Miscellaneous : Sony

Miscellaneous

Advanced technologies and devices were also a part of the DYNAX photography system. Following are some of the most important items.

3-Plate CCD Dual-Green Pixel-Offset Technique

During the 1990s CCDs of over one million pixels were extremely expensive to manufacture. But in 1995 Minolta developed the RD-175 camera for industrial use that employed a clever optics-based work-around technology to inexpensively raise the pixel count. It featured 3 CCDs of 350,000 pixels each. A single CCD dealt with both the red and blue primary colors. The other two CCDs were used for resolving the green region of the spectrum, as the sensitivity and resolving power of the human eye is greater when dealing with green than for red and blue.

Exploiting the company's experience in relay optics technology, beam-splitting and microscopic optic manufacturing technology, DYNAX engineers physically offset the two green CCDs in both the horizontal and vertical planes by half a pixel to achieve a resolution equivalent to 1.75 million pixels.

Because the system was designed with an aperture-ratio of 100% or more (based on the pixel pitch/pixel size ratio) there was no need for a low-pass filter. The camera provided high-quality images without loss of resolution at a low price.

Still Video Back

A prototype electronic still-video camera was developed by Sony in 1981, called the Mavica; it was later manufactured by another company in 1986.

Then, in 1987, Minolta developed the technology further and produced an electronic still-video camera for use with the 7000 and 9000. To use it, all a photographer had to do was replace the back of either camera with the Still Video Back SB-70 or SB-90, respectively.

Because the DYNAX was entirely digitally controlled, the engineers were able to utilize the electronic still video camera technology simply by changing the camera's back cover.

Data Saver

The DYNAX 7 was introduced to answer the wish list of photo-hobbyists, including those who wanted to retain and review shooting data. The data was stored in the camera's memory and could be viewed on the navigation display at the back of the camera.

To complement it, a dedicated accessory called the DS-100 Data Saver expansion unit was released to enable printing and editing the data via a personal computer. Data stored in the camera's memory could be accessed through electrical contacts located in lens mount and then saved on the card--a SmartMedia card widely used at the time for recording camera data.

Focus-Hold Button

This feature was developed under the code name 'cue button' and introduced under the name 'focus-hold button.' As the name implies, its original and current default function is to maintain focus. The button is conveniently located on the lens barrel, so that it can be pressed instantly with the thumb of the left hand while holding the lens.

Since its introduction, additional optional functions have been placed under its control and these can be accessed instantly as required. For instance, when shooting a number of players in a sports game, the user can change from multi-point AF to center-spot AF quickly, or he can temporarily change from single-shot AF to continuous-shot AF in order to follow a subject that suddenly begins to move.

Sony's α cameras have inherited this feature.

ART en EU 2008 10 DYNAX Miscellaneous

ART en EU 2008 10 DYNAX Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous

3-Plate CCD Dual-Green Pixel-Offset Technique

Still Video Back

Data Saver

Focus-Hold Button

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