Pop Photo. Article on OLED for Canon LCD

[SuzyView]

I just got my copy of the May issue of Popular Photography and there is an article about OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) and how Canon will start production with that technology next year in their DSLR's and more. Could this be why Canon didn't do a complete workover on the 20D and haven't announced anything to upgrade from the 5D? The article states that OLED technology is a major improvement in the LCD technology. Anyone hear around this?

[ejhunt]

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa003&articleID=0006DF78-6FA4-143D-AFA483414B7F0000

[KatmanDu]

My only experiences with OLED's the ones on a sony Minidisc (MZRH900) and MP3 player (NWE507). They were monochrome, but gorgeous. The only problem? Virtually unreadable in sunlight. However... that was probably more due to the packaging (they were below the surface of the shell, so they were invisible when turned off) than anything. But I think they added significantly to the price, unless enough are being made now to cause the price to drop.

[lakiluno]

OLED's are (in mass) far cheaper than LCD's. They can essentially be printed on to a circuit with inkjet technology. They also use far less power than LCD's, and because they power themselves, they're much thinner than LCD's.

The result? Cheaper screens on thinner cameras :D

Leo

[SuzyView]

Do you think Canon is going to switch to that for the next models of the 5D and 30D and maybe the 1D series?

[lakiluno]

perhaps...They definately have advantages, but I believe that they only recently managed to get them with acceptable lives - previously the blue ones would stop working after a few thousand hours, and leave the red and green ones to go on...I think they managed to double their lives (the organic phospher pixel thingmys) a few times quite quickly though.

Leo

[lost]

I remember hearing about OLEDs about 4 or 5 years ago as the LCD killer. They are supposed to be MUCH more readable in daylight than LCDs. They are thinnner, faster and use less power. I look forward to seeing one in action.

[KatmanDu]

I'm trying to think of a product currently out that has a color OLED. I remember seeing a concept for a keyboard that had OLED displays under each key to display the letters; this way, it could be re-programmed to display hot keys for whatever application you're using, etc.; sort of like the Z-board keyboards, except you wouldn't have to replace the keys. Pretty neat looking.

[lost]

I think I remember reading that the new Series 3 TIVOs are supposed to have a OLED but I think it is monochrome.

[lakiluno]

a lot of MP3 players use OLED's - all sonys current offerings do (at least the HD ones)

Leo