November 05, 2016 | Saturday
The age of digital photography is
currently at its peak, and continues to grow even faster with the emergence of
innovations brought about by mobile devices. Contrary to the previous trend of
high-quality cameras packed with heavy duty equipment, the name of the game in
today’s field of photography is handiness brought about by the massive
popularity of smartphones.
As the market’s interest in digital
photography continues to grow, many of the big names in the tech industry are
quick to make the most out of this trend. Global consumer electronics leader
Samsung have been reported to invest approximately USD13.4B over the past two
years in research and development (R&D) of its core technologies, making it
as the second largest company in terms of R&D investment and even outdoing
its rival, Apple. A huge bulk of these technologies is comprised of camera
engineering, a feature that has helped the tech giant cement its reputation as
one of the major players in the industry.
Fellow tech brand Huawei decided to foster
a partnership with another tech game changer to gain advantage over its
competitors. In April 2016, the Chinese tech firm unveiled the Huawei P9 and P9
Plus to the global market. Both phones boast of dual-lens cameras co-engineered
with the number one premium camera manufacturer, Leica. These two cameras
are created to serve different but complementary functions: one being RBG with
the other in Black and White in order to enhance image details and improve
contrast values for better photo quality. Dual lens camera technology is
increasingly becoming more popular among consumers as it opens up a whole new
world of possibilities for digital photography: higher quality of focus, better
perspective, and more visible depth of field. With the rise of such innovation,
consumer preference now shifts beyond the usual megapixel count.
Leica and Huawei
signed agreement on joint R&D innovation lab
Five months after this announcement
came the creation of a joint R&D lab, located at the global headquarters of
Leica at Wetzlar, Germany. The facility is named Max Berek Innovation Lab,
after the renowned German inventor of the first ever Leica lens. The research
center was specifically built to develop “software-based technologies to
improve imaging quality in a wide range of photographic and mobile device
applications.” Through this partnership, the two companies plan to further
explore the capabilities of mobile photography in the fields of optical
systems, virtual reality, and augmented reality.
The dual lens camera movement quickly
gained momentum as proven by the introduction of the iPhone 7 Plus.
With these initiatives
by global key players in the industry, more consumer electronic brands are
expected to dedicate more of their investments in the development of camera
technology and photography processing. The market can expect more cutting-edge
smartphone offerings that would promise even higher quality cameras, and blur
the lines between amateur and professional photography output.
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