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Android 5 to support DNG and other advanced stuff
  • An interesting development... Android-based cameras will from release version 5 support DNG raw photography.

    Android 5.0 adds a huge list of features to the API that will enable developers build richer applications than before. The improvements in Camera API allow developers to achieve full Manual control over each camera parameter.

    Android would now support DNG (or RAW) images out of the box. What this means is upcoming Android camera apps would be able to create RAW image along with PNG, JPEG for each shot.

    The Camera 2 API delivers full resolution images in Realtime (i.e. same line speed of the camera), enabled by a fully synchronized pipeline. In layman’s terms, it can take the best out of the camera hardware, despite what OEM might set limits for in software. e.g. Nexus 5 can capture photos at 30 FPS, at it’s hardware maximum resolution of 8 megapixels.

    Full Manual control

    http://geeknizer.com/android-5-0-l-supports-pro-photography/

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  • iOS 8 does support full manual and RAW, too. Great times for mobile photography! :)

  • It's much more than just RAW on your phone....

    An easy-to program API should be able to enable manufacturers implement full camera control onto future cameras - perhaps even existing cameras like the

    image

    Samsung Galaxy NX or APS-C , probably opening up new features that couldn't be hard-wired into the camera's original buttons when it was produced.

    In fact, a camera manufacturer who now produces any new camera without seriously considering a full OS option might risk being out-competed by other manufacturers who do.

    Interesting times ahead!

    As a photographer, I'd like to see a familiar interface on almost any new camera; importing my own settings and being able to use it straight away without the usual long learning-curve. - That's if manufacturers agree to conform to standards. What's still likely is that big manufacturers will forsake Apple and Google camera OSes in favour of their own proprietary OS, along with product differentiation. After all, Android and iOS still only sit on top of a Unix/Linux kernel, which is only built to address certain functions of certain of the camera's processor and chips. A strong manufacturer might prefer the performance and control they get in modifying their own kernel and offering options the others cannot.