Apple is known for many things and one of them is their iPhone’s camera quality. The Retina display screens just add to the overall experience of clicking photos. And like always Apple is trying to improve at what they are already good at, and that is their Camera. Apple recently acquired Israel-based camera technology company LinX Computational Imaging Ltd., which specializes in “multi-aperture imaging technology” for DSLR-quality images, for a price of about $20 million. Previously, Apple had acquired a new patent for wireless camera which claims to be better than GoPro.
Apple, recently had launched an ad campaign ‘Shot on iPhone6’ which shows how much they are emphasizing on their picture taking capabilities.
The LinX camera uses multiple sensors to capture both 2D and 3D images which developers can use to refocus an image after it has been taken. The 3D image data will help developers to obtain the true dimensions of object, create 3D modeling and also real-time background replacement in video editing which will be a powerful tool to have in a smartphone.
LinX technology is said to have many advantages over traditional mobile photography like:
- A larger sensor requires a longer lens. Therefore, by replacing one large sensor with two or more smaller ones, which reduced the height of device by a factor of 1.4 to 2
- Sensitivity to light increases by a factor of 3 by using a monochrome sensor
- Noise levels are dramatically lower
- The effective array camera resolution is similar to the single aperture camera in high light
- Performance and image quality in low light are extraordinary
- Allowing a fast exposure at indoor standard lighting conditions of 100-200 lux which assures crisp images free from motion blur
- The multi-aperture camera creates a real-time, high-quality distance map
Alike all the patents which Apple acquired, it will be important to see when will Apple bring in this technology in its devices for users to take advantage of it.
This post was contributed by Mr. Aditya Patil.