Technology
Another creative business has given up mobile imaging revolutionize
Light, the company behind the unique range of five rear cameras of the Nokia 9, has abandoned its unconventional attempt to revolutionize our pockets' camera. Light confirmed that it "no longer works in the industry of smartphones," in a statement to Android Authority.
The light is set to overcome the constraints of small camera sensors — like the ones on our devices — by cramming a ton of cameras (both with different focus lengths). The $2,000 L16 camera proved its concept.
In a summary, my fellow-member Sean O'Kane described the L16 as a technological wonder and said that the image quality was higher than that of other mobile devices. But it remained well behind mirrorless cameras and DSLRs, and clearly for all shooting scenarios it was not eliminated.
Light then joined Nokia on Nokia 9 and went so far as to build a custom chip that helped the Snapdragon processor capture data simultaneously from their five rear cameras.
As Ars Technica states, Nokia 9 was extremely good for stacking images and cutting particularly in the area of profound perception on mobile cameras.
But at that time Nokia 9 had already discovered its own magic by smart HDR, and several pictures in one single shot by other telephone makers including Google , Apple, and Huawei. The Nokia 9 pictures just didn't stand out.
Worse still, collecting data from five 12 megapixel cameras resulted in slow capturing and processing times, which means you risk a follow-up shot.
In recent years, larger sensors have made their way into smartphones to enhance image quality and detail further. And businesses find smart ways to extend their reach with periscopic zoom systems.
This led Light to join Lytro — another organization that once championed innovative photography — and to change course dramatically. The website of Light notes that the business now focuses on "a 3D-depth vision interface for real-time vehicles that will make them look like humans."
