New Open-source Camera Could Revolutionize Photography

[Edwin Barkdoll]

ScienceDaily (Sep. 4, 2009) — Stanford photo scientists are out to reinvent digital photography with the

introduction of an open-source digital camera, which will give programmers around the world the chance to create

software that will teach cameras new tricks.

 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090903163953.htm

[thomas_sullivan]

<p>Great idea....hope it catches on.</p>

[mdc002]

<p>How would you like to lug that monster around all day!?</p>

[ted_tahquechi]

<p>That is quite the monster heh. I just wish we could all agree on a standardized raw file format. I know DNG is great and all but having to convert my RAWs to DNG for long term storage is a step in my workflow I wish I didn't have to do.</p>

[thomas_sullivan]

<p>most prototypes start out monstrorous....and eventually trim down to a manageble size..take for instance the very first computer, then look at it now. This laptop I'm typing this on right now has many times the computing power and versatility than the first computers. gotta start somewhere, and I just like the idea of treating a digital camera like a computer. You build the hardware to do multiple things, and you change the program as you need to, to do varied tasks. Not to mention let technology catch up with the concept as you go along revising it.</p>

[greg_peterson3]

<p>[ Insert rude noises here ]</p>

<p>Let us now talk about "open source" lenses. And sensors. And memory cards. And....</p>

<p>[ More rude noises ]</p>

[markci]

<p>Some of this stuff is hilarious:</p>

<p><em>"Yet another idea is to have the camera communicate with computers on a network, such as a photo-hosting service on the Web. Imagine, Levoy says, if the camera could analyze highly-rated pictures of a subject in an online gallery before snapping the shutter for another portrait of the same subject. The camera could then offer advice (or just automatically decide) on the settings that will best replicate the same skin tone or shading. By communicating with the network, the camera could avoid taking a ghastly picture."</em><br>

<em><br /></em><br>

Wow, so the next time I'm out taking a photo of the Golden Gate Bridge and press the shutter button, the camera will use its 3G internet connection to spider Photonet for other pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge, retrieve the top-rated ones, get their embedded shutter speed and aperture settings from the EXIF data, and set them on my camera before releasing the shutter.</p>

<p>Now that's some shutter lag. And so very helpful besides.</p>

<p>Have this guy ever actually taken a photo?</p>

[hjoseph7]

<p>I thought the whole idea about photography was taking pictures not programming. This one is a dud to me.</p>

[rossb]

<blockquote>

<p>I thought the whole idea about photography was taking pictures not programming. This one is a dud to me.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Make that a double dud.</p>

[d_f11]

<p>I triple that.</p>

[quanvu]

<p>I will "Super Size" it! lol<br>

Actually, it's not new - since back in 1987, I was assigned to write a software for a computer to learn all kind of languages, using AI (Artificial Intelligent) with LISP language, but the project canceled for lack of funding. Now with the much faster chip (back then, it was 808X kind of speed), I don't think it won't be too long before the AI is built-in the chip, to help the photographer and camera itself adjust to the environment during the shooting, all happened in nano seconds. Remembered that the US Air force already has radar that can quickly detected whether a missile is a decoy or a real one, the same concept can help the sensor to track and locked the subject even with fast movement and within a large crowd, keep it in super sharp while "bokeh" the rest- or whatever - as we wished.<br>

I also recalled the first Compad's "laptop" weight near 40 lbs, and the CRT is only 6 inch! Yikes!</p>

 

[steve_swinehart]

<p>Then, the camera can analyze photographer's work like Weston, Stieglitz, Strand, Bresson, etc. and advise you how to make a photograph that looks just like one made by a famous photographer...wouldn't that be helpful? They can take thinking and originality completely out of the photo process...super good idea!</p>

[jody_stowitts]

<p>Quite a bit has already been taken out. Its sometimes necessary to out-think the automation, i.e. matrix metering in certain conditions.</p>

[stephen_asprey2]

<p>Why not go the other way and make it even easier. How about a mechanical camera with the simplicity of an FM etc, but that which has a digital sensor. No menu's, no software, no LCD. Just the basic dials of ISO, film speed, aperture and focus. That would make me happy.<br>

I just had a fault on my D300 fixed and the camera came back with the new firmware and all my custom settings deleted. I've got it all on spreadsheet but I forgot to upload to a CF card. Two hours of work resetting everything. I then looked over at my old F4s, with a dial for everything, and thought...that was a complex camera, but it was still easier.<br>

Pretty soon it will require a degree in computing to run a camera.</p>