A Samsung source just sent me some info about their semitransparent electronic viewfinder. Samsung is one of the companies working on that technology that Olympus could use in future cameras.
The source gave me bits of very intriguing info. Thanks!!!
Here is the text:
“Samsung has two small prototypes of semitransparent OLED, that officially are known as ST-AMOLED, they are truly AMOLED devices (Active Matrix OLED). Samsung can not make a higher resolution EVF, the limit right now is just 750×560 on 0.55″ 4:3 display with 52% of transparency. The new device for late of 2012 will reach 1080×815 on 0.75″ 4:3 display, offering 1080×720 on 3:2 mode and 73% of transparency. The final device will have a RGB-W pattern, including a White photodiode to improve the high contrast scenes.
I have not information about commercialization to 3rd companies, but it will offer an advanced technology on the market for competition.”
Samsung is not the only electronic viewfinder maker. Also Epson, Fuji and Sony could sell them to Olympus.
27 Responses
Sounds like, a camera with a high res EVF that uses this technology is still a couple of years away.
But Oly needs a high end m43 camera with built in EVF now!
In the course of the discussion about the new EVF before, they described the 50% transparency device, not the future version.
For those who need built-in EVF there are Panasonic bodies already. More crucial for Olympus is old sensor technology. I’m not saying it’s inferior, but we all know GH’s ones are more capable of. Other manufacturers constantly raising sensor pixel density and they still manage to refine on DR and ISO performance while 12MP 4/3 sensor has practically the same DR for over years. This is the part Olympus should work on.
To me, it looks like Olympus definitely can’t create a new sensor. And there are no companies that could sell him a good sensor. There are some (Canon, Sony, Panasonic), but they are Oly’s competitors and will not sell a technology to Oly.
So I don’t expect better sensor in Olympus cameras. Not before Panasonic will introduce next generation (in this case Olympus probably would get “old” 16mp sensor).
Of course, they will sell to Oly. The question is for how much.
And don’t you think Samsung would like to use them as well in their cameras, if they are so good? Olympus cannot have any technology advantage over its competitors as long as it relies on them for its devices.
Also, Amoled is just a lot of hype, since its colours degrade over time. In particular, blue degrades the fastest, which explains why all screens with Amoled look blueish instead of plain white.
I definitely wouldn’t buy a camera with an Amoled viewfinder. I’d say that Olympus is running out of ideas, and desperately trying to compensate for that with gimmicks.
>Also, Amoled is just a lot of hype, since its colours degrade over time.
Unless you use the viewfinder for 8 hours per day, every day, I don’t think you’ll see this problem in the camera’s lifespan.
Some amoled phone screens have had burn-in problems, but that’s because they display the same image for many hours every day. On a viewfinder that won’t be the case, so no worries about it.
That is not true…
You are talking about the first OLED generation.
The actual AMOLED technology from Samsung use Pholed ink, that make the AMOLED the best OLED design and the Blue Phosphorescent used on AMOLED devices has more than 500.000 hours before start see any image degradation. Surely the Blue color has the shorter life span, because the Red and Green on those display has more than 800.000 hours.
One of the first compact camera with AMOLED display, the NV24HD anounced on Jan 2008, still offer a excellent color and image quality, after almost 3 years latter.
I’m afraid your “knowledge” of AMOLED is drivel; it’s true that a lot of money has been pumped into R&D to overcome the blue degradation but the issue derived from not being able to seal the display properly, thus a manufacturing problem, also it was more related to TV fab (large screens).
I’ve never noticed a blue hint on an AMOLED display so I’d question the calibration of what you’ve been looking at – it’s common for a lot of LED backlit displays to suffer from this tint due to the use of cheap “white” LEDs…
The biggest issue with AMOLED screens has been the use of the PenTile array but as manufacturing becomes cheaper these are being phased out!
> And don’t you think Samsung would like to use them as well in their cameras, if they are so good?
One thing to keep in mind that Samsung is not your usual singular company. Pretty much every business unit is literally on their own and often deal with each other in the same manner as totally separate companies. There were already couple of incidents already, most well known one being the AMOLED screens, where for one year Samsung mobile unit could not buy them from Samsung screens unit because they have sold them already to Samsung mobile’s competition.
Sammy might eventually become singular monstrous corporation, but in the mean time (from an interview with their CEO, IIRC) they want to stay that way to allow faster growth and expansion of the company.
I think Olympus use Epson in future, so also on VF-2 and VF-3.
As much as this is an interesting thing to have in camera ( and I’d like to have it ), I think there are other features Olympus needs to work on. No need to elaborate further, we’ve discussed it here many times. So, let’s hope this is just the one of many innovations we’ll see in the new Olympus m4/3 camera.
Sony’s EVF is 1024×768 so 750×560 isn’t going to cut it.
And that transparency wouldn’t be really usefull except for hybrid electronic/optical viewfinder in SLR. (rangefinder peep through hole is bad idea for system camera with lots of different lenses)
When I first heard this rumour I immediately thought of the the E-10/20 – SLR cameras but via beam splitter “prisms” over mirrors. If you could replace the traditional fixed reflective layer with a variable passthrough you’d really have something! Optical TTL viewfinder but with constant sensor read-out (I say variable because a 50/50 split isn’t practical, 75/25 for framing, 0/100 for shooting – or 20/80 shooting for burst modes).
Overlay the data you get from the sensor onto the OVF and you have THE best viewfinder. Peaking focus aid with an OVF, you’ve got to dream.
Would probably require a 4/3 mount to squeeze the beam splitter in.
Yes, the i think also.
Why do companies put so much effort in something which isn’t up to The level of optical viewfinders anyway? Puzzling olympus and psnasonic need good sensors , not electronic gadgetry
merry xmas stop all the rumors and say happy birthday Jesus…
Who is Jesus and what he has camera?
Oitszek is right , Olympus should put priority on Sensor technology over view finder .
Pana is almost done it with it’s new G3 sensor but need further improvement , something like clean & clear photo in ISO 3200 F2.8 is sufficient .
dear Jesus,
Please perform a miracle and give m4/3 a new sensor with 14 stops of dynamic range. Ok, I’ll settle for 13.5 stops. Thank you.
i like it we hope
I have to admit. Many times I love Olympus but many times I also am frustrated by them. What I love about Oly is their strange knack for being able to defy convention, SWF, sub $2k weatherproof body, E-10/20 EVF and now this. What I wish though is that they’d get their ducks in a row. I can see plenty of places this new EVF might be interesting and but I’d rather them just get back to basics.
a) Sensor with High Dynamic Range and low noise
b) Sharp primes
c) Bright zooms
Why is Fuji so popular? Because they’re focused on photo basics not techno wizardry. Gizmotronics while it’s interesting probably won’t make my photos any better or make it any easier to shoot. Olympus please, push the envelope because you’re good at that but don’t neglect improving the basics. Everything else is extraneous.
Couldnt agree more!!
a) Sensor with High Dynamic Range and low noise
SONY
b) Sharp primes
LEICA or PANASONIC
c) Bright zooms
go get a CANIKON DSLR!
@Kevin – I sold my 4/3 kit and now run with Canon yet for reasons inexplicable I miss my Olympus 4/3 kit. A part of me wishes that m43 would have comparable quality to 4/3 so I’d have reason to get back in and up until now Oly continues to give me no reason to re-enter m43 (with the exception of the 12mm f/2).
Hold on a sec there bud, Fuji is known for film and large format stuff, but what pedigree do they have in small cameras? the old fujinon slr stuff? The fuji digital cameras with nikon lent bodies? When you ask ppl what they think of when they hear the name Fuji, they will say film, first, not small premium cameras. Fuji sint as great as you think they are. The x100 has dust issues and the xpro 1’s build leaves alot to be desired.
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