the NPA-MQZ1K Multi-Battery Adaptor Kit. It comes with two of the new NP-FZ100 batteries and has space for another two. The kit not only works as a charging station for up to four Z type batteries, but also has a dummy battery that allows it to be used as an external power pack.

The unit is compatible not only with the a9 but also with the a7, a7R, a7S, a7 II, a7R II, a7S II, a6000, a6300, a6500, a5000, a5100 and RX10 III, providing up to 8x their current battery capacity. It includes tripod-style mounting sockets for attachment to a video rig.

The dummy battery is the same shape as the a9’s new ‘Z type’ battery but has an outer shell that can be removed, revealing a ‘W type’ adapter, which can slot into cameras that use the NP-FW50 battery.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Light raises $30M and provides update on L16 multi-lens camera

08 Jul

Light, the startup that is developing the L16 multi-lens computational camera, has raised $ 30M in venture capital in a series C round of funding led by GV (formerly Google Ventures). The company says it will use the additional funds to scale its global supply chain in order to deal with customer demand.

The company has also announced some changes to the L16’s specification after listening to feedback from its pre-order customers. Many voiced a preference for a wider angle of view at the short end of the zoom range, and the L16 will now provide a 28-150mm optical zoom equivalent instead of the initially announced 35-150mm.

Additionally, the camera will ship with 256GB of built-in memory instead of the 128GB listed in the original specifications. You can see the fully updated L16 specifications here and watch the video below to see how the prototype cameras are being manufactured.

 

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Tether Tools’ Case Relay provides continuous power for many DSLR and mirrorless cameras

26 Feb

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The Case Relay Camera Power System from Tether Tools offers ‘infinite camera power’ for most DSLR and mirrorless cameras from Canon, Nikon, Sony and Panasonic. The system works via a DC coupler that plugs into both the camera’s battery port and the Case Relay. The Relay plugs into either a 5V USB external battery or a wall outlet.

Tether Tools says Case Relay, which includes a secondary 1200mAh battery, is a solution for time-lapse photography and other tasks that require uninterrupted, long-lasting power. External battery packs can be swapped without interrupting power, as the Relay’s battery will continue to power the camera while the external source is unplugged. 

The Relay Camera Coupler is available from $ 29.99 to $ 34.99, depending on camera, and the Case Relay is available now for $ 99.99. Tether Tools also offers an external 5V USB battery for $ 49.99 USD. Many Nikon and Canon DSLRs are compatible, as well as mirrorless models from Fujifilm, Sony, Olympus and Panasonic. For a full list of compatible cameras check tethertools.com/relay.

Via: PetaPixel

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Microsoft provides additional detail on Lumia 950 and 950XL cameras

17 Oct

Earlier this month Microsoft launched the long-awaited successors to the Nokia Lumia 930 and 1520: the Lumia 950 and 950XL. Now a post on the Microsoft Devices Blog provides some more detail about the camera hardware and software in the new models, along with some impressive-looking sample images. Read more

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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What’s in a name? Zeiss provides details on lens partnerships and production

30 Jul

Lens maker Zeiss has written a blog post about its relationships with other manufacturers – specifically its partnership with Sony. The post sheds some light on exactly what that little blue logo on your lens can mean. The blog post itself appears to have been written by the marketing department, but reading between the lines gives us a better idea of how its relationship with Sony works. Read more

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Nikon provides instructions for flare-affected D750 owners

20 Jan

Nikon has just provided detailed instructions for D750 owners seeking to repairs to correct an issue related to flare. The company had previously announced plans to service affected cameras for free, and has just issued information that will help camera owners identify whether their unit is included under the advisory. Read more

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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