Alex Dobie of Android Central joins Rene to talk about mobile camera, from the dumb phone days to the latest iPhone, Android, Windows Phone, and BlackBerry glass, plus a look at micro 4/3, high end DSLR, and a RED. Yeah, pretty much pure camera porn!
Martin Reisch, aka safe solvent is iMore’s go-to videographer for events like CES and Macworld, and he’s just joined us in New York City for our big, upcoming [Redacted]. The moment he landed he walked in with a giant Crumpler Dry Red No. 9 gear bag, and we just knew we had to get a look inside it.
Starting at the top, Martin had his 5D Mark III, and since he’s a firm believer in backup bodies, he had his 5D Mark II as well. For lenses, he brought with him his Canon 24-70 F2.8 L, Canon 50 F1.2 L, and Canon 70-200 F2.8 L.
He also packed his RED Scarlet, a massively impressive 4K camera with an EF mount that lets him use the very same Canon lenses.
Despite all that glass, Martin’s daily driver is still his iPhone 5, along with a Joby Gorilla Pod GripTight. You can see samples of that work over on Instagram, and as for the work he’s doing this week…
If you think you’ve already seen the thinnest smartphones and tablets ever, think again. Toshiba has just finished putting together what is currently the world’s thinnest 13-megapixel camera module, which means that compatible devices can soon be made even thinner than they already are. Future devices might measure in with impressive sub-5mm thin profiles, to be exact.
Toshiba’s newest camera module, called the TCM9930MD, features a 13-megapixel CMOS image sensor and a pixel size of just 1.12μm in a 4.7mm-thin profile. So it’s both thin and small, meaning it can be put to use on future models of smartphones and tablets while hardly registering much of a footprint at all. Toshiba has been working with 13MP camera sensors for mobile devices since 2012.
According to information coming from Toshiba itself, it is made with a total of four plastic lenses, which is what helps to make it as slim as it is. Also, it uses a dedicated signal processing circuit in order to improve its overall lens performance and make sure it functions well even at a small size.
Right now, this new 13-megapixel camera module from Toshiba is not in production yet. But Toshiba is schedule to start shipping samples of the same at some point in May for ¥7,000 or about a piece. And as for mass production, it will begin in December of this year.
Sony upped its game in the Android smartphone arena with the Xperia Z and Xperia ZL flagship smartphones. But, the company hasn’t forgotten the fact that it has been its low-end and mid-range offerings that have helped the company gain popularity over the past couple of years, especially in emerging markets like India. Today, along with the Sony Xperia SP, the company also unveiled its mid to low-end smartphone, the Sony Xperia L.
Here’s a look at the specifications of the Sony Xperia L -
4.3-inch FWVGA display
1Ghz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor
1GB RAM
8GB internal storage, expandable via microSD upto 32GB
8MP rear camera with HDR mode for both pictures and video, 0.3MP front camera
dedicated camera button
1,750 mAh battery
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
While the specifications of the Sony Xperia L aren’t surprising for devices in this category, Sony has packed the device with an amazing camera, with the 8MP camera featuring Sony’s “Exmor RS for mobile” sensor technology and HDR (High Dynamic Range) mode for both pictures and video, to ensure clear and stunning images, even at night, or against a strong back light.
Other key features of the Sony Xperia L include one-touch functions with NFC to display content on your TV, or easily share music and photos between devices, and battery STAMINA mode, to ensure optimum battery life. Continuing the trend started by the company last year, the Sony Xperia L also comes pre-loaded with Sony’s WALKMAN, Movies, and Albums applications.
Check out the introduction video of the Sony Xperia L below -
The Sony Xperia L features a beautiful design and is a must-have for anyone looking for a budget-friendly smartphone with a great camera. The price point of the Xperia L hasn’t been announced yet, but considering the specifications, this smartphone won’t strain your wallet too much. Like the Xperia SP, the Sony Xperia L will be available from Q2 2013, and will come in black, white, and red color variations.
What are your thoughts? What do you think of the specifications of the Sony Xperia L? Would you consider buying this device? Let us know in the comments section below.
In a video uploaded recently to online video streaming Web site YouTube, Sony asks viewers a very simple question: “Who are you?” It then goes on to explain that some people see their identity as the sum of all of their life experiences. Which is normal, and incidentally is also the reason why most people feel the need to capture and preserve as many moments in their lives as possible.
The term “moment” here of course refers to any sort of activity — or lack thereof — that can be documented with the use of a camera. And this is where Sony comes in, with its latest Exmor RS sensor-equipped cameraphones, such as the Sony Xperia Z and Sony Xperia ZL. The new video uploaded to YouTube by Sony highlights a few of the things that the Exmor RS mobile camera sensor lets its newest batch of smartphones do.
The Sony Xperia Z’s camera-related capabilities have already been discussed and showcased in the past. In fact, the world had already seen sample photos taken with the Xperia Z itself before it even became available in the market. In any case, Sony’s new video is here to simply make a point, and that is this: the Xperia Z is the tool that you need to capture those special moments in any light condition “if you believe you are the sum of your experiences.”
Head on down to watch the full one and a half minute video for yourself and get a glimpse of what the Exmor RS camera sensor has to offer.
We have already seen a variety of Galaxy S4-related rumors today, and it looks like a new report claims that the handset could feature a 3D-ready camera.
Now it’s time to turn our attention to some new Samsung patents that cover 3D photography, but also a new Panorama Camera System.
When it comes to the latter, we already heard that the Galaxy S4 will have its own Photo Sphere panorama mode camera alternative, which will be supposedly called Samsung Orb. But existing rumors did not actually mention any 3D support.
Sam Mobile (via Patent Bolt) speculates that the Galaxy S4 could also offer 3D support for pictures and videos, as the number “4” in the Galaxy S4 teaser poster is in 3D (see image above). As always, there’s nothing official to work with yet.
This wouldn’t be the first time we see Android handset makers release 3D-ready smartphones, although such devices have not really been crazy popular with the crowds, so it would certainly interesting to see Samsung come out with such a camera feature in its most important handset of the year.
At the same, the technology covered in the new patents could be used in future Samsung devices, including its own second-generation Android-based camera, but we’ll just have to wait and see what Samsung has in mind.
We’ll follow with all the official Galaxy S4 details in the coming days, so don’t go anywhere.
The megapixel race, according to HTC, is stupid. Don’t tell that to Aptina though, who just announced two new camera sensors, the AR1230 and the AR1330. The former is a 12 megapixel sensor, while the latter is a 13 megapixel part. Both can capture 1080p video at 96 frames per second; more importantly, both also capture 4K video at 30 frames per second.
What’s 4K video? It’s the video format that comes after HDTV. This year we should see a bunch of 4K televisions hit the market, but truth be told, the standard isn’t going to take off until the industry figures out how to distribute 4K content. The guys at The Verge recently spoke to Sony about 4K video, and Sony says each movie will be around 100 GB. That’s bananas, and a total nightmare for your internet service provider. New video codecs like h.265 will help reduce file sizes, but still, we’re talking serious bandwidth here.
But back to these new image sensors, when are we going to see them in commercial hardware? Aptina says this year, specifically the latter half. Who is going to use Aptina’s sensors? Good question. Both Apple and Samsung, the only two companies that really matter at this point, use Sony sensors. Maybe Aptina’s parts will be used in devices from less prestigious brands? We honestly don’t know.
What comes after 13 megapixels? We actually hope the industry stops this painful march towards higher and higher pixel counts and instead focuses on image quality. HTC has a serious pair of balls to introduce a 4 megapixel flagship smartphone in 2013, but you know what, it’s the right thing to do. Larger pixels, not more pixels, result in better photos. The optics also need to be perfect, because what’s the point of sticking a piece of shit plastic on top of an otherwise highly capable image sensor?
The innovative camera of the HTC One was one of the features that the struggling Taiwanese phone maker has been promoting as a major selling point. The innovation extolled by HTC is the sensor of the camera, which features three layers of large pixels (dubbed UltraPixels), a feature that supposedly allows for better pictures in varied lighting conditions.
Although we’ve seen a few HTC One sample shots already, those were either supplied by HTC or taken during the launch event in improper conditions.
Luckily, CNet Asia published a quick comparison between the camera of the HTC One and the camera of the iPhone 5. The good news for HTC fans is that the One’s camera is as good as or better than the iPhone’s, which is quite an achievement, given the reputation that Apple’s smartphone has when it comes to snapping pics.
CNet Asia tested the two phones under several lighting conditions, and while the test isn’t comprehensive, it does give us a rough idea of what the One is capable of. By far, the HTC One proved its superiority in the image at the top of the post, where the iPhone clearly overexposed the subject.
It’s good news so far for HTC, but we’ll have to see how the One performs against the heavyweight of mobile imaging, the Nokia 920, before we hand out any laurels. Check out the source link for more full resolution images taken with the HTC One.
According to EXIF data – which can be altered, so this isn’t always foolproof evidence – the pictures have been taken by a yet-to-be-released Samsung GT-I9500, which is widely accepted as the model number for the Galaxy S4. Furthermore, the images have a resolution of 4128 x 2322 (or 9.6-megapixels) and have a 16:9 format. Apparently 13-megapixel cameras can shoot 9.6-megapixel pictures in Auto mode “because the viewfinder can only utilize full screen in 16:9 mode.”
Upon further inspection, Androsym suggests that the images have been taken with a Sony Exmor RS 13-megapixel shooter, with 1/3’’ sensor size (4mm focal length,) not that anything can be confirmed right now.
Earlier today we talked about another Galaxy S4 camera-related rumor, with Samsung said to have its own Photo Sphere-like panoramic photo mode in the works, dubbed as Samsung Orb. Are these leaks intentional? Is Samsung somehow trying to tell potential buyers that the camera of the Galaxy S4 will have great features, such as a 13-megapixels and custom panorama mode? Is the company countering the UltraPixels? We’ll probably never find out.
What’s clear is that these images aren’t ready to confirm the Orb feature. In fact, we’re only looking at a keyboard that seems to have a South Korean layout and a desk.
Moreover, no connection to Samsung has been established for these images, but the fact that they have been removed already suggests we could be looking at the real deal.
Oh, the battle of megapixels! So important according to some, so pointless according to others. Well, no matter what side are you on, you’ll definitely chuckle at hearing this – there’s a Chinese OEM that’s planning to intro a phablet with a 32 MP rear-facing camera.
Chuckle and then probably scream at the top of your lungs – waaaaaant! Not so fast. After all, if you’re just looking for a camera phone with a packed sensor, the Nokia 808 PureView is still your guy, having a 41 MP snapper.
The thing is, unlike the PureView, Zopo (not Oppo)’s bad boy has a couple of other aces up its sleeve too. Like a humongous 5.7-inch display, a 1.6 GHz quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 CPU, a 5 MP front-facing cam and “3D Stereo Gaming”.
Hmm, that actually doesn’t sound bad, does it? Even if the Tegra 3 will be outdated in a couple of months. And, just my two cents, a 5.7-inch screen is way too large.
The above mentioned details are official, but unfortunately they’re all we’ve got on the unnamed 5.7-incher at this point. Well, that, a vague May ETA and a rather blurry pic. Which is why we ask for your patience before judging the beast.
The “creature” definitely sounds promising, but what if it’ll come with a measly 1,800 mAh battery, 512 MB of RAM and 4 GB of on-board storage? Everything’s possible in China, right? Not to mention the megapixels are, like it or not, just numbers. Or that the chances of someone like Zopo releasing a gadget in the West are slimmer than a Victoria’s Secret model before a fashion show. Mmmm, Miranda Kerr! Ahem, you get the point, don’t you?
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