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Kym
08-02-2013, 9:10am
http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2013/02/06/ricoh-pentax-previews-concept-of-twin-lens-immersive-camera-hints-at-video


Ricoh Pentax previews concept of twin-lens immersive camera, hints at video capability


At the CP+ Camera and Photo Imaging Show in Japan last week, consumer electronics giant Ricoh teased a new product concept that will be rather exciting for fans of immersive photography -- and it might just bring immersive video capture to the table, as well. Although relatively little information is so far available, Japanese tech blog DigInfo TV came away from the show with a nice video from the Ricoh Pentax booth previewing the as-yet unnamed device.

What the video shows is an omnidirectional camera including two fisheye lenses facing in opposite directions, allowing the device to capture a full 360-degree view both horizontally and vertically in a single operation. The twin-lens design means there's no need to sweep a camera over your subject, and that even moving subjects should be recorded faithfully. (A common problem with panoramic images -- even if they're shot over a relatively brief period -- is that cars, people, animals and the like can appear in different places in more than one of the source images. When they're stitched together, the moving subject, or parts of it, can appear more than once.)

Where the concept gets particularly cool is that the device includes built-in Wi-Fi wireless networking connectivity, and as shown in the video, can be controlled remotely from your smartphone. Once captured, the smartphone's touch-friendly screen provides a very intuitive way of navigating the immersive image, with the swipe and pinch gestures that are by now second nature to most of us, making it easy to pan around the image and zoom in on interesting subject matter. And as well as still imaging, Ricoh suggested to DigInfo that it's considering the possibilities for video capture using the device. Another interesting twist is that Ricoh discussed the possibility of reproducing the panoramas on the outside of a sphere, providing a tangible method of displaying the full images (and a rather cool way of displaying your holiday snapshot or family photo on your desk!)

Ricoh's 360-degree camera isn't the first such solution we've seen, even for immersive video. In fact, there have been quite a few over the years, with varying degrees of success. The earliest-such effort we can recall for video capture was offered by the now-defunct Oak Ridge, Tennessee-based IPIX Corp. IPIX didn't create the camera hardware; instead, they paired off-the-shelf cameras with their own fisheye lens accessories and their proprietary software for stitching the images together. Nevertheless, they had a number of patents in the area of immersive stills and video, both for capture and playback. Our understanding is that several of these were purchased by Sony, and the remainder of the intellectual property by then-competitor Mind's Eye View Inc. Should Ricoh decide the project is commercially viable, they may have to work around these patents, or acquire licenses to them from their current owners before they can market a product. Should it do so, however, it will have a very interesting product on its hands -- one which will be particularly appealing for real-estate photographers, and probably more than a few consumers as well, if the price is right.

Kym
08-02-2013, 9:12am
http://panasonic.co.jp/corp/news/official.data/data.dir/2013/02/en130204-6/en130204-6.html


Osaka, Japan - Panasonic Corporation has developed unique "micro color splitters", which separate the light that falls on image sensors by exploiting light's wavelike properties. Applying them to actual image sensors allows bright color images to be achieved even under low-light conditions. This development makes color filters unnecessary by using the micro color splitters that control the diffraction1 of light at a microscopic level. Panasonic has achieved approximately double the color sensitivity in comparison with conventional sensors that use color filters.

Image sensors are used in devices like smartphones, digital still cameras and video cameras, as well in security, vehicle parking, office, and healthcare applications - anywhere, in fact, that digital imaging is needed. Conventional color image sensors use a Bayer array2, in which a red, green, or blue light-transmitting filter is placed above each sensor. These filters block 50 - 70% of the incoming light before it even reaches the sensor. Progress is being made in increasing the resolution of image sensors used in mobile and other devices by reducing pixel size, but demand for higher-sensitivity cameras is also increasing. Panasonic has developed a new technology that can be applied to existing or future sensors to enable them to capture uniquely vivid color images.

Sample images in the article linked above

Kym
08-02-2013, 9:16am
Pentax 35mm hints http://www.1001noisycameras.com/2013/02/pentax-signals-full-frame-in-video-interview-at-pentaxforums.html

http://www.pentaxforums.com/news/pentax-confirms-full-frame-plans-at-cp.html


PentaxForums.com had the chance to interview Hiraku Kawauchi and Shigeru Wakashiro of Pentax Ricoh Japan at the 2013 CP+ show yesterday. We started off by asking about the status of the Pentax full-frame, and to our surprise, we got a much more definitive answer than we did at Photokina.

Pentax essentially confirmed that full-frame is the way to go, and that development of a full-frame has been advancing. Wakashiro added that even during Photokina he had mixed feelings about the prospect of making such a camera, but now both he and the company are open to it. The way he phrased this implies that full-frame is about to be a permanent Pentax product line. Although what he said is still subject to interpretation, there is much less uncertainty now than there's ever been before.

More Pentax news at: http://www.pentaxforums.com/news/pentax-confirms-full-frame-plans-at-cp.html#ixzz2KFp9wAqB

Kym
08-02-2013, 9:18am
http://www.1001noisycameras.com/2013/02/memory-cards-sd-association-shows-uhs-ii-cards-at-cp-plus-in-japan.html

http://translate.google.com/translate?depth=1&hl=en&ie=UTF8&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/20130204_586301.html


UHS-II standard itself has already been announced in January 2011. Now, that we have to exhibit a mock-up for the first time in the exhibition for the general public.

UHS-II, a higher standard transfer rate three times the current UHS-I has been specified. System in addition to SD, the venue had been mock-up of the system also exhibited microSD.

Features on the appearance, would be pin is in two columns. The top row is the same as the conventional sequence, backward compatibility with the shape of the card. The bottom row has been added for UHS-II.

...

By the way, the second 50MB / s 104MB / or (SDR50, DDR50) UHS-I bus speed is, (SDR104). S 312M / UHS-II bus speed of the second, or 156MB /.

UHS-I compatible digital camera, the product of the second to adopt SDR50 50MB /, or the mainstream DDR50 currently. Corresponding to 104MB is seen as very few professional digital SLR camera. From these circumstances, it is likely to spread to the UHS-II products for the consumer digital camera anytime soon is unlikely.

The SD Association, the use of video recording in the camera is primarily intended for professional UHS-II. First introduced into the market as a product is in the expected "host device such as a PC support has come out in May" with.

ricktas
09-02-2013, 7:00am
More information on the new Panasonic array (as mentioned by Kym in post 2 above): http://www.popphoto.com/news/2013/02/panasonic-creates-color-filter-alternative

Kym
09-02-2013, 7:34pm
http://stevemccurry.com/galleries/last-roll-kodachrome

Steve McCurry was given the last roll of Kodachrome ever made, the results are on his blog

Kym
09-02-2013, 7:37pm
80 years of Nikor lenses (from Nikon)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Abybv2LrmK8