Sony launch new consumer technology
It’s 2.13am in Scotland, and I can’t possibly handle the volume of press material which has just flooded in from Sony at the CES show in Las Vegas.
Exmor-R is really rolled out in force – back-illuminated CMOS sensors all round. Simulataneous still capture during video without interruption has arrived in the consumer cameras, both by using two sensors (two cameras in one camera) or by sheer processing power (capture during 1080/50i recording, but not during 1080/50p).
Sony’s foresight in grabbing hold of certain image-blending technologies – the patents/processors which have already made Night Shot and Twilight, multishot panorama and 3D panorama, HDR multishot all possible – is extended to use multi shot with multiple focus positions, to create artificial bokeh effects (DSLR-like differential focus) and also simulated 3D in which two exposures made at two focus distance positions are offset to create a 3D-like result.
All this stuff is very important for the future of DSLRs – it must lead in due course to multishot focus stacking in-camera in DSLRs, just as it leads to the reverse in small sensor consumer cams, and also new 3D modes.
My crystal ball says that two years from now, you will be able to take ‘a shot’ with a camera and by capturing multiple frames in an extremely short duration, it will be possible SELECT YOUR FOCUS PLANE afterwards and ELIMINATE ALL NOISE regardless of ISO. In-camera and in computer alike. And you’ll be able to decide how much depth of field you want and preview the effect and save the result. One day there will be a raw file which uses a cubic model not a Cartesian model, XY coordinates for the image dimension, then many layers stacked to represent multiple focus planes.
Sony just brought this future – I can remember we discussed the concept of the ‘cubic’ image file way back in the 1990s in our office rambles – closer to reality.
See:
http://presscentre.sony.eu/Content/Detail.aspx?ReleaseID=6368&NewsAreaID=2&ClientID=1
And have a dig round, there’s a stack more into rolling out from Sony, and a lot of important stuff is hiding in the detail.
Also log in to Sony’s blog page:
http://blog.discover.sonystyle.com/follow-sony-electronics-news-live-from-ces-2011
This should bring you updated info links.
– DK
I am in principle a still photographer and had a look at the high end specs. 25-250 zoom, 2.3/1 size sensor, 16Mp CCD and no RAW (I seem to recollect). I would like to see a full size 16Mp Jpeg at say ISO1600 compared with one out of the A580. Not sure I would pull out my wallet for one of these. Bear in mind that Panasonic LX5 stayed with 10Mp and a Leica lens restricted to 16-90mm (35 equivalent)and a much bigger sensor more like 1.6 to 1. Also Canon moved back down to 10Mp with their G12. I think I will stay with what I have got for the time being. Pana LX2/3 and Sony A350/700/550/580 and NEX-5. Cannot see the virtue of 16Mp in one of these. What user will need 16Mp? Is it for the video experience or a marketing ploy?