Open-source camera could revolutionize digital photography...

Stanford photo scientists are out to reinvent digital photography with the introduction of an open-source digital camera, which will give programmers around the world the chance to create software that will teach cameras new tricks.


If the technology catches on, camera performance will be no longer be limited by the software that comes pre-installed by the manufacturer. Virtually all the features of the Stanford camera – focus, exposure, shutter speed, flash, etc. – are at the command of software that can be created by inspired programmers anywhere. “The premise of the project is to build a camera that is open source,” said computer science professor Marc Levoy.

http://news.stanford.e​du …source-camera-090109.html

Pretty cool stuff

that's a lot of possibilities there. Like noise ninja built in.

Virus for camera?

They'll give it a windows OS and we'll all be in trouble.

The last thing I wand is programmers building my camera.

I'm not sure, after reading the article, what the hubbub is about.

I've written software that controls all those features on my cameras.

They could probably engineer it to be compatible with all lens manufacturers, contingent only upon having an adapter.

Open source sounds excellent and something I've been waiting for, but how will the hardware compare?

I'm currently using Linux (Ubuntu) for my "general" browsing and some photo software----but the problem is----there are too damn many cooks in the kitchen, and none of them are bothering to ask the others "who salted the soup?"

I see this can see this same problem with this camera idea

That's the idea of open source ... YOU get to write the software ... or for non-programmers, download what other people write and offer. I just wish I could do that with the whole Canon EOS line.

440roadrunner wrote in post #9607681
I'm currently using Linux (Ubuntu) for my "general" browsing and some photo software----but the problem is----there are too damn many cooks in the kitchen, and none of them are bothering to ask the others "who salted the soup?"

I see this can see this same problem with this camera idea

One of my favorite metaphors.

I could see how open source could change certain aspects of photography. It sounds much like some of the post processing could be taken care of in camera, e.g. hdr could be done internally. I, for one, find comfort and joy in the post processing environment of digital photography... much like the serenity found by black and white film developers. Even if the camera could handle the RAW data through open source software, I'll still find myself behind a computer working on an image to my heart's content.

Open source software, however, may have a more important role for cameras to be cross compatible with other lens manufacturers if there is a bridge between 3rd party adapters and the opensource software. Things like flash control or modified user interfaces may be where open source may be most useful.

Otherwise, I consider the art of photography to be more a labor of physics than software.

What I don't understand here is the term "open source camera". Do they mean any camera from Sony, Canon ect... that has a hacked firmware loaded onto it. Or do they mean a camera made by an OEM, like D-Link, that runs this open source firmware.