InVisage's QuantumFilm

[sidd finch]

QuantumFilm is a photosensitive layer based on InVisage’s newly invented class of materials to absorb light. The new material is made up of quantum dots, nanoparticles so small that they can be dispersed to form a colloid which, like paint, can be coated onto a substrate and allowed to dry.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbShbMRudUM[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyqfjlWNo-A[/youtube]

Sidd

[TreeTopsRanch]

So this is a new kind of film? I thought that the studios were moving to digital. I still like the looks of Technicolor film better. This one, 'QuantimFilm' seems a bit washed out to me but maybe that is just my laptop.

[Chuck Engels]

It might seem to look washed out but the detail is very good, it's definitely interesting technology.

[sidd finch]

So this is a new kind of film?

I think the term "film" is a misnomer. They are referring to a digital camera.

Sidd

[Bob]

It looks to me like they may be distorting the differences between the old and new sensor. Could be accidental, though. Here's a screen shot from the "making of" clip:

original.jpg

Notice how the conventional sensor on the left is very much brighter than the new sensor on the right. This is an exposure issue. And, it exaggerates the detail loss. I wondered what it would have been like if the two cameras had been set to the same exposure.

This is the first test. I brightened the right side to approximate the left.

bothbright.jpg

Then, I tried darkening the left to approximate the right. The left side had severe jpeg compression artifacts. I tried to minimize those to better compare the two sides. I couldn't remove all of it. This is the result.

bothdark.jpg

Don't put too much emphasis on the different color tints on the left and right side. The left side was overexposed compared to the right side. This could clip some of the color components and result in a color shift and loss of detail. It would also reduce the dynamic range. The high jpeg compression on the left would also cause an additional loss of detail. Manipulating the image the way I did is not a good comparison as you can't restore data that was lost by exposure and compression differences. I would really like to see a side by side comparison using the same exposure and compression. Without that, it is difficult to say whether or not the new sensor has a better dynamic range.

The new sensor technology is interesting and has some definite advantages. It should be cheaper to manufacture and the global shutter is an advantage. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.