OLYMPUS TECHNOZONE Vol.70 2008-4
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Ultra-high-quality Images
that Make the Most of Details like Shadows and Highlights
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---- Isn't the E-3's 10.1 megapixels a huge difference from the E-1's 5 megapixels?
It's generally said that image quality clearly changes when the number of pixels increases 1.4 times. Doubling the number is really something. We're often asked how many megapixels would be equivalent to conventional film, but it's impossible to make sweeping statements about image quality in terms of pixel numbers alone.
The resolution of the E-1 5M delivered pretty high quality images. However, we heard from a professional photographer's perspective that double-digit resolution is needed for resolving detailed parts of the subject, so we aimed for a new flagship model that offers a resolution of at least 10 megapixels.
We started developing the Live MOS Sensor built into the E-3 took around two years ago, and managed to construct it to a fairly high level in a relatively short time. In the area of image quality, the image processing engine differs considerably from the time of the E-1.
---- What specific demands did you face in the area of image quality?
One area was noise. It's said that higher sensitivity involves more noise. Since noise is linked with both the image pickup device and the image processing engine, one of the key points when considering overall performance in this case was measures for dealing with noise that affects high sensitivity, although again one cannot make sweeping statements.
Another was color reproduction. Color reproduction is a difficult problem because there is no such thing as a right answer. In certain cases, a mechanism for adjusting color may be added to enable color reproduction to go well.
---- Does color also change depending on the situation when you view it?
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Effective pixels: approx. 10.1 megapixels, high-speed Live MOS sensor.
Four-Thirds Zuiko lenses offer high optical performance together with high resolution for faithful rendition of details, ample gradation characteristics and natural color reproduction.
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"Witness to Global Warming – Mitsuaki Iwago Special" –Reporting Crew Heads to Kilimanjaro. Digital SLR the darling of the Masai tribe, who live in the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Fascinated by Mr Iwago's explanation
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Yes. There are various cases – you may make the decision based on your PC monitor, or the data are opened up by a printing company. For that very reason, we have to think in terms of delivering the best possible materials right from the start.
When it comes to ultimately printing the image on paper, there are still areas where conventional film is better, and areas where digital is better. Professionals who developed their sensitivities using film say they cannot adjust to digital easily. Nevertheless, there are cases where digital is deemed to be better, such as in expressing the color of the sky. In answer to people who asked why digital could not express certain things that conventional film can do easily, we repeatedly gave consideration to every aspect in an attempt to support them.
---- What examples can you give where digital does not match up to conventional film?
I'd say the issues affecting dynamic range, digital's Achilles heel. Since digital is a world of zeroes and ones, one of its unavoidable fatal weaknesses is that white patterns simply disappear from certain places.
Since we are dealing with digital, we worked on resolving this through technology and our cumulative R&D efforts culminated in a new technology called Shadow Adjustment Technology (SAT). Simply put, SAT compensates for extreme contrast where shadow areas lack visible details because of backlight and similar situations by bringing them out to the same contrast as seen by the naked eye. It also ensures that brighter, white areas are not overexposed. Conventionally speaking, the approach was to compensate for the dark areas by adjusting the exposure for brighter photos, but this often meant that brighter areas lost detail. The E-3 automatically searches each location on the image for such areas and adjusts them. The E-3 is the first digital SLR to feature SAT.
Compact cameras used to be a little ahead as far as the SAT function was concerned, but the E-3 now allows owners to use it fully.
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