808 Pureview - further peeping

I wrote earlier a few quick thoughts about The Nokia 808.

One of the things which interested me was I wanted to see what the full res pictures would be like. Not because I want 39Megapixels from any camera but because if you're going to digital zoom it means cropping the image down to size. On a full wide angle image it would just be a reduction technique which (reading that they are using some intelligent pixel binning techniques) would result in quite good images.

So beside this image on the Nokia Photostream ..


The next image in their stream was this one ...



Which looks like an original full size and a 5Mpixel digital zoom version.

To support this supposition, the first image's size of the available 'original' was 7152 x 5368 Pixels (38.39 MPixels). So in all likelihood, this is an original full size image. I don't know, but it seems reasonable. Given that they don't say much its easier for them to deny any criticism.

I'll assume it it a full res version.

I know that it doesn't say "this is a sample of the digital zoom", but I get the feeling that it is. Things like the 'zoomed' shot is 5Mpixels (which is the claimed output 2592 x 1944 = 5.04 MPixels) and the obvious aspect that one is 'zoomed in tighter'. Links to these on Flickr are here: original and digizoomed.

A quick glance shows that they are not the same shot, but two shots from different angles.So playing with the full shot in photoshop reveals some interesting things:

• clearly the shots are from a different angle and perhaps even a different place (even a bit closer). This could make the 'zoomed' image look better.
• colour balance is a bit different: but as they have different cameras on the shoot and are stated as being pre-production that further explains the differences (btw I tried to alter the colour balance a bit to get skin tones to match, but the sky didn't)
• If this is a digital zoomed images then the results are spectacular

Now, lets look at the full sized image cropped and then adjusted in Photoshop to get the same size as the 100% view of their (I assume) digitally zoomed image. On the left is digitally zoomed by me in photoshop and image on the right is their digitally zoomed shot (click to load larger image)


The above screen grab of viewing at 100% shows both as being very clean. I'd have no issues in getting A4 prints from either of them!

Very interesting stuff.

BTW, if you're happening to wonder why you'd be after such a good digital zoom, the answer in a nutshell is:

• the most fragile part of a digicam is the zoom when its extended. Bringing that in and out is both noisy and takes time and makes the camera vulnerable if you drop it.
• the noise control methods you use to make the zoom work will also work in helping you get great HIGH ISO images out of the camera on wider angles
• it is likely to make the camera cheaper to make (and you to buy)
• even with 10cm close focus its likely to give shit hot macro

So hopefully Nokia can pull the rest of the phone together, in which case I reckon they'll have an iPhone contender!

Fingers Crossed for Finland

Wind swept beach

One thing I like about clement weather is that it keeps the tourists off the beaches.

Since the locals hardly come here we get to have the place to ourselves.

The place still has oodles of character and beauty, even when the sun isn't shining or the day calm.

Sometimes its nicer to feel nature when shes showing you her a bit of her darker side

Clouds like these

Well, the very next day after I mention the sorts of clouds I was meaning, they appear. I was too slack to deviate off my route to a better vantage point (and it was threatening to rain on me). But these sorts of clouds a little later in the day with the sun lower in the sky produce some fantastic contrasts of darkness, reds and distant blue skies beneath them.

I guess its nearly 20 years since I was coming past this scenery and wished I had a camera. If I see it again you can be sure you'll be seeing it here

:-)

Nokia's new director

Reading this morning that Nokia's new Windows Platform phones seem to be taken badly by the actual customers (that'd be the Telcos) while the people who actually pay money for phones seem very interested in their 808 pureview which does not run Windows.

So it looks like Stephen may know more about Microsoft and Fried Chicken than phones at first glance of these results