What’s Ahead For Digital Cameras?
New Technology Changes The Game Page 2
Lens Quality And The Image Processor
In order to design a lens that zooms from wide angle to 10x, manufacturers are
forced to make compromises. With film cameras, the results of those compromises
were permanently recorded on the film. But with powerful digital processors
running the show, manufacturers can digitally counteract those compromises in
the camera. To do that, engineers quantify the lens characteristics at each
focal length and in multiple lighting situations. Then, they write software
to correct lens issues like spherical and chromatic aberration and sharpness.
The processor executes the software fixes in real-time, after image capture
and prior to memory write, while still maintaining short shot-to-shot delays.
The result? An image that's sharp and color correct edge to edge and throughout
the entire zoom range.
In Camera Editing Functions
Of all the new features we've discussed so far, none compare to the phenomenal
potential of in camera photo editing. This concept is simply revolutionary.
In camera editing fixes the most common photo problems right in the camera and
gives you far more creative control over your photos. That means you can go
right to print, without having to upload images to your PC. Here are some of
the features you'll be seeing on these new models:
Redeye correction--Snap the picture and leave the retouching to the in
camera software. Light years ahead of the old redeye reduction technique that
strobes the subject prior to exposure, redeye correction instead uses software
to detect the telltale signs of redeye in the image. Once it finds them, it
automatically corrects the offending red spots and writes the image to your
memory card. Redeye correction requires no user input, making it a powerful
selling point to any photographer who takes indoor photos of people.
Image enhancement--Imagine a camera that has the power to fix contrast,
noise, edge definition, mosaicing, color balance, and blur issues right in the
camera. Contrast extremes have always been a problem for camera meters. For
example, traditional camera meters look at a bride and groom and expose for
the bride's dress, leaving the groom in the dark. Or, the meter simply
gets confused by backlighting. Not anymore. Cameras with integral image enhancement
are smart enough to recognize extreme contrast situations and correct them right
away. So, you get the proper exposure of the bride, the groom, and in backlit
scenes.
The demosaicing process is unique to digital cameras and is a little harder
to understand. But that doesn't make it a less important feature. Here's
how it works: Since the majority of digital sensors only record images in monochrome,
manufacturers cover the sensor with a checkerboard array of red, green, and
blue filters. As you can imagine, the resulting image is a mosaic pattern that
matches the checkerboard filter array. The camera must then demosaic the pattern
and interpolate the results to render a color image. Each manufacturer writes
its own unique algorithms to perform this task, which is why the same shot from
two different camera manufacturers may look different.
Professional photographers with high-end SLRs often choose to download the raw
monochrome image to their PCs and perform the demosaicing and interpolating
process themselves, based on their own preferences. But with in camera editing,
you can exercise some of that same creative control yourself right inside the
camera. These image-enhancing options will allow you to get sharper edge definitions,
eliminate noise, and end up with colors that more closely match the real scene.
In-camera video editing and still picture imaging from video--The video
editing feature is based upon facial recognition techniques. As you review the
video, you can have it advance from person to person, finding only the frames
you want to keep and discarding the rest. Plus, you can instantly convert a
video frame to a printable still image. Think of the possibilities. You could
shoot video at Uncle Joe's birthday party, search for all the frames with
Uncle Joe and then pick the best ones to convert to prints--all without
having to change from Still mode to Video mode.
Creativity options--Shooting should be fun and the new creativity options
will let you express yourself on the spot. For example, you'll be able
to select fun borders from an in camera library and assign them to individual
pictures. You can also add thought balloons to your pictures to add even more
humor. Then, have the pictures printed at any photo retailer or image them on
your direct-dock printer--all without having to touch a computer or learn
any photo-retouching software. These options may not sound like much to someone
who's proficient at performing those tasks on a PC. But it's a long
overdue creative option for shooters who have no interest in learning a photo-editing
program or who simply enjoy printing direct from their camera.
Scene modes have proliferated, and there are more to come. From Fireworks mode
to Snow and Night Landscape to Sunset mode, manufacturers are adding every possible
mode to cover their bets. Sure, 23 shooting modes look good on paper, but will
you ever actually remember to change modes between shots? Or, will you shoot
the horse race in Sports mode, then forget to change modes before you get the
shot of your wife tearing up your losing stubs? The answer to this problem is
simple--automatic mode selection. Using software similar to the kind that
detects extreme contrast situations, these highly intelligent cameras will automatically
change modes to match the subject matter.
The latest trend in high-tech products is "wireless," and digital
cameras are about to join the pack. True, camera phones offer an easier way
to get photos off the camera by e-mailing them right from the phone. But that
option costs extra and those are
low-resolution shots with small file sizes. Plus, the cell phone network was
never set up for transferring megabyte-sized
photo files.
Point-and-shoot digital cameras with integrated Wireless LAN (WLAN) are coming
this year. While one of the future standards is not finalized, some manufacturers
are also already working on integrated Wireless USB (WUSB), which will allow
easy download from your camera to either your PC or a printer, without any cables.
Fortunately, there's a very user-friendly option already in the works
today for WLAN use with cameras, the new Media Transfer Protocol (MTP) from
Microsoft. MTP is specifically designed for transferring large graphic files.
Some of the major digital camera manufacturers have already endorsed the new
protocol and are working hard to get it into their designs as soon as possible.
When fully implemented, users will be able to transfer their images to a photofinisher
via a local hotspot, or to their home computer with the touch of a button on
the camera.
John Daniels is the worldwide marketing manager for the Digital Still Camera Product Group at Texas Instruments (TI) Incorporated. He is responsible for customer interface, product marketing, and product definition for TI's digital media processor platforms to support the digital still camera market.
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