Omnivision Announces 20% Thinner 8-MegaPixel Camera Sensor for Use in Smartphones

So Apple doesn't get early access as they do with Intel chips? Bummer!

The iPhone 4 is thin enough. Use the extra space for additional battery capacity.

So this is why the iPhone 5 is delayed

Jbrumz85 said:

So this is why the iPhone 5 is delayed

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Doubt it. I think it was for A5 reasons. Apple wouldn't hold back a design for a slightly enhanced lense. The 5MP iPhone 4 outshined some 8MP lenses back in 2010 if you remember correctly. It's not all about MP. Surely there is something that's upgraded from last years i4 5MP lens to now without it being a jump to this lens.

Dwalls90 said:

Doubt it. I think it was for A5 reasons. Apple wouldn't hold back a design for a slightly enhanced lense. The 5MP iPhone 4 outshined some 8MP lenses back in 2010 if you remember correctly. It's not all about MP. Surely there is something that's upgraded from last years i4 5MP lens to now without it being a jump to this lens.

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I think the iPhone 5 is delayed not for any of these reasons, but so they can get iOS 5 done right, iCloud launched and test everything more to avoid any bad press over silly things. Plus, I think it gives them time to build up more stock so they can better meet demand upon launch - or if the other rumors about Canada and China are right, launch in more markets sooner.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/mpmyth.htm

I'm not a fan of Ken Rockwell, but his article sums up my feelings about the ever increasing MP count in phone cameras.

My brain simply can't handle the amount of time, money and resources that this company put into to shaving 2 millimeters off of its product. That's their business, but wow.

I don't want more pixels*. I want better pictures (low light too).

*if it means that the actual quality of the picture does not improve

I just want Apple to fix the green spot that shows up in the center of photos. I don't care if they need a new sensor or some software to do it. Just fix it:



The other thing is this—if they are going to add 1080p video, I'd like a switch to toggle quality. 720p videos already take up too much space. That or make the next iPhone come in 64/128GB sizes. Your call Apple.

CorporateFelon said:

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/mpmyth.htm

I'm not a fan of Ken Rockwell, but his article sums up my feelings about the ever increasing MP count in phone cameras.

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I agree.... I have a really great quality 3Mp camera that takes amazing shots. It has an older CCD, but great lens and I can blow up prints to 18x24 and they look amazing.

I don't think more hurts, but it's far from what makes a great image.

Dwalls90 said:

Doubt it. I think it was for A5 reasons. Apple wouldn't hold back a design for a slightly enhanced lense. The 5MP iPhone 4 outshined some 8MP lenses back in 2010 if you remember correctly. It's not all about MP. Surely there is something that's upgraded from last years i4 5MP lens to now without it being a jump to this lens.

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The lens and the sensor are two totally different things that serve different functions. You seem to write lens like you mean the sensor here.

macduke said:

I just want Apple to fix the green spot that shows up in the center of photos. I don't care if they need a new sensor or some software to do it. Just fix it:

Image

The other thing is this—if they are going to add 1080p video, I'd like a switch to toggle quality. 720p videos already take up too much space. That or make the next iPhone come in 64/128GB sizes. Your call Apple.

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This may be caused by the thinness of the package of lens and sensor. Digital sensors only really like light striking them straight on. It is quite difficult to make a lens packaged so closely to the sensor that will achieve all the light beams hitting the sensor correctly across the sensor. When this cannot be done you often see colour casts like this.

I think the main/only reason they are doing it is for specs and that they can/could cram a higher-count MP camera in there.
When Apple introduced the iP4 last year some people balked/laughed at the addition of "only" a 5MP camera. However, tests showed that this 5MP camera could/sometimes pick/ed up details better than a higher 8MP camera on other smartphones. I think some of the photos I take with my iP4 are extremely great and have printed out some and look very good.

If they stuck with a 5MP camera more people would laugh yet again. Upping it keeps them with the Joneses.

Hopefully this will allow a 5 MP camera in the next iPad. I care more about that than improving the iPhone, which I consider to be quite good for a cell phone.

Small White Car said:

Hopefully this will allow a 5 MP camera in the next iPad. I care more about that than improving the iPhone, which I consider to be quite good for a cell phone.

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Yeah but who honestly goes around and shoots photos with their iPad?
The reason the iPhone has a better camera is because of its miniature form factor.

If they do make this new phone even thiner, it will be more difficult to put a better lens in it. I would much rather have the close to the same form factor of the iPhone 4 and if they have shrunk internals use that space for battery and have them find a way to put in a better lens.

Whoah. "Quantum efficiency". Things are getting small.

Who cares?! Give me a better lens, or just let it ride.

macduke,
Your photo looks like chromatic aberration in the lens. Green and purple are the 2 most common colors that lenses create due to imperfect refraction. A good camera lens that does away with this completely usually costs (at minimum) more than an iPhone or iPad. So...don't expect too much from a phone.

macduke said:

I just want Apple to fix the green spot that shows up in the center of photos. I don't care if they need a new sensor or some software to do it. Just fix it:

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Whoa, I never realized this until reading your post. My iPhone camera has the great green blob too. Ugh. I just want a better camera. 5mp (or 3 or 8) is fine with me as long as the pictures are crisp and have good color.

macduke said:

The other thing is this—if they are going to add 1080p video, I'd like a switch to toggle quality. 720p videos already take up too much space. That or make the next iPhone come in 64/128GB sizes. Your call Apple.

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+1 on the hard drive sizes. Videos are so huge!

CorporateFelon said:

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/mpmyth.htm

I'm not a fan of Ken Rockwell, but his article sums up my feelings about the ever increasing MP count in phone cameras.

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The MP Myth is actually a bit of a myth in of itself.

Yes, a lot goes into making a good camera and the lens is often way over looked. Yes, many camera have too many megapixels resulting in poorer low light performance. Yes, you do want a larger sensor to increase the megapixel amount, versus increasing the density.

However, new backlit sensors have really compensated a lot for the low light performance of the increased pixel density. And in situations where improvements to the lens can't necessarily be made, improving the pixel density can offer other advantages, such as actual usable digital zoom and image stabilization along with other sensor processing that can make up for the limitations of the negative impacts of increasing the pixel density.

The bottom line is that it's a much more complex formula for evaluating the impact of one level of megapixels versus another. More pixels could make things better, worse, or indifferent.

Considering this company's history, as well as Apple's, it's likely this sensor is going to deliver better images while using less power and occupying less space. So what's not to love?

Just can't see a thinner phone with a smaller better lens at a good price. If going to better and smaller the price will go up. Why bother?

webman2k said:

My brain simply can't handle the amount of time, money and resources that this company put into to shaving 2 millimeters off of its product. That's their business, but wow.

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When you get down to hand held form factors then those millimeters become the mile stones to measure progress by.