Open Source Camera For Computational Photography 167
David Orenstein writes "Stanford Computer Science researchers are developing Frankencamera, an open source, fully programmable and finely tunable camera that will allow computational photography researchers and enthusiasts to develop and test new ideas and applications — no longer limited by the features a camera manufacturer sees fit to supply. Disclosure: The submitter is a science writer for Stanford and wrote the linked article."
Listen up camera manufacturers (Score:5, Interesting)
Please make a camera with:
1. A built in clock that actually keeps time.
2. Built in GPS.
3. Some sensible connectors to upload videos in real time using appropriate external devices, or,
4. Built in Wifi/3G.
5. And all the good camera stuff.
In one device. Oh, and if you can actually make a scanning range finder at a sensible price and embed that too, that'd be great.
Re:Listen up camera manufacturers (Score:2, Interesting)
Most of those things aren't software-related at all.
How would Open Source help?
Re:Listen up camera manufacturers (Score:5, Interesting)
Then you want something like the Panasonic LX3.
There are also small-ish DSLR's and DSLR-likes that are a far cry from the full-frame beasties. See Olympus E-620 (a small DSLR), or any of the Micro Four-Thirds cameras.
You can have good image quality and optics along with small these days.
Re:Similar work for Canon cameras... (Score:3, Interesting)
Is there a way to enable block storage mode on Canon DSLR's?
Seriously, this is a royal PITA. My father is only semi-computer-literate and has a Canon 350D. The hoops he has to jump through in order to get the pictures off of that thing are *insane* -- it literally takes an hour to copy an 8GB CF card, and if he messes up one step in the process he has to start over. (It still takes me forever, but I just let the transfer run in the background).
You could just use a card reader, but the camera craps the pictures into 234897234 different folders -- and he's nowhere near good enough with computers to be able to deal with that.
Meanwhile, I can plug my (also old) Olympus camera into my computer, select "Mass storage" from the menu that appears on the camera, and it's just like a thumbdrive -- with all the pictures in one directory, no funny stuff necessary.
Apparently the modern Canons *still* don't have USB mass storage mode. (Well, not the affordable ones anyway.)
Always wanted a printer (Score:4, Interesting)
I have always wanted an Open Source printer. One that can be built and whose consumables made by those with the means without worrying about patents and all the nonsense. Think about what this could do for students and government departments.
I am personally sick and tired of shelling cash to the Lexmarks, HPs and Epsons of today. Why hasn't this taken off [yet]?
Does it really matter? (Score:3, Interesting)
Look, here's the disclaimer: I am a software engineer. No, not hardware, software.
But I've written camera drivers from schematics and datasheets alone. It's *just not that hard*. Even for a software guy. I don't have an EE, just an interest in electronics.
And digital electronics are, quite frankly, rather simple. If you know ohm's law, and can read a datasheet or two, you could very easily put together a digital camera module. PCB express will happily etch the board for you, and you *might* have to do some soldering. Unless, of course, you buy one of the cameras from sparkfun or other hobby supplier.
If you can't learn drag and drop PCB design, or can't master basic electronics (ohm's law doesn't even require an understanding of calculus), maybe you shouldn't be tinkering with cameras at the circuit level. A fast fourier transform is far more complicated and difficult to understand than the electronics which go into camera sensors, and yet, is the foundation for all modern video and image compression. If you can't understand that, you will most likely not be contributing much of value to computing applications involving a camera.
Granted, I like open source stuff. But there's already plenty of it out there today - just pick the resolution, frame rate, sensitivity, etc... and go. You don't need the frankencamera. You just need the time and interest, and be willing to spend a few bucks on the hardware.
Re:Listen up camera manufacturers (Score:3, Interesting)
Though, with CHDK [wikia.com], you can do some nifty things with them.
What about CHDK? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Listen up camera manufacturers (Score:2, Interesting)
And what exactly do you mean by *good* camera stuff? I mean, not everyone needs (or wants) 12 megapixel full-frame sensors. For the vast majority of (not-professional) shooting, the sensors in DSLRs these days are overkill.
Personally, I'd rather have a point and shoot in my pocket (meaning I can actually use it) versus a super-expensive DSLR that always gets left at home due to bulk or concerns about damage.
Its overkill until you want to take a decent picture in really bad lighting without a flash.
Re:Does it really matter? (Score:2, Interesting)