Re: [Leica] digital leica - cheap lenses plus software = zero distortion etc.?

[shino@ubspainewebber.com]

my computer vision knowledge (ballard & brown) is 20 years old now, but
here's a layman's take:

provided that the nature of the distortion is precisely known, and that it
does not lose information, you might be able to correct some distortions
digitally.  i'd guess barrel and pincushion distortion might be one area,
given your scenario where the specific characteristics are programmed
into each lens.

vignetting is an area where you could probably improve the lens through
software, again given tailoring the parameters to the lens, f/stop etc.
(though i like the noct's vignetting myself...)

overall low contrast might be able to be improved, so long as sufficient
gradation exists between darkest and brightest points.  certain types of lens
reflections might be correctable, but would probably be difficult to
detect since it depends on the light source and orientation.

but ultimate lens
resolution could not be "restored" since the visual information has not
been transformed so much as lost by poor optics.  even digital "sharpening"
only bumps out local contrast, and anyone who tries to sharpen a blurry
photo knows it doesn't work very well.

- -rei


> From: Robert Monaghan <rmonagha@post.cis.smu.edu>
> 
> 
> greetings ;-)
> 
> given current software can convert fisheye shots into rectilinear ones, and
> presuming future higher density imaging chips plus camera CPUs and software, 
> won't it be possible for a digital camera (Leica?) to use a map of the 
> lens distortion, various aberrations, and other defects at various 
> f/stops and focusing points, and then remove these distortions thru software?
> I presume this data could be generated for each lens during mfgering, and 
> perhaps loaded into a ROM chip in the lens, and corresponding settings 
> read off from the lens during use (e.g., f/stop, distance)? what lens faults 
> could NOT be factored out, and why? Will this permit low cost future 
> optics on a digital (Leica) camera to achieve much better performance at 
> a lower price point? What qualities will current glass and film based 
> Leicas have that will be superior to such a digital camera software based 
> optimization process?
> 
> thanks for your insights ;-) bobm
>