Oppo has unveiled a new camera technology at the MWC 2017 event that offers 5X optical zoom on a smartphone which, a few years ago, you could expect only from a point and shoot camera or a DSLR. Several smartphones had been launched in the past with zoom capabilities, like the Galaxy S4 Zoom from Samsung or the Zenfone Zoom from Asus, but their cameras were fat and looked nothing like that on a normal phone.
The new photography technology Oppo showcased at the MWC -- the 5x Dual Camera Zoom system -- that barely peeks out of the phone's back surface. The arrangement of lenses that move to achieve zoom are stacked along the phone's width, something similar to the Zenfone Zoom but probably in a more efficient manner.
Though Apple also uses dual camera setup on its iPhone 7 Plus, and offers 2X zoom, it is simple two different lenses and all you do for zoom is switch from one sensor and lens pair to another with higher focal length. That is what its either 2X or 1X, nothing in between.
Oppo's 5x Dual Camera Zoom system actually has a set of lenses stacked in the elongated camera module that would move to change focal length, going from 1X all the way through 2X and 3x to 5X in steps. The module is placed horizontally and completely inside the phone to make it look normal on the outside. The light hitting the phone vertically is deflected or turned inside the camera module to the right by 90-degrees using a prism, where it goes through more than 50 parts, which have been stacked in a 5.7mm module (lens) before being recognized by the sensor.
While the camera remains inside the phone, it can still zoom 5 times in to the space ahead opticallty, without losing any details. The lens is mounted on an Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) unit that negates any effect of slightest movement that may cause the image to blur.
The company did not reveal which Oppo phone will be carrying 5X Dual Camera Zoom system or when can it be expected in the market, if at all it gets a sane price tag. But Oppo has applied for about 50 patents with its new camera technology, including one for the zoom mechanism.
Oppo revealed that the technology was developed in alliance with an Israeli startup specialized at making dual camera setup for use in smartphones. Named Corephotonics, the five-year old company recently raised $15M in funding from tech giants like Samsung and Foxconn.
0 comments:
Post a Comment