Sweeping Panoramas, Courtesy of a Robot
Source: The New York Times
Written by Ann Eisenberg
ROBOTS already cut the grass and vacuum rugs. Now they are helping with a more artistic job: creating vast photographic panoramas with ordinary cameras.
A new, inexpensive robotic device from researchers at Carnegie Mellon University attaches snugly to almost any standard digital camera, tilting and panning it to fashion highly detailed panoramic vistas — whether of the Grand Canyon, a rain forest or a backyard Easter egg hunt. The robot is called GigaPan, named “giga” for the billion or more pixels it can marshal for a typical panorama. It creates the huge, high-resolution vista by extending its robotic finger and repeatedly clicking the camera shutter, taking tens, hundreds or even thousands of overlapping images, each at a slightly different angle, that are then stitched together by software to create one gigapixel shot.
Viewers can explore a panorama in detail when it is displayed on a computer screen, clicking on any part of the image and then zooming in for crisp close-ups. You can move from an overall shot of the forest, for instance, to an image of one small moth resting on the side of a single tree trunk.
The roboticized camera mount and related software were devised by a team led by Randy Sargent, a senior systems scientist at Carnegie Mellon West and the NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., and Illah Nourbakhsh, an associate professor of robotics at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh. The work was part of a project to introduce people to different countries and cultures through images.
The GigaPan provides a low-cost alternative to sophisticated motorized camera mounts on the market used to take panoramic photos, said Greg Downing, co-founder of the xRez Studio in Santa Monica, Calif., which specializes in gigapixel photography. The motorized mounts can cost thousands of dollars, he said, and typically require a high-end camera.
Original post by PSN Editorial Staff
Written by PhotoShop News.Phase One Announces World’s First Full Frame 645 Medium Format Camera System
Press Release: COPENHAGEN, Denmark — (Marketwire, July 14, 2008) — Phase One A/S today announced the P 65+ digital back and the P 65+ camera system based on Sensor+ CCD technology co-developed with DALSA Semiconductor. This patent-pending, Sensor+ technology represents a significant advancement in image capture. The chip platform offers the most demanding photographers upgradeable CCD functions, ensuring a longer lifespan for their digital back investments.
- Scaleable pixel and file size
- Higher sensitivity & dynamic range
- Increased flexibility for operation and capture
- Improved capture rates
The P 65+ digital back and the P 65+ camera system are fully upgradeable, based on advancements in the chip technology, providing a competitive advantage through enhanced performance and new functions as well as a lower overall cost of operation. Such improvements have previously been available only at the cost of new chips and hardware.
The Phase One P 65+ is the first digital back and camera system to take advantage of the new Sensor+ design and is the world’s first full-frame capture system based on actual 645 film format. The P 65+ provides the largest live capture area available with coverage of 53.9mm x 40.4mm — enabling full viewfinder coverage thus no need for lens magnification. “What you see is what you get.” The P 65+ sensor format provides 20 percent more live area compared to 39 or 50 Megapixel, 48mm x 36mm chips currently delivering or announced. Sensor resolution is 60.5 Megapixel with 8984 x 6732 active pixels achieving 180 MB, 8 bit RGB files.
In addition to offering the industry’s largest live capture area and highest resolution, the P 65+ offers captures at 1 frame per second, reduction of Moire artifacts, next generation Lens+ & Focus+ technologies and an unprecedented 12.5 f-stops of dynamic range.
More technical details and demonstrations of Sensor+ technology will be available at the Photokina trade show in September 2008. Camera shipments with P 65+ digital back are expected to begin in Q4 2008. The P 65+ digital back starts at $39,900; the P 65+ camera system starts at $41,990. Advance orders are available now. For more information please contact sales@phaseone.com.
Phase One is a leading provider of digital image capture and work flow management technology. Phase One P+ Series digital backs and camera systems open new possibilities, putting the focus back on the moment of capture. Phase One Capture One software helps streamline the capture and post-production process. Supporting DSLR, medium- and large-format photographic equipment, Phase One products are renowned for their superior quality, flexibility and speed — enabling pro photographers to realize their most subtle and most complex visions without compromise.
Phase One is an employee-owned company based in Copenhagen with offices in New York, London, Tokyo, Cologne and Shanghai.
Original post by PSN Editorial Staff
Written by PhotoShop News.Stephen Johnson Offers Summer Digital Boot Camp
This full-week photography workshop is an intense immersion into digital photography with one of its pioneers. In five days you will go from perhaps not even understanding what a RAW file is, to making well-crafted and thoughtful prints.
Fieldwork, extensive lecture and lab work will fill your time together. Every student will have full access to their own workstation in the lab. Class Topics:
- Digital Exposure
- Photographic Composition
- RAW Processing
- Image Editing
- Tonal Judgements
- Selections
- Color Correction
- Color Management
- Inkjet Printing
- Fine Art Presentation
All necessary materials will be provided, including a copy of Stephen’s latest book “Stephen Johnson on Digital Photography.”
Class will run Sunday through Thursday from 9am to 5pm. Lunch will be provided each day of studio work.
About Stephen Johnson
A photographer, teacher and designer, Stephen has been teaching and working in photography since 1977. His books include At Mono Lake, the critically acclaimed The Great Central Valley: California’s Heartland and Making a Digital Book. His Stephen Johnson on Digital Photography was published in 2006 by O’Reilly Media.He runs his own photography, publishing and design company–scanning and designing his photographic books using a Macintosh computer and since 1994 photographing in the field with digital view cameras.
Current projects include With a New Eye, his ground-breaking and historic all digital national parks project.
Stephen’s pioneering work in digital photography has included software and product development for clients such as Apple, Adobe, Eastman Kodak, Epson, Foveon, Hewlett Packard, Leaf, Ricoh and X-rite. His work with Adobe includes the creation of the duotone curves shipped with their Photoshop software.
Photographic clients have included the Ansel Adams Publishing Trust, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, the Friends of Photography and the National Park Service. Johnson’s photographs have been widely published and collected internationally.
He has recieved numerous awards and grants for his photographic work, including an NEA for At Mono Lake, awards from the Bay Area Book Reviewers Association, the Commonwealth Club of California and the Golden Light Award for the Great Central Valley. The New York Times named the Valley book as one of the eight best photography books of 1993. He was named to the Photoshop Hall of Fame in 2003 and as a Canon Explorer of Light in 2006.
For more info see the workshop website here.
Original post by PSN Editorial Staff
Written by PhotoShop News.Mac OS X for Photographers by Rod Wynne-Powell
With so many photographers using Macintosh computers, it was high time that someone should write a book that was specifically designed to help photographers understand better how the Macintosh OSX system works and how to troubleshoot some of the common problems photographers face.
According to Rod, the book covers Tiger and some of Leopard as it relates to Photographers. Solving Photoshop and related Mac hardware and software problems is a crucial and urgent need in a working environment when things can and do go wrong.
Rod Wynne-Powell explains how the Mac operating system works and the pitfalls you are likely to fall into.
He shows you how to get the best out of your system and improve efficiency. This is the only book on Macs specifically for photographers and digital image makers, written by a digital imaging consultant, trainer, photographer and Photoshop alpha tester who answers digital image makers’ Mac queries every day. Wynne-Powell speaks the same language as photographers.
* The only Mac OS X book written by a photographer and digital imaging expert specifically for the digital imaging industry
* Invaluable tips on trouble-shooting and running software on a Mac, clearly explained with full colour images and screen-grabs
Photo: © Jeff Schewe 2008
Rod Wynne-Powell runs Solutions Photographic as a retoucher, trainer and consultant for digital photographers. He is an accomplished photographer and an alpha tester for Adobe Photoshop, and acts as technical checker for Martin Evenings Adobe Photoshop for Photographers, also published by Focal Press.
“A really useful book that explains how to escape from those inexplicable Mac conundrums and crashes and keep your Mac and Photoshop running sweetly.”
Adam Woolfitt, photographer and author, UK
“Please send me a copy as soon as the ink is dry!”
Katrin Eismann, author, educator and ‘Photoshop Diva’, USA
Original post by PSN Editorial Staff
Written by PhotoShop News.Photo industry braces for another revolution
Source: CNET
Written by Stephen Shankland
Think of it as digital photography 2.0.
In the last decade, photography has been transformed by one revolution, the near-total replacement of analog film cameras by digital image sensors. Now researchers and companies are starting to stretch their wings by taking advantage of what a computer can do with sensor data either within the camera or on a full-fledged PC.
Some elements of this new era, which researchers often call computational photography, are refinements of existing technology. For example, some cameras can wait to take the photo only when subjects are smiling and not blinking, in effect placing the shutter release button in the hands of the subjects rather than the photographer.
But more dramatic changes could shift the definition of a camera more dramatically. One major area of research, for example, uses computational processing to create a 3D representation of a scene rather than just the two dimensions of traditional photography.
“There’s a shift in thinking going on,” said Kevin Connor, who manages professional digital imaging products for Adobe Systems. “People are starting to see the broader possibilities and where we can push things…People are realizing that maybe we shouldn’t just be trying to make the best traditional photography experience.”
Original post by PSN Editorial Staff
Written by PhotoShop News.122 Million Digital Cameras by 2010
World Digital Camera Market to Reach 122 Million Units by 2010, According to New Report by Global Industry Analysts
Press Release: San Jose, California (PRWEB) February 26, 2008—The world digital camera market stands enthused by the effervescent level of technology development and product feature innovations. Technical innovations in the field of batteries, photo printing, storage devices and internet technologies are expected to propel the growth of digital cameras. Wireless communications enabled digital cameras, for instance, are growing in popularity, given their cutting edge advantages and benefits, such as, added convenience, effectiveness, and functionality in the form of e-mail transmission ability, enhanced storage media, compatibility with PC image processing, and higher image resolution.
Ease of use, compact design, size, style and convenience are few of the product features critical to commercial success in the marketplace. In addition, amplified digital photo improvement and management software, shorter shutter delays, partial image capturing, ability to modify scene backgrounds, high-end optical and storage features, also represent product features, which play an instrumental role in keeping demand alive and consumer enthusiasm sufficiently kindled. Encouraged largely by rapidly falling prices, higher functionality and improvement in picture quality, consumer preferences are increasingly shifting towards medium and high-end models, thereby promising expanded market opportunities. The waxing popularity of single-lens reflex (SLR) digital cameras is triggering several acquisitions in the industry, since production of these cameras requires advanced optical technologies. Matsushita, Sony and Samsung are few global players who have forayed into the SLR digital camera market, lured by its lucrative potential. Sony’s teaming up with Konica Minolta, and Samsung’s partnership with Pentax represent just the tip of the iceberg. The industry is abuzz with mutually synergistic alliances, partnerships, and collaborations.
Digital Cameras: A Global Strategic Business Report
As stated by the recent report published by Global Industry Analysts, Inc., world digital camera market is dominated by the United States and Europe with a combined share of over 59%, estimated for the year 2007. In the >2 MP - 5 MP digital camera market, European sales are estimated at 7 million units. Global sales in the above 5 MP digital camera market are expected to grow at a CAGR of over 50% through the period 2001-2010. In Europe, Germany and the United Kingdom, together, collar nearly 43% of the market for digital cameras.
Leading global and regional players operating in the industry include Canon Inc, Fujifilm, Samsung, Eastman Kodak Company, Sony Corporation, Toshiba America Inc, Sanyo Electric Co Ltd, Nikon Corporation, Olympus, Polaroid, Leica Camera, Panasonic, Casio Computer Co Ltd, Hewlett-Packard Company, and Vivitar Corp, among others.
The report titled “Digital Cameras: A Global Strategic Business Report” published by Global Industry Analysts, Inc., provides a comprehensive review of market trends, drivers, issues, challenges, and technology developments. Richly annotated with authoritative, and unbiased commentaries, and hard-to-find statistical facts, the report provides unequivocal views on future potential while throwing light on the prevailing climate in key regional markets. Product markets analyzed in the report include 2 MP - 5 MP Digital Cameras, and above 5 MP Digital Cameras. Latent demand patterns in product markets are quantified across major geographic market verticals including the United States, Canada, Japan, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, and Asia-Pacific, among others. Also provided in the report is an enumeration of recent mergers, acquisitions, and other strategic industry activities.
For more details about this research report, please visit
http://www.strategyR.com/Digital_Cameras_Market_Report.asp
About Global Industry Analysts, Inc.
Global Industry Analysts, Inc., (GIA) is a reputed publisher of off-the-shelf market research. Founded in 1987, the company is globally recognized as one of the world’s largest market research publishers. The company employs more than 700 people worldwide and publishes more than 880 full-scale research reports each year. Additionally, the company also offers a range of more than 60,000 smaller research products including company reports, market trend reports and industry reports encompassing all major industries worldwide.
Original post by PSN Editorial Staff
Written by PhotoShop News.Start-up lets you fix focus after snapping the shutter
Source: CNET
Written by Stephen Shankland
It’s one of the oldest, most common problems in photography: that picture you thought would be the prize shot is out of focus.
Refocus Imaging, a Silicon Valley start-up, thinks its technology can be used to make cameras that can fix that problem–after you take the photo.
By fitting a camera’s image sensor with a special lens and then processing the resulting data with new methods, Refocus Imaging’s technology will let photographers fix their photos and exercise new creative control after the shutter is released, founder and Chief Executive Ren Ng said.
“There’s a lot of physical stuff in the camera that is limiting its performance,” Ng said. “What we’re doing is to capture much more than a two-dimensional photograph inside the camera…By collecting the light, we can process it in software to do what the hardware usually has to do.”
Original post by PSN Editorial Staff
Written by PhotoShop News.Cameras with built-in geotagging on horizon
Source: CNET
Written by Stephen Shankland
Geotagging, in which digital photos are labeled with the location where they were taken, is mostly unfamiliar to photographers today. But new developments are likely going to put the technology on the map.
In interviews at the Photo Marketing Association trade show in Las Vegas recently, several camera executives expressed an interest in geotagging and some companies were demonstrating technology. It’s clear that mainstream geotagging is a matter of when, not if.
The strongest evidence I encountered is Air Semiconductor, a start-up building a chip designed to let cameras process GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite signals so latitude and longitude data can be attached to digital photos. It remains to be seen how well this works, but this idea is the holy grail of geotagging–no extra hardware or software is required.
Original post by PSN Editorial Staff
Written by PhotoShop News.Polaroid shutting 2 Mass. facilities, laying off 150
As company exits film business, plants will close in Norwood, Waltham
Source: Boston Globe
Written by Hiawatha Bray
Polaroid Corp., the Massachusetts company that gave the world instant film photography, is shutting down its film manufacturing lines in the state and abandoning the technology that made the company famous.
“The Norwood plant is shutting down, and we will soon be winding down activities at the Waltham facility as well,” said Kyle MacDonald, senior vice president of Polaroid’s instant photography business segment. The closures, set for completion during this quarter, will eliminate about 150 jobs. In the late 1970s, Polaroid employed about 15,000 in Massachusetts.
The Norwood and Waltham plants make large-format films used by professional photographers and artists. Polaroid also makes professional-grade films in Mexico, and its consumer film packs come from a factory in the Netherlands. All these plants are slated for closure this year. Polaroid chief operating officer Tom Beaudoin said the company is interested in licensing its technology to an outside firm that could manufacture film for faithful Polaroid customers. If that doesn’t happen, Polaroid users would have to find an alternative photo technology, as the company plans to make only enough film to last into next year.
Original post by PSN Editorial Staff
Written by PhotoShop News.Photo clues are breadcrumbs in lost camera mystery
Source: USA Today
Written by Brian Bergstein, Associated Press
Sitting on the back seat was a nice Canon digital camera. Gunderson asked the driver which previous passenger might have left it, but the cabbie didn’t seem to care. So Gunderson brought it home and showed it to her fiance, Brian Ascher. They decided that the only right thing to do was to find the owner.
But how? The only clues were the pictures on the camera: typical tourist snapshots, complete with a visit to the Statue of Liberty. How could they find a stranger among the huddled masses?
Gunderson is busy in finance for Bear Stearns Cos., so the detective quest fell to Ascher, a 26-year-old law student at New York University. He was on winter break and eager to put off writing a paper about climate change treaties.
He checked whether anyone had reported a matching missing camera to the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission. No dice. He placed ads in lost-and-found sections of Craigslist but got just one response — from a couple in Brazil who had lost a camera in a cab on Oct. 12, not Dec. 31.
“I guess they thought their camera had been riding around in a taxi for two months,” Ascher recalls now, chuckling at the notion that such a thing would be possible in New York.
Original post by PSN Editorial Staff
Written by PhotoShop News.