I don't get what this offers over and above current technologies already shipping in camera phones now. Particularly given the limitations with sensor frame rates. What am I missing?
Does the extra focussing device on top of the lens cause any transmission losses or other image degradation?
The film is not very exciting, is it... But. Light field camera. Since the lens mechanism is so thin yet flexible and does not rely on any moving parts, a larger sensors can be used underneath - i.e. the 1/3 system. This again allows for a tremendous relationship between how much light you are able to capture in a given time and the distance to the filmplane. There are no moving parts except the deformation of the lens. BIG aperture yet all the field of depth you could ever wish for. Noise is less because the sensor has bigger pixels (for now that is good). The lens reacts extremely quickly, which is a big part of the time it takes to take a picture.
Focus, field of depth... all those other things you now should decide when you take a picture, is done in software algorithms. You point, you shoot, you DEVELOP the picture.
That's an interesting presentation. So is it true that polight are targeting ultra low cost wafer scale cameras and OIS? Rather than smartphone AF cameras with super fast frame rate applications?
how compared this to Varoptic liquid lens? The principle is similar even with different implementations. The key issue is that the slight degradation the polymer will make the CCM usefuless. voice coil has never this problem, even when the focusing is failed or slight not-perfect, the basic imaging performance is not altered. Imagine that you forget your phone inside your car in South China cities during summer :)
I have seen a demo of the TLens and the performance is quite good. Due to it low cost, the initial market is to add AF to camera modules with fixed focus. Replacing VCM would require adding the TLens to the lens assembly that would need some coordinated effort from the lens & module manufacturers.
The issues with temperature and the life of polymer bending remain to be measured just like any new technologies. But the immediate benefit is the much reduced power consumption.
It's a snoozer.
ReplyDeleteI am curious about who will implement this first, and what the first product will be. 2012 will be interesting.
ReplyDeleteNokia, LG, Samsung, Sharp, Apple, Sony?
I don't get what this offers over and above current technologies already shipping in camera phones now. Particularly given the limitations with sensor frame rates. What am I missing?
ReplyDeleteDoes the extra focussing device on top of the lens cause any transmission losses or other image degradation?
The film is not very exciting, is it...
DeleteBut.
Light field camera. Since the lens mechanism is so thin yet flexible and does not rely on any moving parts, a larger sensors can be used underneath - i.e. the 1/3 system. This again allows for a tremendous relationship between how much light you are able to capture in a given time and the distance to the filmplane. There are no moving parts except the deformation of the lens.
BIG aperture yet all the field of depth you could ever wish for. Noise is less because the sensor has bigger pixels (for now that is good). The lens reacts extremely quickly, which is a big part of the time it takes to take a picture.
Focus, field of depth... all those other things you now should decide when you take a picture, is done in software algorithms. You point, you shoot, you DEVELOP the picture.
Best case scenario.
What is the working principle of Tlens???
ReplyDeleteI'm iteresting to understand the IQ drawbacks of this tchnology if any (e.g what is the imapct of teperature on the performance)
ReplyDelete@ "What is the working principle of Tlens???"
ReplyDeleteSee it here:
http://image-sensors-world.blogspot.com/2011/07/wafter-scale-af-developer-raises-185m.html
So it looks like there are transmission losses and IQ degradation away from the image centre. Are there any temperature effects too?
ReplyDeleteMaybe this paper will enlighten you?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.hive.no/getfile.php/Filer/Forskning/EU%20i%20vestfold/poLight%20Ulvens%C3%B8en.pdf
That's an interesting presentation. So is it true that polight are targeting ultra low cost wafer scale cameras and OIS? Rather than smartphone AF cameras with super fast frame rate applications?
ReplyDeleteBtw, are there any temperature effects?
how compared this to Varoptic liquid lens? The principle is similar even with different implementations. The key issue is that the slight degradation the polymer will make the CCM usefuless. voice coil has never this problem, even when the focusing is failed or slight not-perfect, the basic imaging performance is not altered. Imagine that you forget your phone inside your car in South China cities during summer :)
ReplyDelete260 celsius is in their spec
ReplyDeleteI have seen a demo of the TLens and the performance is quite good. Due to it low cost, the initial market is to add AF to camera modules with fixed focus. Replacing VCM would require adding the TLens to the lens assembly that would need some coordinated effort from the lens & module manufacturers.
ReplyDeleteThe issues with temperature and the life of polymer bending remain to be measured just like any new technologies. But the immediate benefit is the much reduced power consumption.
New video, now on Vimeo. Interview with Mr. Ulvensøen
ReplyDeletehttp://vimeo.com/34899646
According to this article they had to move production abroad to be able to produce 100 million units a year.
ReplyDeletePictures:
http://www.gjengangeren.no/polopoly_fs/1.6070620!/image/1542479542.jpg_gen/derivatives/derivative_article_480/1542479542.jpg
Article here: http://www.gjengangeren.no/nyheter/et-oye-i-mobilen-1.6070617
Delete