All About Symbian - Symbian, Nokia and S60 unwrapped.
Camera Nitty Gritty - Part 11 - Microscopy and defying the Megapixel Myth
Published by Steve Litchfield at 7:25 UTC, January 26th 2009
In this, part 11 of my long running series, I look at a specific positive from the presence of large numbers of megapixels in a camera-toting smartphone, i.e. image flexibility. And I discover yet another use for your convergence device: as a microscope! With copious examples of 'Megapixel Microscopy', I'm hoping to fire a few more imaginations with this one....
"In part 1 of this series, Steve Litchfield looked at exposed camera glass on some phone models and investigated whether scratches really make a difference. In part 2, he investigated the pros and cons of LED/dual-LED/Xenon flashes in camera phones - does Xenon or dual LED flash make that much difference? In part 3, he investigated the fabled 'Megapixel myth' with an objective eye. In part 4, he focussed on the difference between good and poor optics (at the same camera resolution) and in part 5, he pitched all the top smartphone cameras head to head, in detail. In part 6, AAS guest writer Dirk Snoyt took up the theme of camera phone flash research and got all technical on the theme of colours... In part 7, I returned with a look at the difference optical zoom makes and ask the question "Is it better to have optical zoom or just much higher resolution?" Part 8 looked at phone camera video capture potential and part 9 looked at video focussing differences in Nokia's Nseries. Part 10 looked at the difference sensor and aperture size can make, for both stills and video.
In this, part 11, Steve looks at a specific positive from the presence of large numbers of megapixels and discovers yet another use for your smartphone."
News Discussion
That hair and skin pic was eewww!!!!!
Would be great if you can compare it with N82 to see those extra MPs are swappable for a xenon or not!!!
senseapplied [dot ] com/index.php/microscopy-with-nokia-phones
Do visit and tell me what you think
Farhan
I was using my SE k750 (only 2mpix!) to shoot images of electronic circuit components, it was especially useful with hard to reach parts - you didn't have to dismantle entire device to be able to look at chip with magnifying glass, you simply put phone near it and snapped the photo.
there is also research group doing proper microscopy with cell hpone cameras. they already demonstrated ability to see and differentiate single cells in blood drop sample. It's realy cool - you drop blood droplet on magnifing lesnes attached to your phone and it's able to see how many red blood cells, antigens, etc. there are. Example uses include monitoring and early detection of AIDS virus in the field. (Especially useful in developing countries, where proper, hi-tech diagnostic equipment is usually unavailable).
Now that's megapixel microscopy!
Great article and good pictures to illustrate it. I remember attempting this earlier with a 1 megapixel cameraphone and being disappointed that it didn't work. But then when I had my N93 with 3 megapixel camera and 3x optical zoom, I was able to do it very well. Now with my N82 and its 5 megapixel (non optical zoom) cameraphone I've done that kind of temporary photography many times. But didn't notice it was unusual cameraphone behaviour - ha-ha, good observation in that alone - and obviously there was no name for it. Now you have coined the term. Great ! I'll be discussing this in my seminars and workshops, showing how the cameraphone in our pockets is giving us new uses and abilities. Something I call for asking for the industry to innovate and create the "magical". This is one case of magic, using the cameraphone effectively as a magnifying glass. And arguably, in the battle for the pocket, our cameraphones are soon starting to infringe onto the domain of low-end microscopes ha-ha - something not many carry around on a daily basis
Your pictures are brilliant to illustrate how far this can go. If you're thinking of adding more, a good image could also be the jewellers' stampings inside gold jewelry like a wedding band etc. Stuff that is very difficult to read without a strong magnifying glass or loop.
I blogged about your article at my 7thmassmedia.com blog and posted about it also at Forum Oxford. Great concept. Megapixel Microscopy ! Fanastic..
Tomi Ahonen :-)
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