CHANGING THE WAY WE SEE

Innovations in imaging technology

- Gabriel Pe

Over the last decade, innovations in technology have changed how we live. Nothing can better represent that, literally and figuratively, than the innovations in imaging technology and photography.

Creating images as innovation is often overlooked. After all, humans have done it since time immemorial. From early humans painting their lives on cave walls to the camera obscura and pinhole cameras, to eventually the first modern camera in the 1800s, to the DSLRs and compact cameras, and now our phones, imaging has evolved to cater to our ever-changing needs.

In recent years, camera technology has improved so dramatically but is so much a part of our daily lives we now barely notice how much it has evolved.

THE SHIFT TO SMARTPHONE PHOTOGRAPHY AND CINEMATOGRAPHY

One of the most apparent changes in cameras, in general, is our shift in preferences. Now, the smartphone camera has become the primary shooter for the general public. This is no surprise because smartphone cameras have gotten so good that a separate digital compact camera is no longer needed.

The smartphone camera has dramatically improved in two main aspects - hardware and software. On the hardware side, the sensor on phone cameras has gotten bigger every year. Recently Xiaomi launched the Xiaomi 12s Ultra, a smartphone with a full 1-inch sensor. As for the non-flagship models, phone makers have pushed imaging technology to its limits by fitting more and more megapixels on the tiny sensor.