Dxo Labs

Etienne Knauer

Bruno Liege

Hoang-Phi Nguyen

Regis Tessieres

Frederic Guichard

Frédéric Guichard

Ghislain Devaux

Régis Tessieres

A system for capturing at least one image of a scene. The system estimates at least one value representative of the sharpness in at least one area of at least one initial captured image of a scene. The autofocus module captures the initial image with a predefined focus. On the basis of at least the value representative of the estimated sharpness, the system selects a first operating mode or a second operating mode. In the first mode, the autofocus module controls the focus of the system to capture a sharper image of the scene. In the second mode, the initial captured image or another captured image is processed by the digital processing unit, the other image being captured with the predefined focus.

Image-capture system and method with two operating modes

In order to increase the depth of field of an optical system, there is provision to add a phase object, interposed between an object (O) to be imaged and an image plane () of the optical system. The phase object is interposed although a chromatic aberration of the system is not yet corrected. After interposition, the measured optical signal is corrected complementarily so as to eliminate the chromatic aberrations therefrom. It is shown that if a parameter of the expansion of the expression, a function of pupil dependency, that the difference in path length of the optical system possesses a significant value of higher order than that of the defocus, then an increase in the depth of field is obtained.

Optical system provided with a device for augmenting its depth of field

To increase the depth of field of an optical system, an inversion of the chromatism is produced. This accommodates the fact that, in natural light, users prefer, for their photographs, taking long distance shots outdoors, where the illuminant is mostly composed of blue, and short-distance shots indoors, where the illuminant is mostly composed of red. While optical devices naturally focus the blue components at a shorter distance than the red components, which is unfavorable, with an inversion of the chromatism, a focus more in keeping with what is required is restored.

Optical system furnished with a device for increasing its depth of field

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Boulogne, France

Etienne Knauer