Pixel Binning is Here!

Nokia 808 PureView, photo courtesy of Nokia

With the announcement of Nokia’s new camera/cell phone combo, the 808 PureView with a sensor resolution of 41 MP, the subject of pixel binning is becoming a hot topic. Starting with a physically large sensor—somewhere in size between the usual digital compacts and APS-C sensors—the 808 will offer uncommonly high resolution images, lossless digital 3X zooming, a 5-element Carl Zeiss lens, and exceptional low light performance. It’s this last quality where pixel binning comes into play.

Pixel binning has been used in astro-photography and micro-photography. In pixel binning, adjacent pixels are processed and combined into one large sensor, sometimes called a “super pixel.” The advantage of this is when you combine the light gathering capabilities of four pixels into one, you increase the amount of light you are working with in the image. So, the result is reduced noise in the image. That’s why it is used in astro-photography, where you have very low light subjects and a lot of black in the image. You end up with noise-less, clean images. Turns out, it works in regular photography, too.

Photo taken with Nokia 808 PureView, courtesy of Nokia

Nokia uses the same technology in the 808 PureView, though they are not saying exactly how many pixels are being combined into one super pixel. However, the samples they are showing makes the reduction of noise significant in the 808. But nothing can be gained without some costs, and in this case, the cost is resolution. This makes sense, because when you have to use several pixels to give you, in the end, one pixel of resolution, you will need to start off with a lot of pixels to end up with anything useful. So in the case of the Nokia 808 PureView, though the sensor is 41 MP, with pixel binning you will actually be shooting in resolutions of no more than 8 MP. That’s quite a drop, but what you gain is a very clean image with little or no noise. And this is what most photographers seem to be asking from their cameras, to be able to shoot at lower light levels and still have noise-free images. Pixel binning is the way to achieve this and without a doubt, this technology will be used in more cameras in the near future.

 Example of Pixel Binning, photo courtesy of Fujifilm

Sony is rumored to be using pixel binning in their compact cameras coming out later this year. It makes sense that this will show up in DSLRs, especially for cameras targeting photojournalists. It wouldn’t surprise me that this is why the new full-frame Canon EOS-1D X has a sensor resolution of 18 MP. Maybe it actually has a much higher resolution sensor but uses pixel binning to reduce noise and the pixel count down to that 18 MP. That would make sense, but of course, I have no idea if this is true. It’s just a thought that occurred to me. Anyway, pixel binning is here and it’s a good idea. You will be seeing more of it.

The New Olympus OM-D EM-5

Okay, it's time to eat some crow. Before it came out, I guessed that the new Olympus OM-D camera would feature a full-frame, 35mm-sized sensor. Well, I was wrong. As I wrote before, I saw an image of the camera with a 45mm, f/1.8 lens on it, which is nearly a normal lens for the 35mm format, so I thought this indicated it was full-frame. And like I said, I was wrong about that.

The OM-D is, in fact, a Micro 4/3s camera, like the PEN series Olympus is already making. I have to admit, I am a little disappointed, though I understand it. The OM-D cameras will fit nicely into an already established system, using the same lenses, but will appeal to a different kind of customer. Okay, I get it. But even though it looks like an SLR with a pentaprism hump on top, when you are looking through the camera, you are looking at a small electronic screen and no mirror is involved in the viewing. This is the same as the Panasonic GH2 camera.

Looking at the OM-D EM-5, it appears to be a interesting choice. By the way, that's its full name, though what happened to models 1 through 4, I don't know. Maybe it's a reference to the old days of the OM 35mm cameras, when Olympus only made it up to an OM-4 in their line-up. I guess that was an OM-4T. Anyway, here are some of the main features.

• 16.1 MP High-Speed Live MOS sensor
• 5-axis image stabilization, in body for stills and movies
• 1.55 million-dot EVF for the internal viewing screen with 100% viewing
• Automatic switching between internal EVF and external, tilting OLED touch screen
• Dust-proof and splash-proof
• ISO up to 25600
• Full HD-Movie recording in MPEG4
• 9 frames per second without AF, 4.2 fps with AF
• Black and Chrome versions of the body

There's also some new lenses announced for the camera. A 75mm f/1.8 and a 60mm f/2.8 Macro. While this doesn't appear to be as revolutionary a development as the original OM cameras, the OM-D EM-5 is still a welcome addition to the Olympus line-up. The features seem solid and the controls are simple and direct, just like the old days. Seems like a winner.

Nikon Debuts New Camera

Nikon has announced the D800, which replaces the popular D700, which was the go-to camera for a lot of pros. The D800 has a 36 MP full-frame sensor, which makes it the current champ in terms of pixel count. It, of course, has full HD video capability, an ISO range from 50 to 25,600, and will do 4 frames per second shooting.

The most interesting fact about this camera is that it will be available in two different models. The difference is that you have the choice of buying the camera with or without an anti-aliasing filter. One of the facts of life with digital cameras is that the small segment nature of the image--that is, the pixels in the sensor break up the images into very small chunks--tends to create visual interference in subjects with small, regular details. These can be subjects like window screening, distant corrugated metal, and/or most kinds of cloth. The patterns of these materials combine and interfere with the pixelated digital image, creating false patterns and wave-like colorations called moire. When this happens, it can be very disturbing.

Well, to eliminate moire in digital cameras, manufacturers came up with anti-aliasing filters, which are placed in front of the sensor. They slightly diffuse the image, which gets rid of the moire. However, the cost is that the image is slightly diffused, that is, it is slightly soft or not sharp, in other words. This usually is not much of a problem, because nearly all 35mm shaped DSLRs use anti-aliasing filters, and most people don't think their Nikon D700's and their Canon 5D Mark II's are anything less that great.. The only exceptions to this are the Leica M8 and M9 cameras and the new Fuji X-Pro 1 camera. Those don't use anti-aliasing filters and that is a big part of the reason why the M9 is capable of recording such amazing amounts of detail. There is nothing in front of the sensor to degrade the image at all.

Now, you will be able to get a D800E, which means that it will not have an anti-aliasing filter. This fact coupled with the 36 MP sensor adds up to one seriously high-resolution camera. Fashion photographers, who deal with cloth all the time, will not want this camera, and photojournalists probably won't care, but advertising, commercial, and fine art photographers should really be interested in this one. This is a bold and smart choice for Nikon!

Kickstarter Project to Watch

Sometimes there are interesting photography related projects that are seeking funding on Kickstarter, everything from equipment manufacturing to photo projects to book projects. Kickstarter is a crowd-sourced solution for funding things people want to create. Since a lot of grants and business loans have dried up since the recession and housing bubble burst, artists and innovators have successfully used Kickstarter to get the funds they need.

I'm sure the preceding is old news for a lot of you, but I ran across a new project there and it's about a guy trying to manufacture a follow-focus device for DSLR HD-capable cameras. He's aiming for it to be simple and reliable and cheap. It's called the 50-Dollar Follow Focus, and that says it all. If you know anything about this field, it seems like all the video accessories are really quite expensive. Even simple looking gadgets end up costing thousands. Go figure.

So if you are in the market for a follow focus device for your camera, you might  want to look his project over. For $60.00, you can get one of these devices as soon as they are available. The extra $10 is to cover shipping and all that stuff. Sounds like a good deal. Read about it and watch his video here. His project will end in 18 days from now.

Photography: Against the Law!

Ever since the events of 9-11, our world has changed in many ways. In the effort of fighting terrorism, individual freedoms and rights have taken a beating, and so have a fair number of photographers. Security personnel, from both the private and government sectors, have acted against working photojournalists and amateur photographers when they have been caught taking photographs in public settings. Cameras have been confiscated, people have been beaten and intimidated, and some have even been arrested. The idea is that terrorists could be taking photos of potential targets for terrorism, as part of their planning, though it is my understanding that no evidence of this picture-taking behavior has ever been found with any terrorists. In the past few years, police personnel here in the States have even been caught harassing citizens who try to photograph or record public police actions. This is a bad trend for any democracy and it seems to be happening all over the world, particularly in England and here in the USA. JPG Magazine has published an article on this topic and you can learn more about it here.

Olympus Resurrects the OM Cameras

Well, rumors are flying fast and furious around the web the past few days that Olympus will be revealing at an upcoming electronics show in London a brand, a new camera called the OM-D. Few facts are known at this time, but a few things are known, maybe. It's all guess work, of course, at this time, but it's probably going to be in form and function, a cross between a DSLR and a Micro 4/3s approach.

The leaked pictures of it show a pentaprism shape on top of the camera, but it won't have an internal mirror, it'll be a internal EVF screen. It will have interchangeable lenses, but who knows what lens mount it will use. No word has been given as to the size/dimensions of its sensor. Will it be Micro 4/3s or something else?

Well, the one photo I saw of it shows the camera with a 45mm f/1.8 lens. Another clue about the camera, from Olympus, is he word: "One." What does this all mean? I don't really know, but I wonder. That lens I saw seems suspiciously like a normal lens, so does that mean it will be a full-frame camera, like Canon's 5D Mark II? Or maybe it will be a new format that is only slightly smaller than full-frame? 

Not completely sure how the "One" fits in here; maybe it refers to a 1:1 sensor or full-frame? Maybe it refers to the old Olympus camera, the OM-1. That was the first serious camera I owned and it revolutionized camera design in the 70s. Pro cameras of that time were large and heavy, much like current cameras today, and the OM series of cameras gave pros a smaller, more portable SLR with first-class lenses. Current pros have been clamoring for a smaller, more portable digital camera for years. That's why the Micro 4/3s have been doing so well among pros and enthusiasts. So maybe Olympus is going to try and repeat that strategy for this generation, and the OM-D (or maybe the OM-1D? maybe that's where the "One" fits in?) will be the digital camera that pros will adopt for photojournalism and documentary work. We'll just have to wait and see. When more is known, I'll let you know about it.

An Investment in Time

photo by Michael Chrisman

Everyone tends to think of photography in terms of moments caught in the blink of an eye. Philosophically, we get that from Henri Cartier-Bresson and his Decisive Moment approach to photography, but in practical terms, just look at the shutter speeds on our cameras; they are all in fractions of a second. When I began photographing, my Olympus OM-1n had a top shutter speed of 1/1000 of a second. Now it’s not uncommon to have 1/8000 of a second in higher-end cameras. 

But the fractions of a second are only part of the story of photography. Working in low light or night settings, or with slow ISO settings and high f-stops, and you will find your shutter settings extending past the fractions of a second and into full seconds and even minutes. In my Japanese Garden series, Visual Haiku, I once had an exposure of 30 minutes for one shot. It was just after sun-up on a cloudy, foggy day and there just wasn’t very much light to work with, though the end results were magical. 

Well, another photographer, Michael Chrisman, has taken the idea of long exposures to its extreme. Using a home-made pinhole camera, Chrisman made an image of the Toronto skyline that took one year to expose. That’s right, a one year exposure. Not a second or an hour or even several hours, but every day for a year the camera was exposing the paper inside the camera and building up an exposure of that city. I’ve never heard of a longer exposure than that. The light, diagonal streaks in the sky of the image are the traces of the sun as it traveled across the sky over the course of a year. The resulting image is more interesting for how it was made than for what it looks like, but it still has a subtle charm of its own. You can read the story about Michael Chrisman and his project here.