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Posts Tagged ‘Imaging’

L16 camera manufacturer Light abandons consumer imaging, turns to automotive

15 Jun

In 2015 a start-up called Light announced a product that appeared have the potential to revolutionize photography. The Light L16 was a portable camera that, according to the company, provided ‘excellent low-light performance and DSLR-like image quality’. However, now it looks like Light has abandoned the consumer imaging market altogether and is instead focusing on the automotive sector.

The L16 offered focal lengths between 35mm and 150mm, 4K video recording, and depth-mapping technology to adjust a photo’s depth of field and focus after it has been captured. Instead of a conventional camera/lens setup it used 16 separate cameras across its front and computational imaging methods the combine the data captured by all sensors into a single output image.

The Light L16

When the camera finally started shipping in July 2017, after some delays and a $ 30M funding round, the camera’s performance was underwhelming, though, resulting in lukewarm reviews and presumably lower than expected sales figures.

Instead of working on an improved follow-up model Light turned its attention to the mobile market, announcing partnerships with smartphone makers Sony and Xiaomi. Given the Light technology’s limited space requirements and ability to fit into a flat smartphone body this seemed like a logical next move.

It followed a $ 121M funding round led by the SoftBank Vision Fund that also included German camera makers Leica, and the news that Nokia was going to be the first smartphone brand to launch a Light camera-equipped device. The Nokia 9 PureView was launched in February 2019 and featured a circular penta-camera setup on its back.

Penta-camera setup on the Nokia 9 PureView

The five Zeiss-branded lenses all came with an equivalent focal length of 28mm, an F1.8 aperture and were placed in front of 12MP image sensors, three of which were monochrome and two RGB. In addition, there was a dedicated depth sensor.

Much like the L16, the 9 PureView camera could not convince the testers, though, with more conventional camera setups in the flagship phones from rivals Apple, Samsung or Huawei delivering better results across the board.

Now it looks very much like the Nokia 9 PureView was the first and last smartphone with Light camera technology as the company has told Android Authority in a statement that it is ‘no longer operating in the smartphone industry.’

On the Light website there are no traces of smartphone or consumer camera technology to be found anymore. Instead, a statement on the About page says ‘Light is a depth-sensing and perception technology company focused on providing automobiles with the ability to see like humans.’

The company is now focusing on the automotive sector.

Demand for camera technology in the automotive sector has been rising quickly and with autonomous vehicles being on the brink of mass production the potential for growth seems almost unlimited. If Light’s venture into automotive will be more successful than the company’s beginnings in consumer, imaging investors could finally see a return.

This said, despite the lack of success in the marketplace, both the Light L16 camera and Nokia 9 PureView smartphone will always be remembered as innovative imaging devices and secure their place in tech history.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Nikon’s FY2020 financial results: ¥225.8B in revenue, ¥17.1B loss in operating profit for Imaging Products Business

29 May

As it promised when it initially pushed back the release date, Nikon has released the financial results today for its 2020 fiscal year (FY2020), ending March 31, 2020, as well as its forecast for its 2021 fiscal year (FY2021).

Overall, Nikon Corporation recorded ¥591B in revenue and ¥6.7B in operating profit. These numbers align with what Nikon’s updated forecast suspected and are a decrease of ¥117.6B and ¥75.9B, respectively, year-over-year (YOY).

An overview of Nikon’s revenue, operating profit and more for FY2020.

Interestingly, Nikon attempts to quantify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, with its report saying it believes the pandemic has caused 10 billion yen in operating profit losses. Specifically, Nikon attributes ‘approximately 4 billion yen’ of that loss to its Imaging Products division ‘Due to product mix change by [the] suspension of distributors mainly selling mid- and high-end cameras, and delay of launch in main products including professional use products by stagnation of the supply chain.’

Diving specifically into its Imaging Products Business, Nikon recorded ¥225.8B in revenue and a loss of ¥17.1B in operating profit. These numbers are both worse than Nikon’s February 2020 forecast and are a decrease of ¥70.3B and ¥39.1B, respectively. The documents reveal Nikon sold 1.62 million interchangeable lens camera (ILC) units and 2.65 million interchangeable lens units, with just 840,000 compact digital cameras sold. These unit numbers are a decrease of 21.4%, 16.4% and 47.5%, respectively, YOY.

Nikon’s breakdown of the FY2020 results for its Imaging Products Business.

In notes on the revenue of its Imaging Products Business, Nikon says revenues were ‘progressing mostly in line with previous forecasts until the middle of February,’ when the COVID-19 started to wreak havoc on the supply chain and retailers. Nikon again reiterates that it’s had to delay new product launches ‘such as high-end DSLR cameras and [mirrorless lenses]’ due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is referencing the delay of Nikon D6 shipments and suggests the Nikkor Z 70-200mm F2.8 VR S zoom delay back in January could’ve been due to COVID-19 complications as well, even though at the time Nikon said it was caused by ‘production reasons.’ Nikon also notes sales of its Z-series mirrorless cameras and Z-series lenses have increased, and that the volume/sales ratio of mid-range and high-end cameras ‘improved steadily’ YOY.

Additional comments under the ‘Operating Profit’ headline note Nikon incurred ¥2.7B in restructuring costs and posted ¥6.6B in fixed asset impairment losses, which were detailed in its statement earlier this month.

As for FY2021, Nikon doesn’t share too much information, saying performance forecast details will ‘be disclosed once reasonable estimation can be given as the impact of COVID-19 is uncertain.’ Numbers aside, Nikon notes sales for its imaging Products Business ‘decreased significantly YOY’ in April and May of this year and notes that ‘the business of luxury goods is expected to continue in a severe business environment for the time being, and the deficit for the second consecutive fiscal year is inevitable.’

The executive summary section of the report details how Nikon plans to approach its various divisions in the upcoming year.

Under the executive headline, Nikon says its strategy for the Imaging Products Business is to ‘rebuild business with an understanding of accelerating market shrinkige [and] aim to achieve early profitability.’ In other words, Nikon plans to optimize its Imaging Products Division to get ahead of the quickly-shrinking camera market by restricting and minimizing costs.

You can find all of the latest financial results and presentation materials referenced above on Nikon’s investor relations website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Lead engineer for computational imaging on Pixel devices leaves Google

14 May

According to a report by industry publication The Information, two key executives in Google’s Pixel team left the company earlier this year. One of them is the former General Manager of the Pixel Smartphones Business Unit, Mario Queiroz. According to his Linkedin profile, he left Google at the end of January to take on the role of Executive Vice President at data security company Palo Alto Networks.

A few months earlier, and two months before the launch of the Pixel 4 devices in October 2019, he had already moved internally from the Pixel team into a role that directly reported to Google CEO Sundar Pichai.

From an imaging point of view, the second executive leaving the Pixel team and company is more interesting, though: Marc Levoy has been a Computer Science professor at Stanford University since 1990 and since 2014, in his role as Distinguished Engineer at Google, had been leading the Pixel team that developed computational photography technologies for Pixel smartphones, including HDR+, Portrait Mode, and Night Sight.

Since its inception the Pixel smartphones series had excelled in the camera department, receiving positive camera reviews across the board. With the Pixel phones using very similar camera hardware to its direct rivals, a lot of the Pixel’s camera success could likely be attributed to the innovative imaging software features mentioned above.

However, things look slightly different for the latest Pixel 4 generation that was launched in October 2019. While many of the software features and functions were updated and improved, the camera hardware looks a little old next to the top-end competition. Companies like Samsung, Huawei and Xiaomi offer larger sensors with higher resolutions and longer tele lenses, and combine those hardware features with computational imaging methods, achieving excellent results. The Pixel 4 is also one of very few high-end phones to not feature a dedicated ultra-wide camera.

The Pixel 4 camera is still excellent in many situations but it’s hard to argue that Google has, at least do a degree, lost the leadership role in mobile imaging that it had established with previous Pixel phone generations.

It looks like internally there has been some discontent with other aspects of the Pixel 4 hardware, too. The report from The Information also details some criticism from Google hardware lead Rick Osterloh on the Pixel 4 battery:

At a hardware team all-hands meeting in the fall, ahead of the October launch in New York, Osterloh informed staff about his own misgivings. He told them he did not agree with some of the decisions made about the phone, according to two people who were present at the meeting. In particular, he was disappointed in its battery power.

Battery and camera performance are likely only two out of a range of factors that caused Pixel 4 sales figures to decrease when compared to its predecessors. IDC estimates that Google shipped around 2 million Pixel 4 units in the first two quarters the phone was on sale, compared to 3.5 million Pixel 3 units and almost 3 million Pixel 3A devices.

These figures are also relatively small when compared to the largest competitors. According to IDC Apple sold a whopping 73.8 million iPhones in the fourth quarter of 2019, for example.

It’s not entirely clear, but likely, that the departures of Queiroz and Levoy are linked to the Pixel 4’s performance in the marketplace. What will it mean for future Pixel phones and their cameras? We will only know once we hold the Pixel 5 in our hands but we hope Google will continue to surprise us with new and innovative technologies that get the most out of smartphone cameras.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Canon’s Q1 financial report shows Imaging Systems net sales and profits are down 13.9%, 80.6% YoY

24 Apr

Canon has released its first-quarter (Q1) financial report, revealing just how bad the COVID-19 pandemic has affected its bottom line and suggesting it’s only going to get worse before it gets better.

The report starts off by stating on its ‘Key Message’ summary page that the COVID-19 pandemic has ‘completely [changed the] global economic landscape’ with the following bullet point saying the ‘global economy faces worst recession since the Great Depression’ due to the ongoing pandemic.

Across the board, Canon saw a 9.5% drop in net sales and an 18.7% decline in operating profit for Q1 (January 1 through April 23), year-over-year (YoY). But even those numbers look great in comparison to those found within Canon’s Imaging Systems division, which accounts for camera and inkjet printer sales.

The report shows net sales and operating profit for Q1 within the Imaging System division is down 13.9% and 80.6%, respectively, YoY. Further split up, Canon states its net sales are down 24.8% YoY specifically for cameras, while its inkjet printer net sales were actually up 7.3%. Despite the current situation, Canon hasn’t changed its projections which currently have net sales and operating profits down 2.5% and up 11.5%, respectively for the entire 2020 fiscal year.

That may very well change though, as Canon expects its second quarter (Q2) to be even worse, as Canon’s current downward trajectory didn’t even start until mid-way through Q1. Combined with the uncertainty of when the COVID-19 pandemic will begin to subside, Canon says it’s difficult to provide accurate estimates of future financials and even clarifies that once the global economy is back on the rise, it’s unlikely cameras will see an immediate return to normal sales.

In addition to the impact on supply, sales of interchangeable-lens cameras were also greatly affected. One after another, live events were canceled or postponed and chances to use cameras decreased. In addition to this, we believe it will take time to see a recovery in the demand for cameras, which are considered luxury items, even after the global economic turmoil has subsided.’

Whatever happens, it seems Canon has little intent on slowing down. In its summary of the results, Canon says it ‘will steadily push forward [its] strategy that focuses on models for professionals and advanced-amateurs to maintain medium- to longterm profitability,’ an obvious nod to the forthcoming EOS R5 camera, as well as new RF lenses on the horizon.

Something worth keeping in mind, as with all financial reports, is that numbers alone don’t tell the whole story. There is plenty going on behind-the-scenes and there is a lot of grey area within the net sales and operating profits within any given division.

For this particular Q1 report, a standout example of this is in the dramatic discrepancy between the net sales and operating profit within Canon’s Imaging Systems division. While we obviously can’t confirm this to be the case, the 80.6% decline in operating profit could very well be due, at least in part, to the research, development and marketing expenses of the EOS R5 and other professional and ‘advanced amateur’ camera systems Canon plans to release in the near future. It’s shaping up to be an industry-shaking camera based on the currently-known specs and actively developing such a system doesn’t come cheap.

You can read through all of the Q1 financial documents on Canon’s investor relations website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Japan offers $2.2B to help domestic companies move production from China, but will it help the imaging industry?

14 Apr
Fujifilm X-Pro2 cameras being moved along the production process inside Fujifilm’s Sendai, Japan factory.

Last week, South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that Japan is planning to set aside $ 2.2 billion of its $ 993 billion emergency COVID-19 stimulus package to help Japanese companies move production out of China, a move with potential ramifications for numerous Japanese camera and lens manufacturers.

According to the report, the $ 2.2 billion would be split into two different funds. Roughly $ 2 billion will go towards assisting Japanese companies move operations back to Japan, while the remaining $ 200M will help companies move production into other countries, in what is likely an effort to help diversify supply chains that aren’t domestic.

Rather than purely speculating on the matters, we decided to contact executives at a few Japanese camera and lens manufacturers to find out what their thoughts are on this facet of the emergency stimulus package.

General Manager of Fujifilm’s Optical Device and Electronic Imaging Products Division, Toshihisa Iida, had the following to say when asked about the SCMP article and its potential impact on Fujifilm’s operations:

‘Manufacturing in China has changed a lot over the years. It faces many challenges such as parts and labor availability, increase in overall cost, [the] US-China trade issue, and most recently, COVID-19. We still depend heavily on China to source electronic and mechanical components, but we started sourcing from alternative vendors from outside China as well.

[Business continuity planning] is always a very important agenda in our business strategy. We learned from disasters such as earthquakes and floods in the past, and keep our eyes open to prepare for any situations to secure the supply chain. COVID-19 is no exception.’

As for its current production operations, Mr. Iida says ‘Fujifilm already owns factories outside China (e.g. Japan and the Philippines)’ and has also subcontracted factories. ‘Production quality in all of the factories [is] being monitored to achieve the same standard,’ he says. ‘We look at all the important elements for production, such as capacity, cost, lead time, and [allocation of] the products to the aforementioned factories in order to deliver the products efficiently.’

Here, finished X-Pro2 bodies manufactured inside its Sendai, Japan factory await final checks before being boxed up for shipping.

Despite the Japanese government’s record stimulus package, Mr. Iida remains unsure of its impact on Fujifilm’s production, saying ‘It’s too early to say whether we will move our production from China, and if we do, how much will be shifted to Japan or elsewhere, but we will continue to monitor the situation and take action if and when necessary.’

All in all, it seems the production shift initiative might not have as much of an impact on the photography industry as some might’ve hoped. Aside from not being heavily publicized, the state of the industry even before the COVID-19 pandemic wasn’t great and investing in a contracting market isn’t exactly assuring, even with a convincing stimulus opportunity to make use of.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Imaging Resource announces it’s been acquired by Madavor Media

17 Mar

Imaging Resource has announced it’s been acquired by Madavor Media, the publisher of several other print and digital photography-centric magazines.

Back in October 2019, Imaging Resource announced it would be shutting down its website in the near future. Not long after the announcement, four different groups came forward asking about acquisition possibilities. In an email shared with DPReview, Imaging Resource founder Dave Etchells said ‘After a lot of back and forth with all of them, one company rose to the fore, and will now in fact be the new corporate “home” of IR.’ That company is Madavor Media, a publishing company who also operates Outdoor Photographer, Digital Photo Pro, Digital Photo and HDVideoPro.

Etchells elaborated on the transition in his email to us saying:

‘My biggest concern in thinking about handing over IR to anyone else was that the site would continue to maintain the quality and objectivity we’ve been known for, for the past 22 years. I’m confident that Madavor will do that, and am happy to think that the brand I’ve worked so hard to create will continue into the future.’

As for what this transition means for Imaging Resource, Etchells notes the site will continue to focus on providing the same level of quality and integrity as before, with the same general content, including the still life lab shots, overviews, hands-on reports and field tests. Etchells will be stepping back from day-to-day operations, but will still be involved in the direction of the site as he continues to pursue intellectual property consulting and expert witness work. As we saw yesterday, he also plans to write up many more weather-resistance tests.

All in all, Etchells says ‘this is really great news that I’m so happy to share. Imaging Resource v2.0 will live on, I’ll get to stay involved with the industry and people I love, but will also finally get some concentrated time in my basement workshops’

Madavor Media Acquires Imaging Resource

Madavor Media, LLC announced today that it has acquired Imaging Resource, one of the most popular and trusted websites for camera and photography equipment reviews. The 22-year-old website, which has millions of loyal followers, will continue to operate utilizing its experienced staff and contributors.

The acquisition by Madavor will enable Imaging Resource seamlessly to continue its mission to provide the most comprehensive, independent news and reviews in the photography business.

Imaging Resource will operate under its existing brand, and founder Dave Etchells will maintain an ongoing presence within the company as editor emeritus. The camera review website will now join Outdoor Photographer, Digital Photo Pro, Digital Photo and HDVideoPro as part of the photography portfolio at Madavor and will enhance the company’s position as the dominant media company to connect with a wide range of photographers and videographers.

“We’re excited to welcome the engaged consumer base and advertisers that trust Imaging Resource and we believe the website’s in-depth expertise on cameras and other products will be a perfect complement to our other photo content,” said Madavor Chief Operating Officer Courtney Whitaker. “The opportunities for advertisers to achieve their marketing objectives will increase across all of our photo titles as well as some of our other publications such as BirdWatching and Plane & Pilot. We also anticipate the cross-promotion of content will be very beneficial to our readers, especially our newsletter subscribers.”

Imaging Resource was started in 1998 and has provided in-depth coverage, testing and reviews on new technology since that time from its Georgia headquarters. The company will continue to be based in Georgia, giving Madavor Media a new location as part of its nationwide operations.

“Part of my confidence in transferring the IR brand to Madavor is the level of quality they’ve consistently supported in all of their existing photo publications,” Dave Etchells said. “I was also struck by the excellent strategic fit between IR and Madavor’s existing respected photo publications and websites. Their loyal and passionate audiences enjoy timely award- winning content, which tends to be more focused on the art of photography than the gear. This is an element that I’ve always felt was missing from IR, but that we never had the resources to fill.”

About Madavor Media, LLC

Founded in 2004, Madavor Media develops and markets content for consumers who are passionate about their interests and those seeking highly informative editorial that helps them take charge of their well-being and live happier, healthier lives. Through its team of experts,

Madavor delivers highly engaging, world-class content that is disseminated and consumed through virtually all channels. Headquartered in Braintree, Massachusetts, Madavor’s main office acts as the hub for social media, marketing, design and production, operations and information, while its associates throughout the country keep in close contact with its customers and communities of interest.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Stellina: imaging the sky with a smart telescope

26 Jan

Stellina Telescope Camera
$ 3,999 | vaonis.com

Stellina is a self-contained, portable telescope designed to easily take photographs of celestial objects. All you need is the Stellina itself and a smartphone. It is not a traditional telescope that lets you explore the universe through an eyepiece. Instead, it captures images with its built-in camera which then you can view on your phone (or tablet). During my latest trip to Yellowknife, Canada I was able to put the Stellina to the test and capture some classic telescope targets.

When folded, the Stellina looks like a retrofuturistic home appliance and one could hardly guess that it holds a telescope and a camera inside. Its weight of 11 kg (25 lb) makes it portable but its bulky size of 49 x 39 x 13 cm (19 x 15 x 4.7 in) and the lack of handles makes it a little awkward to move around. The Stellina comes with a Gitzo carbon fiber tripod (1.3 kg, 2.2 lb) which provides leveling and stability to the telescope.

Stellina is a portable astronomical telescope and camera. Everything you need to take photographs of celestial objects is contained in this unit and on a smartphone/tablet app.

Setting up the Stellina

The Stellina requires 5.1V / 2.4A to operate. It can be powered by an external battery connected through a USB Type-C port and stored in a compartment, or by an AC external power adapter. The 10,000-mAh battery included with the Stellina should provide approximately 5 hours of use. Once powered up, the Stellina creates its own Wi-Fi network which you use to control it from the Stellina app (available for both iOS and Android devices) .

The Stellina reads the local time and GPS coordinates off your smartphone and then it automatically focus and aligns itself by looking around the sky and identifying stars. All this is done in a completely automated fashion and in just a mater of minutes. Pretty smart!

The Stellina comes with a 10,000-mAh battery that is easily stored in its own compartment and provides approximately 5 hours of use.

Imaging with the Stellina

The Stellina uses a 400mm F5 apochromatic lens and a 1/1.8″ CMOS Sony sensor (3,096 x 2,080 pixels, 6.4 MP) to produce a series of exposures which are then combined into a final image with a Field-of-View (FOV) of 1° x 0.7°. But first you must pick a target.

Once the automated calibration is completed, the Stellina offers you a catalogue of astronomical objects that are visible from your location at that particular time. For each of these objects the Stellina app provides you basic information about the object, its current location in the sky (altitude and azimuth), as well as the recommended exposure time.

Stellina provides useful information of the potential targets up in the sky at the current time, including recommended exposure times.

According to Vaonis, the Stellina manufacturer, “The catalogue includes all Messier objects and the most interesting NGC targets in the Northern and Southern hemispheres.” Some objects whose angular diameters exceed the Stellina’s FOV are excluded from the catalogue, but Vaonis plans to extend that list when they add the ability for the Stellina to combine multiples images in a mosaic.

Vaonis is also planning to let users enter sky coordinates manually and point at any direction in the sky. That will be another welcome feature since the Stellina does not let you manually slew. Luckily, these features should easily become available through software updates.

I selected the Andromeda Galaxy, the Stellina slew to the correct location in the sky, and started imaging. To do this, the telescope relies on a technique called image stacking where a series of relatively short exposure are combined to produce an image with a higher signal-noise ratio. As more images are exposed and added, you can interactively review how the stacking and image processing improves the final image and decide when to stop exposing.

In the two screenshots below, you can see how the image improved from a combined exposure time of 2 min 40 sec (16 exposures of 10 seconds each) to a combined exposure time of 8 min (48 exposures of 10 second each). As expected, the spiral arms of the Andromeda Galaxy appear more prominent as the Stellina gathers more light.

Comparison of a 2 min 40 sec exposure with a longer 8 min exposure. Stellina has the impressive ability of showing you in real-time how the final exposure improves as more images are added and total integration time increases.

I could have exposed for a longer time but, unfortunately, clouds rolled in. Impressively, the Stellina software rejects cloud-covered images and does not add them to the stack, so when clouds cover the FOV you will notice how the total exposure time pauses until the clouds move out of the way. Evidently, automation is at the heart of Stellina and Vaonis has done a great job in the programming of this telescope.

On the other hand, what did not impress was the feedback given by the Stellina app when saving JPEG photos. You can either save images on the app itself or on your smartphone’s photos app (and in the cloud if your phone is set up that way), but if you choose the latter, the photos are deleted from the app (with no warning) along with any observation information. That is, photos copied to your photos app are saved without any metadata. Furthermore, JPEG photos produced by the Stellina are downsampled from 6.4 MP to 1.4 MP.

There’s definitely room for improvement in documenting Stellina’s features

If you want to enjoy full-resolution images you need to retrieve FITS (Raw) files using the USB port. That’s great! As long as you know that options exists. And therein lies a problem. The Stellina instruction manual does a good job of explaining how to set up the telescope up to the point of connecting it to the app, but nothing further. Once you start controlling the telescope via the Stellina app, documentation and feedback from the app is underdeveloped.

I learned about the ability to save Raw images on a Q&A page on the Vaonis support site. Unfortunately, by then I had returned the unit. There’s definitely room for improvement in documenting Stellina’s features. I look forward to someday using the Stellina again and processing its FITS files.

Resulting (JPEG) Images

Below is the resulting 8-minute exposure of the Andromeda Galaxy. The Stellina did a good job of automatically focusing, tracking, stacking, and processing the images. Nevertheless, a bright vignette is fairly noticeable. According to Vaonis, the vignette ‘is produced by the luminescence of the sensor’ and they are working on improving the image processing algorithm.

1.4 MP JPEG of the Andromeda Galaxy saved from the Stellina app. This is the result of 48 10-sec exposures stacked automatically by the Stellina for a total exposure time of 8 minutes.

Afterwards, I selected the open cluster The Pleiades from the catalogue and let Stellina combine 60 10-sec images. Judging by what the Stellina captured in a total exposure time of 10 minutes, it’s a shame that the clouds rolled in again. The blue reflection nebula around the cluster stars was starting to nicely show up in the final image.

1.4 MP JPEG of The Pleiades cluster saved from the Stellina app. This is the result of 60 10-sec exposures stacked automatically by the Stellina for a total exposure time of 10 minutes.

Final Thoughts

The Stellina is a well-thought out smart telescope. It can easily be transported from one location to another and setting it up cannot be more simple. A carrying case to move the telescope around would be a welcome addition.

The fact that the Stellina finds its orientation with respect to the sky, focuses, exposes, stacks, and process images in a completely automated fashion is quite the feat for a prosumer device. Although the Stellina app needs further development, the whole experience of operating the Stellina is fun and the ability of seeing the final exposure improve as more images are stacked is quite gratifying.

The whole experience of operating
the Stellina is fun

Once you’re happy with your final exposure you can easily share your astrophotographs with friends and the rest of the world in a matter of minutes. Stellina is definitely a telescope for the social media age. Then at home, you have the option of experimenting with the Raw files.

Unfortunately, all this comes with the high price tag of $ 3,999. For that price, some will consider instead the more versatile combination of camera, lens, tripod, and star tracker. But if you want a fun-to-use, click-and-shoot device that will work for you while you relax and enjoy the night sky then the Stellina is right for you!

What we like:

  • Extremely easy to set up
  • Smart and highly automated
  • Instant gratification of previewing images as they are stacked
  • Fun to use

What we’d like to see improved:

  • A carrying case included with the telescope
  • Ability to slew to any location in the sky
  • Further development of the Stellina app

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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How Can You Get Thermal Imaging On A Cell Phone?

23 Jan

Would you like to be able to view and save thermal images using your smartphone,     whether for work or just for fun?  Thanks to technological advances, it is possible today to do this without buying a very expensive dedicated camera. Read on to learn all the options you have to get thermal imaging on your cell phone. To Continue Reading

The post How Can You Get Thermal Imaging On A Cell Phone? appeared first on Photodoto.


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Olympus issues statement disputing rumors its imaging division will shut down within a year

16 Nov

Last weekend, an administrator for a Personal View forum claimed ‘closure is near’ for Olympus’ camera division, spurring a number of rumors that Olympus would shut down within a year. Since then, Olympus’ has issued a statement to Sina Finance News (translated) that suggests these rumors are little more than hearsay.

The post was made by a Personal View adminitrator who goes under the username Vitaliy_Kiselev. It included two images of Olympus’ latest financial presentation and said underneath that Olympus’ camera division is in ‘total instability’ with various Olympus employee’s ‘running and looking for new positions.’

A screenshot of the forum post made on the Personal View forums on November 9, 2019.

Vitaliy_Kiselev went on to say in the post that ‘rumors and talks’ suggest Olympus’ camera division will shutter some time between ‘January-March,’ presumably this upcoming year, and ends by claiming there are talks ‘that [Olympus’] development team and some equipment can be picked either by Sony or Samsung.’

In response to the aforementioned post, Chinese financial publication Sina Finance News asked Olympus to comment on the rumors to confirm or deny their accuracy. Olympus’ official response was (machine-translated):

‘The image business has always been the driving force of technology, including imaging technology and mass production technology, for medical and The science field has made tremendous contributions. As stated in the new business strategy, since the imaging business and the scientific business are important businesses supporting the company, we will continue to work on the improvement of profitability and efficiency in these two business areas.’

Sina Finance News followed up to further question what the plan was for Olympus’ imaging and scientific business considering there was no specific mention of either of these divisions in its most recent financial presentation material. In response, Olympus said (machine-translated):

Detailed information about these business plans can be found in the next quarter’s earnings.

While Olympus’ answers are vague, the statements suggest that Olympus is continuing efforts to keep its imaging division alive. It’s possible these statements aren’t in contention with the forum post made by Vitaliy_Kiselev, but it does seem much less damning than the initial reports suggest.

We have contacted Olympus regarding these rumors and will update this article with a statement if provided.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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The end of an era? Digital camera review site Imaging Resource set to close

12 Oct

We’re sad to report that Imaging Resource, one of our most longstanding (and very friendly) competitors is set to close at the end of 2019, after more than 20 years. In a lengthy message to friends in the industry, founder Dave Etchells confirmed that while the site will remain available through at least spring next year, content production will most likely cease in the coming months.

Imaging Resource and DPReview grew up together in the early days of consumer digital imaging, and although many of our respective readers might imagine that we’ve had a competitive relationship, the truth could not be more different. The photo industry is, by and large, a friendly and close-knit community. A community of nerds, sure. And not a few misfits, but bonded together over a common interest in photography and technology. As king of the nerds (and I know he would have no problem with me saying that) Dave has been a central, and literally towering figure for 20 years.

Although many of our respective readers might imagine that we’ve had a competitive relationship, the truth could not be more different.

We have worked closely with Dave and his team of writers since our respective sites were in their infancy. Just personally, I’ve had the pleasure of accompanying Dave on several factory tours, including some where we were the only two journalists present. Along the way we’ve shared notes, resources (you’ll find our images in Dave’s recent Sigma factory tour article, and a lot of Dave’s insights in ours!) and of course a lot of hangovers.

I hope that there are still a few shared hangovers ahead of us, because the chances of Dave and his team leaving the photo industry entirely seem extremely thin (it’s kind of like the mafia, in that respect). And on that note, we’ve been in communication with Dave about I.R.’s pending closure for some time, and I’m hopeful that we can play a part in continuing its legacy going forward into the future.

For now, I hope you’ll join me, and everyone at DPReview in wishing Dave and his team well, and we invite you to leave thoughts, best wishes and memories in the comments.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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