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Posts Tagged ‘System’

Novoflex introduces electronic lens reversing system for Sony E-Mount

02 Nov

German accessories manufacturer Novoflex has launched a version of its Retro Reverse Adapters for the Sony E-mount system. The adapter allows users to reverse-mount lenses for macro shooting while maintaining full electronic control of the lens via the body controls.

The system works by using a pair of cable-connected rings that communicate information from the camera to the rear of the lens, even when it is mounted away from the body.

Reversing a lens is a quick way of achieving macro and close-up abilities, but Sony E-mount lenses need to be connected to the camera to operate at apertures other than the widest. This adapter, which has been available for Canon EOS users for some years, allows the lens to be mounted in reverse with no loss of control or EXIF information.

The adapter also allows a bellows unit to be fitted between the camera and any Sony E lens, reversed or not, for extra-high magnification work while still maintaining contact between lens and body.

The Novoflex NEX-RETRO will retail for $ 440/£309/€350. For more information, visit the Novoflex website.

Press Release

Sony Users Now GO RETRO with NOVOFLEX!

New NEX-RETRO from NOVOFLEX

Allows users with Sony E-Mount cameras (e.g. Sony Alpha 7/Alpha 9 series, Alpha 6000 series, etc.) to reverse mount their existing lenses to achieve closer focus. NEX-RETRO transfers all electronic functions such as aperture control, EXIF data and autofocus, from the reversed lens to the camera body as if it were mounted directly.

Look More Closely

With a 18-105 mm zoom lens in reverse position, you get an image ratio of 1:7 at 105 mm and 2.8:1 at 28 mm expanding the versatility of your zoom lens exponentially. The adapter itself has a 58mm filter thread. Stepping rings are available for other filter sizes.

The Common Thread

In addition to reversing the lens on the camera, NEX-RETRO allows the Sony E-Mount system user to incorporate NOVOFLEX bellows systems for even closer focus and greater magnification ratios.

Highlights

  • Bring to life the finest details: NEX-RETRO allows reverse mounting of Sony E-mount lenses for close focus macro applications.
  • No compromise in flexibility: NEX-RETRO retains complete electronic functionality between Sony E-mount lenses and bodies.
  • Precision engineering: NEX-RETRO is the perfect tool to make the perfect picture even better.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Irix announces 100mm filter system for wide angle lenses

21 Oct

Lens manufacturer Irix announced earlier today that it plans to release a filter holder and a collection of filters in 100x100mm and 100x150mm sizes—a system designed especially to fit its 15mm F2.4 lens. The holder accepts a special bayonet mount adapter to attach to the front of the 15mm lens, while a range of additional screw thread adapters will allow the holder to be used with other lenses.

The Irix Edge 100 system will consist of a dual slot holder that the company claims is the lightest in its class. The holder is made from ‘aluminium alloy’ and features a rotating joint to allow easy positioning of graduated filters and polarisers.

Irix says that the holder, called the IFH-100, has a profile that’s slim enough to avoid mechanical vignetting even when two filters are held in front of the 15mm lens, and that a layer of black velvet covering the forward surfaces prevents light leak during long exposures.

The filter system includes 2mm-thick filters in the 100x100mm and 100x150mm sizes—to begin with the company will launch mostly NDs, ND grads and a polarizer, but has plans to offer a filter that cuts the effect of pollution. The holder accepts filters from other systems as well, and the company plans to offer adapter rings for lenses with threads of between 67mm and 82mm. Irix already has a series of circular screw-in filters under the Edge brand.

Price and availability have yet to be announced. For more information visit the Irix website.

Press Release

Irix presents its Edge 100 filter system

The TH Swiss company would like to announce the expansion of its range of Irix accessories with the Edge 100 series filter system. Among new products, there will be a versatile holder – the IFH-100 – with dedicated adapters and a wide choice of 100x100mm and 100x150mm filters.

The Irix Edge IFH-100 filter holder

The Irix IFH-100 is a universal filter holder designed for size 100mm filters. Its lightweight compact construction and bayonet adapter are created especially for the Irix 15mm f/2.4 lens, allowing the use of two filters at the same time without any vignetting effect. The construction of the filter holder base on the removable adapters allows for quick and easily attachment to the lens, along with free rotation around the optical axis when using the graduated or polarizing filters.

The ability to use removable adapters with thread diameters from 67mm to 82mm means that the holder can be used with lenses produced by Irix in the future, along with other brands. Each adapter has an additional thread for attaching the cap to the lens.

The filter holder is made of an aluminium alloy, which guarantees the high strength and stiffness of its structure. This has enabled to get an extremely compact size while keeping wide functionality, along with an aesthetic design together with the whole Irix product line. It is worth mentioning that the IFH-100 is the lightest holder of its class. The front surface of the filter holder is covered with a light-absorbing velvet fabric that blocks access to the side light, what is especially important when using high density optical ND filters.

The Irix Edge 100 filters

With the introduction of the IFH-100 filter holder, the Edge 100 series filters will also be available in two formats. The first, size 100×150, will contain gradual filters with a soft and hard transition, and also a reversed gradual filter dedicated to taking pictures of sunrises and sunsets. These rectangular filters will be available in ND4, ND8 and ND16 versions. In the square format, Neutral Density filters with densities ND32, ND128, ND1000, ND1000K will be available for the 100x100mm, along with a polarizing filter. There are future plans by the manufacturer to introduce filters which reduce light pollution.

Edge 100 series filters have a thickness of 2mm and are made from high quality optical glass which is also used in the production of the optical elements in lenses. Filters are coated on both sides with an anti-reflective nano-coating to keep high contrast and natural colours in pictures. The additional water and oil repellent coating also ensures easy cleaning of the surface.

The premiere at Photo Plus Expo 2017

The Edge series will be available at the Irix booth (No.929) during the Photo Plus Expo in New York City on October 26-28, 2017.

The full range of new Irix Edge accessories, along with pricing and availability information, will be published in the near future.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Wiral LITE cable system lets you capture cinematic shots almost anywhere

20 Oct

A simple cable cam system called Wiral LITE has launched on Kickstarter, where the campaign has already blown away its funding goal, raising nearly a quarter-million dollars in just a few days’ time. The system is comprised of a motorized, remotely-controlled device that rolls across a cable fixed to two poles or similar structures. A camera can be attached to the bottom of Wiral LITE, which itself rolls across the cable while the camera records cinematic motion shots.

The cable cam system is being presented as an alternative to portable motorized slider devices, offering the ability to record motion shots over much larger distances than the average portable slider.

Wiral LITE features a standard camera mount on the bottom and can handle camera/lens weights up to 3.3lbs / 1.5kg. The system includes a ball joint, a GoPro mount, cable, quick reel for retracting the cable, a tightening strap, end stop clips, batteries, and a battery charger.

The cable system offers multiple modes, including a time lapse mode that moves with a minimum speed of 0.006MPH, but the device’s top speed is 28mph / 45kmh.

The team behind the device explains that the Wiral system takes 3 minutes to setup, which involves attaching both ends of the reel to a pair of objects, tightening the cable between the two, and then mounting the Wiral LITE onto the cable. In other words, setup is a breeze:

And once you’re set up, you can capture long-range panning shots like this with ease:

Wiral LITE is being sold to backers for a pledge of $ 200. Bundles are also available for those who want to pledge a bit more, such as an ‘Ultimate Kit’ for pledges of $ 250 or an ‘Extreme Kit’ for $ 1,700.

To learn more or put a pledge in yourself, head over to the Kickstarter page.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Video: DxOMark’s smartphone rating system explained

14 Oct

Marques Brownlee has one of the most popular photo and video-focused YouTube channels out there—boasting some 5.2 million subscribers—and his most recent video takes on a subject that many in the photo world argue about ad nauseam: DxOMark ratings. The video is currently the #7 trending video on all of YouTube, and it’s definitely worth a look, especially if you don’t fully understand how DxO comes up with its overall ratings, photo ratings, video ratings and beyond.

The first half of the video breaks down how DxOMark’s testing system actually works, and how scores in individual categories are compiled into an overall Photo and Video score, which is compiled into an overall score for the device. The second half of the video is where it gets really interesting, however.

Brownlee spends the last 6 minutes or so of the video tackling a few different subjects:

  1. How DxOMark’s role as a consulting firm leads to some speculation about how certain manufacturers might be tuning their devices so they’ll perform better on DxO’s testing system, and whether that always translates
  2. How the scores are NOT based on a maximum score of 100.
  3. How we really ought to expect every new smartphone or camera to be the “best” DxOMark has ever tested, because the tech ought to be getting better every year.
  4. And how the Tech Press at large isn’t very good about explaining DxO scores and often just throws out an overall score for clicks.

That last part is something we do our best to avoid here at DPReview—diving into individual scores and breaking down some of the more subjective assumptions, like we did with the Pixel 2—but something we’re certainly not immune to either.

In the end, Brownlee’s video helps to explain how DxOMark scores are arrived at, the questions you should ask when you look at those scores, and the kind of in-depth analysis you should demand from your tech publications when they share those scores. Yep, that includes us.

Check it out for yourself at the top, and let us know what you think in the comments down below.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Review of the new Spekular Modular LED Light System

01 Oct

I was fortunate enough to get hold of the new Spekular Modular LED kit from the people at Spiffy Gear a little bit earlier than most. So I’ve been using it for a couple of months now on everything from a personal portrait project to a product shoot of a whole load of shoes, and lots of other things in between.

In the box with the Spekular Modular LED kit

The kit comes in a handy carry case that keeps all of the gear together. You get four of the Spekular LED bars (I’m just going to call them bars, you might want to call them something else) and clips to join them together, along with a mounting connector that has a metal 1/4″-20 thread. This allows you to screw it onto a light stand, or as I’ve been doing, onto a tripod base-plate and using it on top of a tripod, which allows me to move the light where I need it. You get a multi-voltage power supply and a bit of documentation in the box, too.

Review of the new Spekular Modular LED Light System

The kit ships with a regular power supply and plugs in and is controlled very easily on one of the light bar units, with the power running from what would be 0% to 100% in step-less increments. There is also an external battery kit that you can pick up if you’re looking to use Spekular away from a power outlet.

Setting it up

Review of the new Spekular Modular LED Light System

The mounting bracket that is included simply slips along the back of any of the light bar units. You can adjust exactly where you’d like it to be connected to the unit, and then you simply connect it to a light stand or via a tripod plate or any other stand/magic arm with a 1/4″-20 connector.

Review of the new Spekular Modular LED Light System

Let us move swiftly on! Take a look at how the unit works and what it can do, according to the Spiffy Gear video below, and then we’ll get on with how well it worked for me in real-world situations!

Using Spekular in the real world

I’ve read a little of what others are saying around the web, a few people mentioned that they don’t like the specular highlights the kit gives, to which I’d say, “So set it up differently!”

You can set the unit up as something that resembles a traditional rectangular LED panel, or you can set two kits up as a crazy epic star-like looking thing! As with any art/photography, the resultant look you’re after is subjective, and that’s fine! You can get seriously creative with this Spekular Modular LED kit, and that flexibility really impressed me.

Review of the new Spekular Modular LED Light System

Spekular for portraits

The first shoot I took the Spekular kit along to was one of my own. It’s a portrait series that I’m working on, based on men’s mental health. The Spekular kit was on a Kupo Click light stand slightly above and forward of my camera position.

It was only a test, but I was very happy with the results! (Yes, that’s a self-portrait below, I’m taking the photograph using Sony’s Play Memories with my A7R II).

Review of the new Spekular Modular LED Light System

Spekular for product shoots

The other main use I’ve had with the Spekular kit was on a spur of the moment product shoot for a friend. I needed to photograph 20 pairs of shoes for a website. This is something I’ve not done much of, but I was very interested to try out the kit and see if it could provide the results that were needed for this job.

The thing I found about using the Spekular kit was that it provided a really great quality of even light when positioned correctly. I used a Kupo C-Stand and positioned Spekular, set up in a square format, over the top and slightly forward of the product. This really cut down on shadows!

Review of the new Spekular Modular LED Light System

Yes, these shoes have wings!

Review of the new Spekular Modular LED Light System

Great, even light for products.

Review of the new Spekular Modular LED Light System

The shoes were photographed for a web-store, my friend was very happy – yay.

Each light bar puts out 14.5W of light which is kinda similar to a 150W halogen light. The lights have a 94+ CRI (CR-What? Read What CRI is here)

So, what’s the verdict?

Still not convinced? Here’s another video showing the Spekular LED light in use.

What did I like about the Spekular Modular LED light system? In two words, almost everything. The build quality is great, the unit stays level when attached from one side, it doesn’t twist like plastic units tend to do. I’d love to start using the kit with a battery pack to make it a little more portable.

One of the things I need to work on, but fixed very easily with Rosco Cinefoil ($ 34 for 25′ of the stuff) was the light spread. Naturally LED lights don’t tend to be super focused, so you need to find a way to shape them if that is the look you’re after. I found it very simple to do using flags or Cinefoil kind of shaped like barn-doors.

In my opinion, the Spekular kit is very good value compared to other options on the market considering what you get, how well it appears to be built (keep in mind I’ve only had the kit since July 5th), and how well it works.

Spiffy suggests that Spekular is “the Swiss army knife of LED lighting,” and I’d tend to agree! Well done!

Five Stars, Spiffy Gear, Five stars!

The post Review of the new Spekular Modular LED Light System by Sime appeared first on Digital Photography School.


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Sony unveils the Venice, its first full-frame cinema camera system

07 Sep

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Sony has just unveiled a new, groundbreaking (at least for them) cinema camera. It’s called the Sony Venice, and it’s the company’s first 36x24mm full-frame digital motion picture camera system.

Designed in “close collaboration with the creative community,” the Venice is the newest generation of Sony’s CineAlta series, which promises natural skin tones, “elegant” highlight handling and wide dynamic range. In the case of the Venice, the camera’s 36x24mm sensor promises 15 stops of latitude to tackle challenging lighting scenarios, and a brand new color management system with ultra wide color gamut for more flexibility in post.

The headline feature is the sensor itself, though. The full-frame chip can be switched out by the camera’s user by simply removing four screws, and at 36x24mm it’s compatible with Anamorphic, Super 35mm, Spherical and Full Frame PL mount lenses. If you’re really feeling frisky, the lens mount can be modified to support E-mount lenses.

Additional features include a built-in 8-stage glass ND filter system, weather sealing, 10-bit XAVC, 16-bit RAW and S-OCN recording via the Sony AXS-R7 recorder, and a modular design that allows you to use the Venice with current and upcoming CineAlta accessories.

The camera is expected to arrive officially in February of 2018, and while Sony didn’t reveal a price, it seems filmmakers will have the option to ‘license’ different builds for specific production requirements like 4K anamorphic and Full Frame. To learn more, head over to the Sony Venice landing page, or read the full press text below.

Press Release

Sony Unveils VENICE, Its First 36x24mm Full-Frame Digital Motion Picture Camera System

Anamorphic Capabilities, Interchangeable Sensor, 8-stage ND Filter System, New Color Management & Established Workflow Combine into Unique Creative Filmmaking Tool

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 6, 2017 — Sony Electronics is unveiling VENICE – its first Full-Frame digital motion picture camera system. VENICE is the next generation of Sony’s CineAlta camera systems, designed to expand the filmmaker’s creative freedom through immersive, large-format, Full Frame capture of filmic imagery producing natural skin tones, elegant highlight handling and wide dynamic range. VENICE was designed through close collaboration with the creative community, fulfilling the requirements from filmmakers and production professionals.

VENICE will be officially unveiled on Sept. 6, in front of a select audience of American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) members and a range of other industry professionals. Sony will also screen a short film, “The Dig”, the first footage shot with VENICE, produced in Anamorphic, written and directed by Joseph Kosinski and shot by Academy Award winning Cinematographer Claudio Miranda, ASC.

“We really went back to the drawing board for this one,” said Peter Crithary, marketing manager, Sony Electronics. “It is our next-generation camera system, a ground-up development initiative encompassing a completely new image sensor. We carefully considered key aspects such as form factor, ergonomics, build quality, ease of use, a refined picture and painterly look—with a simple, established workflow. We worked in close collaboration with film industry professionals. We also considered the longer-term strategy by designing a user interchangeable sensor that is as quick and simple to swap as removing four screws, and can accommodate different shooting scenarios as the need arises.”

Full frame sensor and wide range of lens compatibility

VENICE combines a newly developed 36x24mm Full Frame sensor to meet the high-quality demands of feature filmmaking. Full Frame offers the advantages of compatibility with a wide range of lenses, including Anamorphic, Super 35mm, Spherical and Full Frame PL mount lenses for a greater range of expressive freedom with shallow depth of field. The lens mount can also be changed to support E-mount lenses for shooting situations that require smaller, lighter, and wider lenses. User-selectable areas of the image sensor allow shooting in Super 35 mm 4 – perf. Future firmware upgrades are planned to allow the camera to handle 36mm wide 6K resolution. Fast image scan technology minimizes “Jello” effects.

New color management system and established workflow for flexible post-production

A new color management system with an ultra wide color gamut gives users more control and greater flexibility to work with images during grading and post-production. VENICE also has more than 15 stops of latitude to handle challenging lighting situations from low-light to harsh sunlight with a gentle roll-off handling of highlights.

VENICE achieves high quality and efficient file-based production through Sony’s established 16-bit RAW/X-OCN via the AXS-R7 recorder, and 10 bit XAVC workflows. VENICE is also compatible with current and upcoming hardware accessories for CineAlta cameras (DVF-EL200 Full HD OLED Viewfinder, AXS-R7 recorder, AXS-CR1 and high-speed Thunderbolt-enabled AXS-AR1 card reader, using established AXS and SxS memory card formats.

Intuitive design & refined functionality support simple and efficient on-location operation

VENICE has a fully modular and intuitive design with refined functionality to support simple and efficient on-location operation. It is the film industry’s first camera with a built-in 8-stage glass ND filter system, making the shooting process efficient and streamlining camera setup. The camera is designed for easy operation with an intuitive control panel placed on the Assistant and Operator sides of the camera. A 24 V power supply input/output and LEMO connector allow use of many standard camera accessories, designed for use in harsh environments.

License options for individual production requirements

With VENICE, Sony is giving users the option to customize their camera by enabling the features needed, matched to their individual production requirements. Optional licenses will be available in permanent, monthly and weekly durations to expand the camera’s capabilities with new features including 4K anamorphic and Full Frame, each sold separately.

The VENICE CineAlta digital motion picture camera system is scheduled to be available in February 2018. For more information, please visit: www.sony.com/venice.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Spekular is a modular LED lighting system you can reshape to suit your needs

01 Sep

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Spiffy Gear, the company behind the Light Blaster strobe projector, is back with another accessory for photographers and videographers who want a lighting solution that can conform to every shooting situation. It’s called Spekular, and Spiffy is calling it “the Swiss army knife of LED lighting.”

Spekular consists of four ultra-bright, color-accurate LED strips that can be arranged in whatever configuration suits your shooting needs. Each of the four LED lights boasts a dimmable, flicker-free 14.5 watts of power (~150W halogen) with color accuracy guaranteed (94+ CRI and 96+ TLCI).

Here’s a quick intro video so you can see the lights in action:

And here are a few sample shots, all captured with the Spekular arranged in one of its various configurations (Note: the star shape requires an additional four-light ‘expansion kit’ and star adapter):

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Spiffy is branding the Spekular as ‘the only light you need,’ and while we’re always a bit skeptical of grand claims, the modular design and attention to technical detail certainly make it a unique lighting option.

You can find out more about Spekular on the Spiffy Gear website, where you can order the standard 4-light kit for $ 650, the 4-light extension for $ 130, a battery adapter (in case the power goes) also for $ 130, and that Star Adapter for, you guessed it, $ 130.

Press Release

Spekular from Spiffy Gear is the Swiss army knife of LED lighting for photo and video.

SUMMARY: Spekular is a modular LED lighting system for videographers and photographers. It is a collection of light bars with high brightness and unparalelled color accuracy. The system drastically reduces the number of accessories needed to create professional lighting setups.

31 August 2017 – Today, Spiffy Gear launches the $ 650 Spekular, a flexible, modular LED lighting system for videographers and photographers. Spekular adapts into different lighting modifiers, such as light strips, soft boxes or shaped lights for creative effects.. This reduces the amount of gear needed to be carried to shoots. Spekular can be configured as a ring, a square, a strip, a star, a “standard” panel, and many more configurations.

Using the attachment options in the Spekular kit, discerning lighting artists can configure the light into different shapes to create different looks, adapt to different situations, and add flair to portraits by adding eye-catching catch lights.

Spekular is extremely bright. Each of the LEDs sections provides 14.5W of light (the equivalent of around 150W of halogen light). And there are four of them. This kit delivers as much power as four “standard” LED panels, so you have to carry less to light more.

Spekular is fully dimmable for further lighting flexibility, without any of the flickering typically associated with dimmable LED light sources. The LED bars do all of this while maintaining a perfect color rendition to save you time in post-production. (94+ CRI and 96+ TLCI).

The kit is extremely sturdy and hard-wearing. It can withstand the hard, unrelenting abuse of a typical professional photo or video shoot. Its aluminum sections and tough ABS connectors will keep going, day after grueling day.

“Spekular will enable photographers and videographers to tell their stories while paying less, carrying less and having more lighting options, says Udi Tirosh, CEO at Spiffy Gear.

The Spekular Ecosystem

At launch, Spekular is part of an extendable kit, with accessories to add even more flexibility.

The Spekular kit is the core kit to get you started with Spekular. It consists of four LED light sections, four hinged connectors and mounting gear, all packed in a handy carrying case. This kit provides more than 5,000 luminous flux of light.

The optional Spekular Star Adapter enables you to configure the Spekular kit into an eight-section star with a hole in the middle. The hole is big enough to shoot through, making some creative lighting options possible.

The optional Spekular Extension Kit unlocks even more ways to use Spekular. It enables using one kit as a three points lighting system, create complex lighting schemes, and create long seamless strips.

The Spekular Battery Adapter makes the Spekular kit usable anywhere in the world. Use any DTAP-enabled battery to power the kit – no need to be plugged into a wall socket. The battery adapter includes a mounting bag that connects to a light stands for easy access.

Pricing and Availability

Spekular is available starting today at http://www.spekular.com/ and at selected photography retailers.

  • Spekular kit: $ 650
  • Spekular Star Adapter: $ 130
  • Spekular Extension Kit: $ 130
  • Spekular Battery Adapter: $ 130

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Shutterstock’s new watermarking system foils Google’s AI

27 Aug

Following a study Google released last week showing how easily an AI could remove watermarks from stock images, stock photography website Shutterstock has introduced stronger watermarks that are more difficult to eliminate using automated software. Google notified the stock photography company about the vulnerability before publishing its research paper, and it seems the company took their warning in stride.

Google’s technology works via a computer algorithm that learns to identify the common elements in many stock images—that is, the watermark—and then remove just those elements without altering the underlying photo at all.

Google ultimately identified the consistency of watermarks as their main point of vulnerability. To counteract the vulnerability, watermarks needed inconsistencies that involved ‘random geometric perturbations.’ In other words: the marks should be warped to avoid consistency across the entire photo library. Doing this confuses the artificial intelligence, and results in watermark artifacts being left on the image after attempted removal.

Stock photography website Shutterstock has already implemented an improved watermark system based on Google’s advice. With its new system, stock photos are protected by watermarks that are applied with slight geometry changes, making it impossible for an AI like Google’s to figure out precisely which pixels belong to the watermark versus the image itself.

“The result was a watermark randomizer that our engineering team developed so that no two watermarks are the same,” says Shutterstock CTO Martin Brodbeck. “By creating a completely different watermark for each image, it makes it hard to truly identify the shape.”

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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New Qualcomm Spectra system brings 3D depth sensing to Android devices

16 Aug

Qualcomm launched the Clear Sight dual-camera system—which was powered by its Spectra ISP and used a combination of RGB and monochrome images sensors—in 2016. Today the company announced the second generation Spectra Module that introduces 3D computer vision to Qualcomm-powered Android devices.

The Qualcomm system is a dual-camera setup that is capable of sensing depth and motion in real time. In a smartphone’s rear camera, this technology could be used in apps to track motion and measure subject distance, which could ostensibly help improve simulated shallow depth-of-field effects.

In a front-facing camera, the Qualcomm system could help improve biometric security through iris scanning or 3D facial recognition. One of the technology’s advantages is the capability to capture and process image data in real time using off-the-shelf parts, unlike Google’s Tango project that relies on specialized hardware.

Qualcomm hasn’t yet announced any manufacturing partners yet, but given the popularity of the Qualcomm platform it’s arguably only a matter of time before we’ll see the technology pop up in the first Android devices.

Press Release

Qualcomm First to Announce Depth-Sensing Camera Technology Designed For Android Ecosystem

— Unveils next-generation Qualcomm Spectra ISP for computer vision, extended reality and computational photography technologies—

SAN DIEGO — August 15, 2017 — Today Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM), through its subsidiary, Qualcomm Technologies Inc., announced an expansion to the Qualcomm® Spectra™ Module Program, capable of improved biometric authentication and high-resolution depth sensing, designed to meet growing demands of photo and video for a broad range of mobile devices and head mounted displays (HMD). This module program is built on the cutting-edge technology behind the Qualcomm® SpectraTM embedded image signal processors (ISP) family. Engineered by Qualcomm Technologies from the ground up, Qualcomm Spectra paves the way for future image quality and computer vision innovations in upcoming Qualcomm® SnapdragonTM Mobile Platforms.

“Whether used for computational photography, video recording, or for computer vision applications that require accurate motion tracking, it’s clear that power efficient camera image signal processing has become more important for the next generation of mobile user experiences,” said Tim Leland, vice president of product management, Qualcomm TechnologiesInc. “Our breakthrough advancements in visual quality and computer vision, combined with our family of integrated Spectra ISPs for Snapdragon, are designed to support an ecosystem of cutting edge mobile applications for our customers.”

Together, the new ISPs and camera modules are engineered to support superior image quality and new computer vision use cases that utilize deep learning techniques and bokeh quality image experiences with a faster time to market for smartphone and HMD devices. The next-generation ISPs feature a new camera architecture designed for advancements in computer vision, image quality and power efficiency for the next Snapdragon mobile and VR platforms. The camera module program additions consist of a trio of camera modules, including an iris authentication module, a passive depth sensing module and an active depth sensing module.

Qualcomm Spectra Module Program

Launched last year, the Qualcomm Spectra Module Program was designed to help customers accelerate time to market for devices with stunning image quality and advanced camera technology. Last year’s offerings provided customers with optimized, dual-camera module solutions that make it easy for manufacturers to produce smartphone cameras with improved low light photography and video recording with smooth zoom. Now, the camera module program is being expanded to include new camera modules capable of utilizing active sensing for superior biometric authentication, and structured light for a variety of computer vision applications that require real-time, dense depth map generation and segmentation.

Second-generation Qualcomm Spectra ISP

The second-generation Qualcomm Spectra ISP is the next family of integrated ISPs that utilizes new hardware and software architecture designed specifically for advancements in computer vision, image quality, and power efficiency in future Snapdragon platforms. It features multiframe noise reduction for superior photographic quality, along with hardware-accelerated motion compensated temporal filtering (MCTF), and inline electronic image stabilization (EIS) for superior camcorder-like video quality.

The low-power, high-performance motion tracking capabilities of the Qualcomm Spectra ISP, in addition to optimized simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithms, are designed to support new extended reality (XR) use cases for virtual and augmented reality applications that require SLAM.

The Qualcomm Spectra family of ISPs and new Qualcomm Spectra camera modules are expected to be part of the next flagship Snapdragon Mobile Platform.

About Qualcomm

Qualcomm’s technologies powered the smartphone revolution and connected billions of people. We pioneered 3G and 4G – and now we are leading the way to 5G and a new era of intelligent, connected devices. Our products are revolutionizing industries, including automotive, computing, IoT, healthcare and data center, and are allowing millions of devices to connect with each other in ways never before imagined. Qualcomm Incorporated includes our licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of our patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, all of our engineering, research and development functions, and all of our products and services businesses, including, our QCT semiconductor business. For more information, visit Qualcomm’s website, OnQ blog, Twitter and Facebook pages.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Edelkrone launches SurfaceONE 2-axis smart motion control system

11 Aug

Edelkrone has launched the SurfaceONE 2-axis motion control system which, according to its branding, is “the world’s smartest 2-axis motion control system.” The system is designed to capture straight, curved (targeted) and panning shots, all of which can be combined with a timelapse mode for smooth motion sequences.

The SurfaceONE is controlled through an Android or iOS app, and Apple Watch support will be available soon as well. Subjects can be targeted independent of distance and the system can be used as an endless slider or for automatic pans with angular speed adjustment.

When shooting timelapses with the SurfaceONE, speed, shooting interval and other parameters can be set in the app. Once set up, your camera is supported by a flexible tilting head, which allows for easy fine-tuning of the lens angle and keeps the rig stable. Edelkrone also says the SurfaceONE motor is very silent and should therefore not be audible in video clips.

More information is available on the Edelkrone website, where you can order the SurfaceONE for $ 690.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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