nofilmschool » imageprocessing

Panasonic's Revolutionary New 'Micro Color Splitter' Sensor Filter Doubles Light Sensitivity

Dave Kendricken — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 16:02:38 +0000

The most common way we get color images with digital cameras is with a Bayer pattern CMOS sensor, but there are plenty of variations on that design being used today. The upcoming Aaton Penelope Delta uses a Bayer pattern over a Dalsa CCD, for example, while the RED EPIC-M Monochrome uses the MX CMOS sensor foregoing color filtration entirely. By their very nature, though, color filters of any kind cut down the amount of light transmitted to the sensor. That’s why Panasonic is developing a brand new type of color filter that will employ diffraction to split up the color spectrum, instead of filtration, and thus will be capable of doubling the light sensitivity of the sensor. (more…)

Polaroid, Technicolor, Kodak: With the Branded Beast Extinct, What Becomes of the Brand?

Dave Kendricken — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 09:29:21 +0000

In the whirlwind of hyperactive change that is Moore’s Law, branding can be a prime anchor point. Brand identity fights the tendency toward ‘the new’ with powerful invocations of the past: nostalgia, reliability, simplicity, and the association of that brand name with the creation of very dear memories. Granted, nostalgia alone can’t save anyone from bankruptcy — but it’s a start. Polaroid, Technicolor, and Kodak are prime examples of this interplay, and each is adapting in its own ways — though there’s some overlap. Not one, but two of these traditionally film-based companies are even releasing digital cameras. In whatever the way, each of the three is working toward the preservation of its own historic brand name — which do you think will pull through? (more…)

Ever Wondered How a CCD Sensor Works?

E.M. Taboada — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 11:19:51 +0000

Do you know how your sensor translates light into the data that later becomes your images? How does the physical construction of your sensor affect how pixels get interpreted? This little video is a great introduction into how CCD (charge-coupled device) sensors work in a digital camera, and gives a peek into the cool stuff happening under our noses at 24fps: (more…)