Although not available in a consumer product yet, research on High Dynamic Range (HDR) video coming out of the UK’s University of Warwick shows great promise for dramatic improvements in video image quality:
The new system captures 20 f-stops per frame of 1080p high-def video, at the NTSC standard 30 frames-per-second. In post-production, the optimum exposures can then be selected and/or combined for each shot, via a “tone-mapping” procedure. A process called Image-Based Lighting can also be utilized, in which computer-created objects can be added to real-world footage.
At this point the system captures a massive amount of data, 42GB per minute, for processing by post-production software. A huge investment in signal processing hardware will be necessary before a technology like this will be able to make its way into your next family camcorder.
Olympus’ Billion dollar investments in acquisition of medical Endoscope technology have yielded a benefit to the video and image quality of their consumer camera products within more compact form factors. The technology has been incorporated to Olympus’ Micro Four Thirds sensor system available in the Olympus PEN E-PL1.
“A better lens means the company can sell better endoscopes, better microscopes, and better consumer cameras.”
No Place to Hide: New 360-Degree Video Surveillance System Uses Image Stitching Technology That Is Perfectly Detailed Edge to Edge
new video surveillance system currently being developed by the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) may soon give law enforcement an extra set of eyes. The Imaging System for Immersive Surveillance (or ISIS) takes new video camera and image-stitching technology and bolts it to a ceiling, mounts it on a roof, or fastens it to a truck-mounted telescoping mast.
The APS-H sensor boasts a ridiculous resolution of 13,280 x 9,184 pixels. The CMOS sensor is so densely packed with pixels that it can capture full HD video on just one-sixtieth of the total surface area.
Processing such enormously high resolution images should, by rights, cripple the average camera. However, Canon claims it would be possible to shoot 9.5 frames per second with the new sensor “by modifying the method employed to control the readout circuit timing”. Whether the camera could buffer such high resolution images in its memory is another matter altogether.
Either the act of a careless Apple employee, or an intentional leak, the new iPhone found at a Bar near the Apple headquarters has the dual cameras that we wished the iPad had. No, not Adobe’s flash, but a LED flash. With iPhone users bringing AT&T’s network to it’s knees, will the videoconferencing that this front facing camera enables deal a fatal blow to their network?
Nokia is on the verge of releasing their flagship cameraphone which sports a whoppingf 12MP sensor and Carl Zeis optics. Also running a new release of their Symbian OS. Supposedly the press event announcing this is Tomorrow, April 13th, so stay tuned Nokia nuts. We’ll update this post then.
The fact that the latest high-end Nikon and Canon DSLR’s can shoot 1080p HD video doesn’t tell the full story about the quality of the video they shoot. Some of the reasons why they suck for Video:
ergonomics
shortcuts in processing that involve tossing out 2/3rds of the lines resulting in diminished light sensitivity and increased color moire and noise.
a wobbling “Jello-world” produced by a top-to-bottom scanning sensor
If you want a $#!^load of megapixels, this is the way to get it: With the $895 Gigapan Epic PRO panoramic camera mount along with a DSLR camera. Or just use their Epic mount with a point-and shoot digital camera. Note: not all cameras are supported, make sure to check that yours is compatible.
Gigapan Systems has been producing mounts for point-and-shoot cameras for a while now, and has a panorama hosting service that integrates very well with Google Earth. Just don’t try to upload anything smaller than 50 megapixels, or you will be denied.
New Quantum Film image sensor technology released by Invisage Incorporated claims to have four times the light sensitivity of ordinary CMOS sensors.
Supposedly the process is more affordable than ordinary CMOS manufacturing. Not because adding an extra layer of patented Quantum Film makes the production process cheaper per silicon platter, but because they could reduce pixel size enabling smaller, cheaper sensors with the same efficiency as larger ones we have now.
Very cool panoramic stitching software from Microsoft. Doesn’t have blending quit as good as hugin/enblend, but MUCH faster. Soon it will enable video panoramas & action summaries. At the end they demonstrate how to combine a large number of similar pictures of a distant object blurred by atmospheric distortion into a single sharpened image.
Olympus’ Billion dollar investments in acquisition of medical Endoscope technology have yielded a benefit to the video and image quality of their consumer camera products within more compact form factors. The technology has been incorporated to Olympus’ 
The fact that the latest high-end Nikon and Canon DSLR’s can shoot 1080p HD video doesn’t tell the full story about the quality of the video they shoot. Some of the reasons why they suck for Video:
