Tag Archives: omnivision

OmniVision wins Guinness World Record for its tiny medical image sensor

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OmniVision is the new holder of the Guinness World Record for the smallest commercially available image sensor. The tiny device (pictured above in a camera module next to a grain of pepper) measures just half a millimetre squared, and will have a sig...

Gionee Elife E7 boasts most sensitive 16MP camera, 2.5GHz Snapdragon 800

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Gionee isn't exactly a name that you'd come across in the Western market every day, but this time, the Chinese company has big global ambitions. The latest proof is its Elife E7, a 5.5-inch 1080p Android phone that boasts two titles: it's the first known phone featuring the 2.5GHz flavor of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 chip (MSM8974AC); plus it has the most sensitive 16-megapixel camera, courtesy of its Largan M8 lens (though the aperture is still unknown) and 1/2.3-inch sensor with large 1.34µm pixels. Compared to the competition, Gionee believes this particular OmniVision sensor has the best balance between resolution and pixel size, and the phone maker even went as far as claiming this already beats the 1.12µm, 16-megapixel counterpart on the yet-to-be-announced Galaxy S 5. Of course, we'll believe it when we get to properly test the E7's camera ourselves.

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OmniVision details 10.5-megapixel Clear Pixel sensor inside Moto X

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OmniVision details 105megapixel camera sensor inside Moto X

Motorola has been hyping up the 10.5-megapixel Clear Pixel camera inside the Moto X, but it's been shy on the sensor's technical details and origins. We now have both: it's the OmniVision OV10820, a 1/2.6-inch sensor with a video-friendly 16:9 aspect ratio and large 1.4-micron pixels. Its strong low-light performance comes through a two-chip approach. The sensor captures RAW images using a sensitive RGBC (red / green / blue / clear) color filter, and a companion chip automatically converts the resulting shots into the Bayer format that most imaging processors expect. The result is a high-performance camera that slots inside the Moto X without requiring any special effort. Whether or not we see the OV10820 used outside of Motorola is another matter. OmniVision can't comment on the sensor's exclusivity, but it does note that RGBC is an "extremely viable option" for the future.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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Source: OmniVision

OmniVision OV2724 should lead to super-small, 1080p60 front phone cameras

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OmniVision OV2724 may lead to supersmall, 1080p60 front phone cameras

When most front-facing mobile cameras are shoehorned in between a myriad of sensors, they seldom have the breathing room they'd need for truly noteworthy performance. OmniVision can't quite defy physics, but its new OV2724 sensor could challenge at least a few of our common assumptions. The OV2722 successor stuffs 1080p imaging into the company's smallest chip of the kind, at 5mm by 5mm by 3.5mm -- ideally, leading to full HD front cameras in tinier devices. Full-size devices still stand to benefit, though. The OV2724 has the headroom to record at an extra-smooth 60 frames per second, and individual frames should be more eye-catching between the higher dynamic range and better low light shooting. The only frustration left is having to wait for mass production of the new sensor in the summer quarter -- we won't see any phones or tablets reaping the rewards for at least a few months.

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Source: OmniVision

DigitalOptics’ fast MEMS camera enables Lytro-like post-capture refocus (video)

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DigitalOptics' fast MEMS lens actuator enables Lytrolike postcapture refocus video

Tech shows like CES and MWC are great for taking a peek at what's coming up in the world of consumer electronics, even down to the component level. At the latter show this year, we came across DigitalOptics whose name may not sound familiar, but you may already be using its HDR, red eye removal, face tracking, face beautification and other related technologies on many phones (like Oppo's) and cameras (sorry, not allowed to name them here). Now, this year the company will also be offering its MEMS (microelectromechanical system) lens actuator which, compared to its traditional voice coil counterpart, is apparently more reliable, longer lasting, more efficient and faster with a 10ms settling time instead of the usual 20 to 25ms.

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OmniVision unveils 5MP BSI sensor that takes low light cameras further into the entry level

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OmniVision unveils 5MP sensor that takes low light photography to the entry level It's almost a truism that starter smartphones have poor cameras that struggle just to get pristine photos in broad daylight, let alone dim interiors. Thankfully, OmniVision's new OV5645 sensor could lead newcomers out of a very literal darkness. The 5-megapixel imager includes backside illumination, support for 1080p30 (or 720p60) video and its own internal autofocus system, but no dedicated JPEG compression engine -- in short, a lot of the low-light performance of more sophisticated smartphones without the usual attached costs. Its cost-cutting even extends to front cameras, as a forward-facing sensor can share resources with the back camera to scale back on redundant hardware. We're looking forward to when mass production starts in the first quarter of 2013; we might not have to excuse our photo quality for a long, long time afterwards.

Continue reading OmniVision unveils 5MP BSI sensor that takes low light cameras further into the entry level

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OmniVision unveils 5MP BSI sensor that takes low light cameras further into the entry level originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Oct 2012 17:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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OmniVision’s 12.7-megapixel OV12830 can shoot 24 fps photo bursts from your smartphone

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ImageOmniVision has been on a bit of a tear introducing new mobile camera sensors this week, and its newest could well have the biggest impact on smartphones in the next year. The OV12830's 12.7 megapixels don't make it as dense as the 16-megapixel sensors we've seen, but it makes up for that with some mighty fast still photography. As long as the attached phone can handle it, the CMOS sensor can snap full-resolution photos at 24 frames per second, or the kind of relentless shooting speed that would make One X and Galaxy S III fans happy. The same briskness musters 1080p video at 60 fps, even with stabilization thrown in. Production won't start until the fall and likely rules out a flood of 12.7-megapixel phones and tablets until 2013, but the OV12830's dead-on match for the size of current 8-megapixel sensors gives it a good shot at becoming ubiquitous -- and guarantees that phones won't need a giant hump on the back for a higher resolution.

Continue reading OmniVision's 12.7-megapixel OV12830 can shoot 24 fps photo bursts from your smartphone

OmniVision's 12.7-megapixel OV12830 can shoot 24 fps photo bursts from your smartphone originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 May 2012 01:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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OmniVision’s OV2722 sensor promises 1080p tablet video chats, probably more than you wanted to see

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We're seeing rear cameras on smartphones and tablets get better all the time; what about at the front? OmniVision might have that side tackled through the OV2722, a 1080p-native CMOS camera sensor. It won't allow for magnum opuses of photography like the company's own 16-megapixel behemoth, but it's just big enough and thin enough (at 3mm deep) to give a serious upgrade to the 720p-or-lower front cameras that prevail today, including webcams on Ultrabooks. The new sensor is both thinner and better in low light than an earlier iteration, so we'll hopefully see fewer instances of blurrycam self-portraits and video calls. The OV2722 is in mass production now for unnamed clients, although we're worried that the resolution jump will show us a little too much detail in that chat with Aunt Mildred.

Continue reading OmniVision's OV2722 sensor promises 1080p tablet video chats, probably more than you wanted to see

OmniVision's OV2722 sensor promises 1080p tablet video chats, probably more than you wanted to see originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 May 2012 17:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New OmniVision 16-megapixel camera sensors could record 4K, 60 fps video on your smartphone

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Nokia has reportedly been dreaming of PureView phones with 4K video; as of today, OmniVision is walking the walk quite a bit earlier. The 16-megapixel resolution of the OV16820 and OV16825 is something we've seen before, but it now has a massive amount of headroom for video. If your smartphone or camcorder has the processing grunt to handle it, either of the sensors can record 4K (3840 x 2160, to be exact) video at a super-smooth 60 fps, or at the camera's full 4608 x 3456 if you're willing to putt along at 30 fps. The pair of backside-illuminated CMOS sensors can burst-shoot still photos at the bigger size, too, and can handle up to 12-bit RAW. Impressive stuff, but if you were hoping for OmniVision to name devices, you'll be disappointed: it's typically quiet about the customer list, and mass production isn't due for either version until the fall. On the upside, it could be next year that we're feeding our 4K projectors with Mr. Blurrycam smartphone videos.

Continue reading New OmniVision 16-megapixel camera sensors could record 4K, 60 fps video on your smartphone

New OmniVision 16-megapixel camera sensors could record 4K, 60 fps video on your smartphone originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 May 2012 15:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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