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Posts Tagged ‘module’

Xiaomi’s new 11T Pro offers 120W charging, 108MP camera module and more

15 Sep

Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi has announced the 11T and 11T Pro, the first two devices in a new lineup from the company that sits just below its Mi 11 and Mi 11 Pro devices in both price and features.

Xiaomi 11T Pro

The new Xiaomi 11T Pro is powered by a Snapdragon 888 5G chipset, compared to the 888+ used in the Mi 11 Pro. The front features 6.67” flat 120Hz AMOLED display (1080 x 2400 pixels) that’s capable of 1,000 nits peak brightness and can display HDR10+ content. The device runs on MIUI 12.5, which is based on Android 11.

On the rear of the camera is a triple camera array, headlined by a 1/1.52″ 108MP sensor (0.7µm, 9–1 pixel binning) that’s likely Samsung’s ISOCELL HM2, based on the specifications. In front of that sensor is a 26mm (equiv) F1.8 lens. The other two cameras onboard are an 8MP ultrawide module with a 120-degree field of view and a 5MP telephoto/macro lens with a 50mm (equiv.) focal length. None of the cameras have optical image stabilization, unfortunately, which the more expensive Mi 11 lineup features.

Video capabilities include 8K30p recording as well as 4K60p and 1080p recording at up to 960 fps. HDR10+ recording is possible and a gyro-based electronic image stabilization (EIS) should keep footage at least somewhat stable at 4K resolution and below (no EIS on 8K recording). The ‘punch hole’ selfie camera on the front of the device uses a 16MP 1/3.06″ sensor with 1.0µm pixels. In addition to 16MP stills, it also offers 1080p recording at 30fps.

In addition to 5G connectivity, the device features Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6), Bluetooth 5.2, GPS and NFC support. A single USB-C port on the bottom of the device supports 120W charging, which can power the device’s 5000mAh Li-Po battery to 72% in 10 minutes and 100% in 17 minutes, according to Oppo. A side-mounted fingerprint sensor can be used to unlock the device in addition to the usual passcode locks.

The Xiaomi 11T Pro is expected to ship later this month in black, blue and white colorways and start at €650 (~$ 770) for the 128GB/8GB RAM model while the 256GB/12GB RAM model retails for €750 (885).

Xiaomi 11T

The Xiaomi 11T is practically identical to the more powerful 11T Pro, with the only noticeable specification difference being the chipset inside. Instead of the Snapdragon 888 5G used in the 11T Pro, the 11T uses a custom Dimensity 1200-Ultra chipset. This less powerful chipset means you won’t be getting 8K video capabilities with the 11T, as it tops out with 4K60p recording. All other camera-related specifications remain the same.

The only other difference we noted is that the fast charging on the 11T is limited to 67W instead of 120W, which means you’ll be able to get to 100% battery in 36 minutes instead of the 17 minutes on the 11T Pro. It’s worth noting though that fast charging will wear down the battery’s life span faster, so the slower charging speeds might actually be more beneficial in the end.

The Xiaomi 11T Pro is available in black, blue and white colorways and starts at €650 (~$ 770) for the 128GB/8GB RAM model while the 256GB/12GB RAM model retails for €750 (885). The 11T will start at €500 (~$ 590) for the 128GB/8GB RAM model. Both models are expected to ship to much of Europe by the end of the month and are avialable to purchase through authorized Ziaomi retailers, including AliExpress, Amazon, Goboo and Mi.com.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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The RUHAcam is a ‘retro-style’ digital camera made with the Raspberry Pi HQ Camera module

03 May

When Raspberry Pi announced its 12.3MP High Quality Camera module in April 2020, it opened up a whole new world of photo-centric DIY projects. One such project that’s come as a result of its release is the RUHAcam, a ‘retro-style’ digital camera made from scratch by Ping-Hsun ‘penk’ Chen and Ruha Cheng.

The RUHAcam is built around a Raspberry Pi Zero W connected to a Raspberry Pi High Quality Camera module, which accepts C and CS mount lenses. Other features include a built-in 2,000mAg Li-Pi battery, a 2.2” TFT display that serves as the viewfinder and a 3D-printed case clearly inspired by SLR cameras from the past. The camera is still a work in progress, but is fully functional and captures rather impressive images when used with the 16mm lens ‘penk’ and Cheng attached to it for the following sample photos:

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In addition to sharing detailed instructions on how to make your own RUHAcam at home, ‘penk’ and Cheng published the 3D design components and software required to run the camera for free under MIT license. This means you’re free to build an exact replica of the RUHAcam or use it as a base to make your own DIY digital camera.

In speaking with DPReview, ‘penk’ said the duo ‘plan to improve more on the software side, to add controls to the UI using Pi’s libcamera stack, and to leverage Raspberry Pi more as a server to easily share captured images with smartphones.’ You can find all of the instructions and materials needed to make your own on the RUHAcam GitHub Page.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Oppo shows off its next-generation optical zoom camera module with 85-135mm equivalent focal length

20 Aug

Oppo has announced (translated) it’s latest camera technology, a next-generation periscope zoom camera that features improved optics, a new sensor and updated image processing algorithms.

The new camera module features an 85mm to 135mm full-frame-equivalent focal length with an aperture range of F3.3 through F4.4. To achieve this, the module uses seven elements in three groups with the two rear-most groups being the ones that move for zooming and focusing.

In addition to new optics, the camera module uses a new 32MP quad-bayer-like sensor. Both the movement of the lenses and image processing will be powered by the custom-designed 16-bit image processing chip inside the module.

Sample images from the new camera module captured with the wide angle (left), equivalent 85mm focal length (center) and equivalent 135mm focal length (right).

If we’re to assume this would be used in a smartphone with a 26mm main camera — such as the Oppo Reno 10x zoom — this new camera would offer a 3.3x to 5.2x optical zoom and presumably feature the same ‘hybrid zoom’ up to 10.4x. Even though the multiplication factor is roughly the same as that found on the Reno 10x zoom, Oppo says its new hybrid zoom technology improves image quality, as can be seen in these example images (older ‘hybrid zoom’ images on the left, new technology on the right):

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_7108124081″,”galleryId”:”7108124081″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”isMobile”:false}) });

There’s no mention of when we could see this new camera tech, nor what phone it might be in, but as noted by GSM Arena, details of a forthcoming Oppo phone believed to be the Reno 10x zoom successor were revealed last month.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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O-Film demonstrates smartphone camera module with 85-170mm equivalent optical zoom

17 Jun

The zoom performance of smartphone cameras has improved dramatically in the last couple of years or but still lags behind conventional cameras, despite dedicated tele lenses pretty much being the norm on high-end smartphones these days. It’s fair to say that overall, zooming on a smartphone camera is at this point still a bit of a compromise, but that could soon change, though.

Chinese camera module supplier O-Film has demonstrated a periscope-style smartphone lens that provides an optical zoom range of 85-170mm (35mm equivalent). This, in theory, should provide a more consistent image quality across the zoom range than current models.

Most tele cameras inside flagship smartphones provide magnification factors between 3x and 10x compared to the primary camera, but speaking about ‘zoom’ factors in this context is slightly misleading. In most instances, the tele camera use lenses with a fixed focal length and computational methods are used to deliver the stated zoom ratios.

At intermediate zoom settings between primary and tele cameras most models use digital zoom/cropping and other computational imaging methods that combine image data from both cameras to create an output image. This Samsung system illustrated in the video below is a good example:

In practice, this means that if you want the best possible image quality you will have to shoot at the native focal lengths of either the primary or tele camera. At intermediate settings your images will, at least under close inspection, almost certainly show a loss of detail and/or a range of fusion artifacts. For example, on some models the level of detail at the center of the frame is high because this portion of the image is captured with the tele camera. Often a lack of detail is visible towards the edges, though, as these areas of the frame are ‘filled’ with digitally zoomed image data from the primary camera.

O-Film’s solution should avoid these kind of image quality inconsistencies by providing optical zoom across the entire range of focal length from 85-170mm (35mm equivalent). The module’s aperture ranges from f/3.1 at the wide end to f/5.1 at the maximum tele setting, which is pretty much in line with the apertures on most fixed-focal-length tele cameras. At only 5.9mm the module is also impressively thin which means it should fit into the sleek form factors of most current flagship devices.

The zoom range of the O-Film module is roughly equivalent to a 3-7x zoom factor but the company claims it can also provide 3-5x, 5-8x and 3.5-9.5x variants.

Like other periscope style lenses with a fixed focal length, such as the one found in Oppo’s 5x camera module, the O-Film module uses an optically-stabilized prism to divert incoming light onto the image sensor. What’s different in O-Line’s module is a piezoelectric motor that drives a module with three lens groups to adapt the focal length. The autofocus mechanism moves with the lens elements.

If the new system works as advertised in the near future image quality on smartphones could be much more consistent across the zoom range than it is now, offering greater flexibility to mobile photographers. Unfortunately, there is no word yet on when we might see the zoom in a production smartphone.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Raspberry Pi launches 12.3MP interchangeable lens camera module for its Pi computers

30 Apr

What if I told you that for just $ 50, you could have yourself a fully-customizable interchangeable lens camera capable of shooting 12.3MP stills and capturing 4K/30p video? You’d probably tell me to kick dirt, but the truth is that’s now a possibility thanks to Raspberry Pi’s new ILC camera module and accompanying lenses, which start at just $ 25.

‘There has always been a big overlap between Raspberry Pi hackers and camera hackers,’ reads the Raspberry Pi blog post announcing the setup. ‘Even back in 2012, people (okay, substantially Dave Hunt) were finding interesting ways to squeeze more functionality out of DSLR cameras using their Raspberry Pi computers.’

The full kit currently available from Raspberry Pi.

Since 2013, Raspberry Pi has released a few different camera modules: the original 5MP camera board based around the OmniVision OV5647 sensor, a Pi NoIR board for infrared photography and a follow-up camera board that used the Sony IMX219 8MP sensor (this unit replaced Raspberry Pi’s 5MP camera board, which has the distinction of being just two other products the company has ever officially discontinued).

Despite selling more than 1.7 million units of the 8MP camera boards to date, the Raspberry Pi team wasn’t content with the limitations put in place by fixed-focus camera modules with small sensors and poor performance. Enter the new Raspberry Pi High Quality Camera.

This new module is build around the Type 1/2.3” (7.9mm diagonal) Sony IMX477 backside-illuminated CMOS sensor that features 1.55?m pixels (double that of the IMX219 found in the 8MP camera board). In front of the sensor is a C and CS lens mount with adjustable back-focus, a mount most commonly used on 8mm, 16mm cameras, closed-circuit security cameras and other industrial-focused systems. It even features a built-in 1/4”-20 tripod mount for supporting the system.

While any off-the-shelf C- and CS-mount lenses will work with the new sensor, Raspberry Pi has announced it will be working with its official retail partners to carry a pair of lenses: a 6mm CS-mount lens and a 16mm C-mount lens for $ 25 and $ 50, respectively. There’s always the option of 3D printing and purchasing third-party adapters to create wild combinations, such as this monster, shown below, built around the Canon 70–200mm F2.8 IS II lens.

The possibilities are nearly endless.

The High Quality Camera is compatible with ‘almost all’ Raspberry Pi models, starting with the original Raspberry Pi 1. The only exception are a number of early Raspberry Pi Zero boards that lack the connector. Raspberry Pi has compiled accompanying support documentation on the product page, including a ‘Getting Started’ guide. There’s also ‘The Official Raspberry Pi Camera Guide’ that’s available to download for free as a PDF or buy in physical form on the Raspberry Pi Press Store for £10.

The Raspberry Pi High Quality Camera, which will remain in production until at least January 2027 per Raspberry Pi’s obsolescence statement, is available starting today for $ 50 on the Raspberry Pi website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Oppo patent shows camera module that pops out of the side of a smartphone

04 Jan

Smartphone manufacturers have come up with a variety of solutions to maximize the screen surface to size ration on smartphones, including hole-punch front cameras, camera notches and pop-up mechanisms of various kinds.

In a patent filing found in the CNIPA (China National Intellectual Property Administration) database Oppo is now adding a new variant: the sideways pop-out front camera.

In the reference images, we can see a motorized camera module placed on the right-hand side of the phone on roughly the same height as the rear camera. The power button is located on the same side of the phone while volume rockers and SIM-tray can be found on the left. The speaker and USB-C connectors are at the bottom.

As usual, there is no way of knowing if this idea ever makes it into an actual production device but it’s good to see manufacturers are looking into new ways of optimizing space in the thin bodies of modern smartphones.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Samsung announces first 100+ layer V-NAND memory module

07 Aug

Fast storage solutions are essential for efficient digital photo and video workflows and Samsung Technology has announced the start of production of new V-NAND modules with more than 100 layers, which is an industry first and should give a boost to any editing workstation. According to the South Korean company, the 256GB 3-bit V-NAND will be used to make SSD drives for PCs and has already been delivered to a number global OEMs.

The new generation adds around 40 percent more cells to the previous 9-layer single-stack structure. Samsung achieves this by building an electrically conductive mold stack with 136 layers. The company claims this results in the industry’s fastest data transfer rate, citing writing speed of 450 microseconds (?) and a reading response time of 45?. Compared to the previous design performance has been increased by 10 percent and power consumption decreased by 15%.

The company claims this results in the industry’s fastest data transfer rate, citing writing speed of 450 microseconds (?) and a reading response time of 45?.

Samsung says that thanks to the new and faster design, it will be able to offer V-NAND solutions with more than 300 layers by combining three of the new stacks, without any negative impact on performance or reliability.

In addition to the performance increases, the engineers have been able to reduce production steps and reduce chip sizes, increasing production rates by 20 percent.

With the 250GB SATA PC SSD already released, the company is planning to increase production in second half of the year to meet growing global demand and produce SSDs and eUFSs using 512Gb 3-bit V-NAND in a variety of specifications. Samsung is also hoping to deploy the new chips for mobile and automobile applications in the future.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Video: The Asus ZenFone 6 flip-camera module is more durable than you might think

21 Jun

The Asus ZenFone 6 comes with a rotating camera module that does away with the display notch and means there is no requirement for a front camera, as the main module can simply be rotated to point towards the front when required.

Asus says the camera module housing is extremely durable and the flip mechanism has been tested for 100,000 actuations. It also closes automatically when a drop is detected.

If this still isn’t enough to convince you that there’s no need to worry about the camera module’s durability, watch the video above. Zack from Youtube channel JerryRigEverything demonstrates how much abuse the ZenFone 6, and specifically its camera, can take…and it’s a lot.

Be warned though, the video does not make for easy watching. Zack pushes and pulls the rotating module, twists the hinges and even sellotapes various items to it in order to see how much weight the motor can lift.

The good news is that the Asus withstands all the abuse without any issues and motor, gears and the entire flip-mechanism keep working perfectly. In the video, you can also see the display and housing scratched and heated but most of the camera torture happens right at the beginning and from 5:17 in the clip.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Atomos’ new Neon monitors/recorders will have 8K/60p ProRes RAW module option

06 Jun

Atomos has announced Neon, a new lineup of on-set and in-studio 4K HDR monitors/recorders designed for commercial high-resolution HDR capture. At launch, the four monitors in the lineup will be capable of recording 4K video, but a subsequent 8K master control unit will eventually give each of the monitors the ability to record 8K/60p video.

The Neon lineup consists of four different unit sizes: 17″, 24″, 31″ and 55″ with the following resolutions and pixel densities:

• 17″ — Full HD (2048px x 1080px, 142ppi)
• 24″ — 4K DCI (4096px x 2160px, 193ppi)
• 31″ — 4K DCI (4096px x 2160px, 147ppi)
• 55″ — 4K UHD (3840px x 2160px, 84ppi)

According to Atomos’ press release, each of the units were designed to serve a specific role in the monitoring and recording of footage:

‘[The] 17in is for focus pullers and as an on-set buddy reference monitor for laptops. The 24in and 31in is perfect for the video village, DIT, cinematographer, editor, director and a reference monitor for an iMac or Mac Pro. The 55in is a must have for clients, showrooms and color graders.’

An illustration from Atomos’ website showing how the different units could be used in a production environment to monitor and record video.

Unlike previous Atomos units, the Neon lineup drops the touchscreen in favor of remote control via Atomos iOS app. The app will be able to control up to 1,000+ units at once via Bluetooth (each of the Neon units will communicate using sub-gigahertz RF with a range of 200m/656ft) and will provide real-time tools like focus peaking, exposure, calibration, zoom, waveform monitor, LUT selection and more from a single device. It will also enable the Neon units to be perfectly synced up with the recorded footage for matching timecode.

With the default 4K master control unit, the monitors support up to DCI 4K input and display the image with 10-bit DCI-P3 color, 1000 cd/m² brightness and a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. When recording the units can capture ProRes, ProRes RAW, Avid DNx and Cinema DNG formats up to 4K/60p using 2.5″ HDD or SSD media with Master Caddy II or AtomX SSDmini adapters, neither of which are included.

The Neon units feature HDMI 2.0b in/out connections, two mic/line input, one 3.5mm headphone output and come with Atomos’ SDI Expansion Module that offers 12G-SDI in/out.

The displays are constructed of an aluminum alloy frame with a polycarbonate back plate, while the 17″, 24″ and 31″ Neons will come with their own crush-proof and water-tight travel case. Mounting points on the unit include VESA mounts, feet for placing on the ground or desk and ARRI-standard edge mounting points.

To ensure the units are future-proof, Atomos has also announced an 8K Master Control Unit that will allow for recording and monitoring of 8K/60p video with support for both ProRes and ProRes RAW straight out of camera, a world first by our records. Additional details are scarce, but Atomos says the 8K Master Control Units are ‘due to hit the market in 2019.’

The Neon17 and Neon24 units are expected to be available in August 2019 for $ 3,999 and $ 6,499, respectively. The Neon31 and Neon55 units are set to ship September 2018 for $ 7,999 and $ 16,999, respectively.

It’s safe to say these units aren’t for your run-and-gun shooters or even mid-level commercial work. These are full-fledged units designed for the most high-level operations and the most discerning eyes—and that doesn’t come cheap.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Samsung starts mass-production of 5x tele smartphone camera module

23 May
Image: etnews/Samsung

Huawei started the trend for longer zoom reach on smartphone cameras with the 5x periscope-style tele camera in the Huawei P30 Pro. OPPO followed soon after with a similar system in the OPPO Reno 10x.

It’s only a question of time before we’ll see 5x teles from the other major manufacturers and everything points towards Samsung being next in line. Samsung Electro-Mechanics (SEM) has kick-started mass production of a new camera module with 5x optical tele and if the rumors can be trusted we will see the new module in the upcoming Galaxy Note device generation.

Image: etnews/Samsung

According to a report by Korean publication etnews the camera module will have a very slim 5mm profile which eliminates the need for a ‘camera hump’ on the back of the device. Like in the Huawei solution, a refracting prism is used to channel incoming light onto the sensor. The module will be aligned vertically in the device.

Sample shots from the new system show off magnifications at standard, 2x and 5x settings but we’ll have to wait for the final product to see if the Samsung module’s image quality can compete with the Huawei and OPPO solutions.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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