RSS
 

Posts Tagged ‘Processor’

Open source Raw processor Darktable gets substantial 3.2 update

13 Aug

Version 3.2.1 (3.2.0 was skipped from public release due to last minute bug fixes) of darktable, an open source raw photo developer available for many operating systems, is now available. This marks a major departure from the software’s typical annual release schedule. darktable’s team states, ‘The unfortunate state of global health has led to a marked increase in contributions and improvements. On top of that, version, 3.4 is still scheduled for Christmas 2020. 2020 will therefore be the first year in which the darktable team will have the pleasure to offer you two major versions.’ darktable version 3.0 was released around Christmas 2019.

There are numerous new features and upgrades in darktable 3.2.1. As soon as you launch the software, you will be met with a refined user interface, including a major overhaul to the lighttable, which is the software’s library and photo browser. There are a variety of new overlay modes on thumbnails, including quick access to organizational tools such as ratings, labels and more.

Digital asset management has been improved in the latest release. The metadata editor has been improved with a pair of additional fields: notes and version name. Further, users can expect improved tag management, seven new collection filters and additional image information in the information module.

darktable version 3.2 includes the new negadoctor module, designed to allow photographers to capture digital images of their film negatives and process them with many useful controls and settings. Image credit: darktable

For photographers who want to work with scanned film negatives, the old film negative invert module had a problem, it only worked on non-demosaiced image data. This means that it did not work with negatives scanned using a digital camera. Version 3.2.1 of darktable includes a new module, negadoctor, which is based on the Kodak Cineon sensitometry system developed in the 1990s. There is a lot to discuss when it comes to negadoctor, so if you are interested in using your digital camera to scan negatives, I recommend heading to darktable’s article about version 3.2.1 to read more about how the new module operators and what settings you will have access to when working on scanned image files.

With darktable 2.6, the team introduced filmic to improve color in scenes with wide dynamic range. The filmic module saw major improvements in version 3.0 and has been further improved with darktable 3.2.1. New color science has been implement for improved handling of highlights during editing.

The lighttable in darktable 3.2 includes improved performance, new visual options and a refined user interface. Image credit: darktable

In terms of image editing, the histogram in darktable incorporates a pair of major new features. First, you can now adjust the histogram height size. Secondly, there’s a new RGB parade mode. This displays waveforms that represent the levels of each of the red, green and blue layers. With this mode, you can better visualize the distribution of color components in your image. Although not visible, the histogram has been rewritten for better performance.

With respect to performance, Rico Richardson on YouTube has published a new hands-on video detailing the improvements in darktable 3.2.1 and he remarks that the software is quicker and smoother overall. You can see that video below. If you are interested in using the free, open source darktable software for your photo editing, I highly recommend visiting his channel for many tutorial videos.

There are a lot of new features in darktable 3.2.1. If you’d like to download the latest version or even try darktable for the first time, visit the installation page. Additional information about the darktable 3.2.1 release can be found on Github. User manuals, downloadable styles, a book on using darktable to process your photos and many tutorials can be found here.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Open source Raw processor Darktable gets substantial 3.2 update

Posted in Uncategorized

 

The Canon 1D X Mark III Is Officially Announced, With 20 FPS and a New Processor

13 Jan

The post The Canon 1D X Mark III Is Officially Announced, With 20 FPS and a New Processor appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

 

dps-canon-1dx-mark-iii-announced

Well, it’s finally here:

The Canon 1D X Mark III – the camera that wildlife and sports photographers have been waiting for, and that will rival the upcoming Nikon D6 just in time for the Summer Olympics.

The Canon 1D X line is far out of the price range of most photographers. Yet it still inspires constant discussion. Probably because it shows the peak of 35mm photography and, most importantly, what Canon can do when it really lets loose.

So what does this action photography powerhouse include?

As expected, the Canon 1D X Mark III will feature a new full-frame Canon sensor, though the 20.1 megapixels of resolution is almost identical to that of the 20.2 megapixel Canon 1D X Mark II. This is hopefully a sign that Canon has made great strides in low light performance (and Canon’s website claims that the 1D X Mark II offers “even better high-ISO image quality that the previous version”).

The Canon 1D X Mark II was a top-of-the-line low light performer, which means that the Canon 1D X Mark III has a lot to live up to; if Canon has actually managed to improve low light performance, the 1D X Mark III’s high-ISO capabilities will be truly impressive.

The Canon 1D X Mark III Is Officially Announced, With 20 FPS and a New Processor

Also new in the 1D X Mark III is the processor, Canon’s DIGIC X. With the DIGIC X, you’ll be able to shoot at 16 frames per second using the optical viewfinder and 20 frames per second in Live View. Of course, these speeds are useless without a capable AF system, but Canon promises great strides in that area, too. The 1D X Mark III will feature a 191-point AF system that can “follow subjects across the…AF array like no EOS DSLR before it.” This should certainly please sports photographers, and wildlife photographers, too.

Live View autofocus is an area where Canon has repeatedly managed to stand out, and it looks like the 1D X Mark III should continue this trend. The camera body includes Canon’s famed Dual Pixel AF, with Eye Detect AF and 525 AF zones.

Also included in the Canon 1D X Mark III are dual CFexpress card slots, a 1000 RAW image buffer, a 2850-photo battery life, and impressive video capabilities (UHD 4k video at 60p).

So if you’re a professional sports or wildlife photographer looking for the next flagship camera, or you’re really looking to take your action photography to the next level and you have a limitless budget, then take a look at the Canon 1D X Mark III. The camera will drop in February for $ 6499 USD, and is currently available for preorder.

The post The Canon 1D X Mark III Is Officially Announced, With 20 FPS and a New Processor appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.


Digital Photography School

 
Comments Off on The Canon 1D X Mark III Is Officially Announced, With 20 FPS and a New Processor

Posted in Photography

 

Huawei Kirin 990 mobile chipset launches with improved image signal processor

10 Sep

Last week Samsung announced its new top end mobile chipset Exynos 980 with a range of new imaging capabilities. Now it’s rival Huawei’s turn. At its press conference at the IFA trade show in Berlin the Chinese company revealed its new system-on-a-chip (SoC) that will likely power upcoming high-end Huawei devices, including the Mate 30 Pro which is expected to launch on September 19th.

Like for the the Exynos, one of the Huawei’s Kirin 990 chipset’s new stand-out features is the integration of 5G modem. Huawei says the Kirin 990 will provide peak download speeds of 2.3 Gbit/s and upload of 1.25 Gbit/s.

Of course there’s also an integrated Neural Processing Unit (NPU) that will be tasked will all sorts of AI-applications and Huawei says the new chipset will be more energy-efficient and deliver more power for mobile gaming aficionados.

Mobile photographers will be more interested in the new Image Signal Processor ISO 5.0, though. The company says it’s 15 percent more powerful than its predecessor for faster image and video processing, and also comes with ‘professional-level’ hardware noise reduction. In addition, real-time video post-processing and rendering is based on AI segmentation and is capable of adjusting color parameters frame by frame for optimized video color.

We should find out in just over a week how the new chipset performs in an actual device.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Huawei Kirin 990 mobile chipset launches with improved image signal processor

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Wacom’s new $3,499 tablet features a 15.6″ 4K display, i7 Quad-Core processor

08 Sep

Graphics tablet manufacturer Wacom has announced the MobileStudio Pro 16, its latest pro-level graphics tablet.

The 15.6” tablet is powered by a dedicated 2.7 GHz Intel Core i7-8559U Quad-Core processor and Nvidia Quadra P1000 4GB GDDR5 GPU. It comes with a 512GB SSD and has 16GB of RAM. Together, these power a 3840 x 2160 UHD IPS display with 85% Adobe RGB gamut coverage that can run Windows 10 as a standalone device and works with Windows and macOS computers when attached.

The etched glass surface is designed to provide resistance similar to writing on a paper when used with the included Wacom Pro Pen 2, which is four times more sensitive with 8192 levels of pressure.

The MobileStudio Pro 16 features three Thunderbolt 3 ports but also includes Wi-Fi (802.11ac) and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity if you want to keep wires to a minimum. Wacom has also included two cameras: a 5-megapixel front-facing camera and an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, as well as a combo audio jack.

Other features include application-specific ExpressKeys, Radial Menus, a fingerprint sensor, multi-touch support and a stand so the tablet can be angled for more comfortable viewing and drawing. Wacom’s even included a built-in SD card reader for quickly transferring media to your computer through the Thunderbolt 3 port. The 4630 mAh lithium-polymer battery is rated for 5.5 hours of operation.

The MobileStudio Pro 16 is currently available to pre-order from Adorama and B&H for $ 3,499.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Wacom’s new $3,499 tablet features a 15.6″ 4K display, i7 Quad-Core processor

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Qualcomm shows off 4K HDR video captured on a smartphone with its Snapdragon 855 processor

05 Jun

To show off the incredible image capabilities of its latest smartphone chipset, Qualcomm has shared a 4K HDR video filmed on a prototype smartphone powered by its Snapdragon 855 Mobile Platform.

The video, which was filmed in Maui, Hawaii during Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Tech Summit in December 2019, was captured on a development platform—effectively a prototype smartphone—equipped with Sony’s 22.5-megapixel IMX318 image sensor at the heart of it. The footage was shot in the HDR 10 format with 10-bit color depth and in the Rec. 2020 color gamut. It’s worth noting the Snapdragon 855 is actually capable of both recording and playing back HDR 10+, which uses dynamic metadata instead of static metadata to provide more accurate rendering, so newer smartphones with even better image sensors could technically pull more impressive footage than what’s shown in the above video.

A screenshot from Qualcomm’s spec sheet that shows the photo and video capabilities of its 855 processor.

Qualcomm notes in its explainer blog post that the footage captured with compatible smartphones works with YouTube HDR, so it’s ready to share in its full dynamic range glory straight from compatible devices. Below are a few behind-the-scenes photos of the video shoot on Maui:

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_2686335075″,”galleryId”:”2686335075″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”isMobile”:false}) });

According to Qualcomm’s website there are 11 smartphones currently confirmed to be using the Snapdragon 855 chipset: the OnePlus 7 Pro 5G, OPPO Reno 5G, ZTE Axon 10 Pro 5G, Motorola Moto z3 with 5G Moto Mod, LG V50 ThinQ 5G, Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 5G, Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, Sony Xperia 1, LG G8 ThinQ, Xiaomi Mi 9 and Samsung Galaxy S10. However, not all of those are confirmed to support the 4K HDR video capabilities, as it’s up to the device manufacturer to make use of the Snapdragon 855’s video capabilities.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Qualcomm shows off 4K HDR video captured on a smartphone with its Snapdragon 855 processor

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Sony replaces RX100 V with RX100 VA, bringing RX100 VI processor and firmware

14 Jul
Look familiar? The RX100 VA is a subtle refresh of the RX100 V with a change of processor the only hardware difference.

Sony has quietly updated its RX100 V, bringing a couple of the goodies from the RX100 VI travel zoom. The updated RX100 VA gains a new processor and various firmware tweaks but misses out on the VI’s other hardware improvements.

The updated processor brings some performance benefits but it also means the VA gains the latest Sony menu system, which has been restructured, has clearer indicators of where you are in the menu and, most significantly, has a customizable ‘My Menu’ tab. This allows you to group the settings you regularly change, rather than having to remember which sub-section of which tab they’re buried in.

On top of this, the camera’s Eye AF and subject tracking performance should be improved. The refresh rate of the viewfinder is also said to be uprated. In addition, these are some of the differences we found:

  • Deeper buffer (233 files, up from 150)
  • Proxy movie mode (captures 720p footage alongside 4K capture)
  • ‘Zone’ AF area mode
  • Variable size spot metering, Entire Screen Average and Highlight Spot metering
  • Add ratings to images (with ability to customize which ratings are available)
  • Three Auto WB options (Std, Ambience or White)

However, the RX100M5A does not get the improved one-touch viewfinder, nor the touchscreen added in the RX100M6. Its rear screen tilts down by 45°, not 90. Nor does the VA gain all the firmware improvements from the VI: there’s no sign of Hybrid Log Gamma or the ability to capture S-Log3 footage, for instance.

The RX100 VA also loses compatibility with Sony’s in-camera ‘PlayMemories Camera Apps.’

The updated Sony menus are a little easier to navigate and gain a custom ‘My Menu’ tab.

There’s been no press release from Sony of the changes but the VA appeared on Sony’s Japanese site last week and has replaced the RX100 V if you visit the Sony US website. This is the first time Sony has made any update to an RX100 model, rather than simply replacing it, perhaps offering hope that the company will continue to develop both the long-zoom and short, bright-zoom models in the lineup.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Sony replaces RX100 V with RX100 VA, bringing RX100 VI processor and firmware

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Surprise! Google hid a custom-built image processor inside the Pixel 2

18 Oct

Google’s Pixel 2 launch event on October 4th put a lot of emphasis on the new smartphone’s camera capabilities. However, the presenters at the event left out one very interesting detail: Google Visual Core.

Visual Core is a custom-built system-on-a-chip (SOC) designed to power and accelerate the Pixel 2 phones’ much-lauded HDR+ function that achieves better dynamic range and reduced noise levels through computational imaging. The new Pixel 2 phones already come with the chip built in, but it has not been activated yet. It appears Google ran out of time before the Pixel 2 launch to fully optimize Visual Core implementation in the device.

The good news is it will be activated at some point “over the coming months”, which should make HDR+ processing on the new devices even quicker and smoother than it already is (and it’s already far faster than on the original Pixels). According to Google, it will then be 5x faster and use less than 1/10th of the the energy,” a real advantage over the current general purpose processing. In the future the chip could also take over additional image processing tasks.

The company will also enable Pixel Visual Core as a developer option in its Oreo 8.1 preview, allowing access to HDR+ for the developers of third-party camera apps. All of this is currently limited to Google’s Pixel 2 devices, but there’s hope other manufacturer will pick up the Visual Core technology and associated software in the future.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Surprise! Google hid a custom-built image processor inside the Pixel 2

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Exynos 8895 processor supports 4K video at 120 fps and 28MP cameras

02 Mar

Samsung has announced its latest application processor for mobile devices, the Exynos 9 Series 8895. The new chip is an octa-core processor and Samsung’s first to use the 10-nanometer FinFET process, allowing for up to 27% higher performance while reducing power consumption by 40%, compared to 14nm technology.

It also offers impressive imaging, video and machine vision features. The Exynos 8895 supports recording and playback of 4K video content at 120 frames per second with the latest video codecs, including HEVC(H.265), H.264 and VP9. The integrated Image Signal Processor (ISP) also supports 28MP still image resolution on rear and front cameras, Smart Wide Dynamic Range and PDAF. A dual-ISP design, one for high quality and one for low power consumption, allows for a variety of dual-camera setups while keeping power consumption at bay. 

In addition the chip features a VPU (Vision Processing Unit) which is designed for machine vision technology. The unit is capable of recognizing an item and its movements by analyzing visual information and enables features such as corner detection which is used for motion detection, image registration, video tracking and object recognition. The Exynos 9 Series 8895 is in mass production now and we should expect to see it implemented in high-end Samsung mobile devices any time soon.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Exynos 8895 processor supports 4K video at 120 fps and 28MP cameras

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Processor maker ARM acquires Apical

20 May

Processor maker ARM has acquired the UK-based imaging technology company Apical for a cash consideration of $ 350 million. The Apical name might not be too well known among consumers, but the company’s technology can be found in a very large range of digital cameras and smartphones.  

The company’s products include Assertive Display which makes screens adapt to changes in lighting, and Assertive Camera, a range of image signal processors (ISPs) and software modules that manage HDR capture, noise reduction and color management among other tasks. Apical is also one of the UK’s fastest growing technology companies and currently employs approximately 100 staff, most of them at its research and development center in Loughborough. 

According to the press release, with the acquisition ARM is hoping to get into new markets where computer vision technology is in demand, including connected vehicles, robotics, smart cities, security systems, industrial/retail and the ‘Internet of Things’ devices. That said, Apical also complements ARM’s offerings in the smartphone and digital camera sectors. 

“Computer vision is in the early stages of development and the world of devices powered by this exciting technology can only grow from here,” said Simon Segars, CEO, ARM. “Apical is at the forefront of embedded computer vision technology, building on its leadership in imaging products that already enable intelligent devices to deliver amazing new user experiences. The ARM partnership is solving the technical challenges of next generation products such as driverless cars and sophisticated security systems. These solutions rely on the creation of dedicated image computing solutions and Apical’s technologies will play a crucial role in their delivery.”

Apical’s dynamic range compression algorithm, ‘Iridix’ was used by a range of camera makers, including Nikon, Olympus and Sony as they developed their in-camera dynamic range options Active D-Lighting, Shadow Adjustment Technology and Dynamic Range Optimizer.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Processor maker ARM acquires Apical

Posted in Uncategorized

 

ON1 Photo RAW, a new non-destructive Raw processor, launches this fall

29 Apr

ON1, an Oregon-based photography software developer, has announced a combination non-destructive photo editor and Raw processor: ON1 Photo RAW. The application has been built from the ground up to work with modern computers and high-resolution camera systems. The software can open 50MP images ‘in a fraction of a second on a standard PC or Mac’ according to its maker and performs edits without lag.

ON1 has been developing Photo RAW for the past several years, doing so around its ON1 Browse photo browser to eliminate the need for cataloging and importing photos. Along with lag-free processing, it offers features like tagging, rating, adjustments and photo effects. The photo editor includes integrated masking tools, layers, and brushes; effects and adjustments are applied in a non-destructive manner, says ON1. 

Several usage options are available with ON1 — it can be used as a plugin for Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, Corel, as a host app for Google Nik Collection, and as an extension for Apple Photos. ON1 says Photo RAW will support PSD, PSB, PND, DNG, TIF, and JPEG file formats.

ON1 Photo RAW is available to pre-order now for ON1 Plus Pro Members; a membership costs $ 149.99/year, and provides a perpetual license for ON1 applications. Members will receive ON1 Photo RAW first when it launches this fall. A non-membership ON1 Photo RAW purchase option will also be available.

Source: ON1

Press release:

Announcing the First New RAW Processor in Years, ON1 Photo RAW

The Future of RAW Photo Editing – Coming this fall – Includes support for over 800 cameras

Portland, OR – April 26, 2016 – ON1, Inc. today announced ON1 Photo RAW, the first all-new RAW processor and non-destructive photo editor to be released in more than a decade. With modern code optimized for today’s super-megapixel cameras and high-performance computer graphics systems, Photo RAW will be the world’s fastest, most flexible, and easiest-to-use RAW processor and photo editor on the market when it is released this fall.

The current class of RAW-based photo editors all have their heritage from the early days of digital photography, when most digital cameras had less than 10 megapixels, and computer processing power was a fraction of that found in modern PCs. When used with today’s popular 42- and 50-megapixel cameras, existing programs can often take seconds to render small portions of a RAW image and perform adjustments. Several years in the making, Photo RAW, with its modern RAW processing engine, is tuned for today’s sensors and graphics chips. It will open 50-megapixel images in a fraction of a second on a standard PC or Mac, and perform edits in real-time, without slider lag or frustrating waits for redraw.

Developed over the last several years, ON1 Photo RAW is built around ON1 Browse, the company’s lightning-fast photo browser, and will not require photographers to import and catalog their photos; an often painful and time-consuming process required before editing can begin. ON1 Browse is an integral part of Photo RAW, offering quick and easy ways to tag, rate, make color and tone adjustments, or add effects to their photos. Without catalogs, professionals will be able to make adjustments to photos and fellow colleagues can access and edit where they left off. This combination of a fast photo browser with instantaneous RAW processing will deliver a fluid, streamlined workflow to process any amount of photos all at once. Select one or 101 photos, make a few develop adjustments and all of the photos update automatically in real time.

ON1 Photo RAW’s instruction-based, non-destructive workflow will also surpass today’s RAW processors in other key ways. In addition to customary re-editable adjustments such as exposure, contrast, color, shadows and highlights, Photo RAW will also offer non-destructive effects and portrait retouching, something not present in any photo editor on the market. The complex filters found in ON1 Effects and ON1 Portrait—including Lens Blur, Skin Retouching, Dynamic Contrast, HDR Look and many more—are all available in Photo RAW’s non-destructive workflow. The controls found throughout ON1 Photo RAW will also respond in real-time by leveraging modern video cards, using the latest versions of OpenGL and OpenCL.

ON1 Photo RAW will include built-in layers, brushes, and advanced masking tools, making it a full RAW processor and complete photo editor in a single app. And, unlike any other photo app, Photo RAW will work the way you want, and where you want. For photographers with established workflows, Photo RAW will work seamlessly as a plug-in for Adobe Lightroom®, Photoshop®, and Corel®; a standalone host app for Google® Nik Collection and other photo editors; or as an extension to Apple® Photos. Common file formats—including JPEG, TIF, PSD, PSB, PND, and DNG—will be supported and will benefit from the speed and performance of the app.

Price and Availability

ON1 Photo RAW will be available this fall. You can pre-order ON1 Photo RAW today by becoming an ON1 Plus Pro Member at $ 149.99/yr. Plus Pro members receive a perpetual license for all ON1 apps (not a subscription) and will be the first to receive the app once it becomes available. If you want to purchase ON1 Photo RAW without becoming an ON1 Plus Pro Member, you can submit your email address on the ON1 Photo RAW web page to get the latest news, videos, beta, and pre-order announcements.

Owners of previous versions of ON1 Photo will have the option to upgrade to ON1 Photo RAW. The upgrade price will be determined at a later date. There will be special pricing for Photo 10 purchasers. Customers will be notified over the course of the next several months providing their upgrade information.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on ON1 Photo RAW, a new non-destructive Raw processor, launches this fall

Posted in Uncategorized

 
« Older Entries