Questions

There are reports about some cheaper cameras available, which can take at least 3 differently focused shots of the same scene in rapid succession. So why should I use a FocOz camera?

Why modify a simple camera? Why have you modified a simple consumer camera - already being replaced by later models?

Depth of Field
A small-sensor digital camera has reputedly a good depth of field with the lens stopped down to f/8 So why should I use a FocOz camera?

Focusing: Human vs camera. You are claiming that a human eye has infinite depth of field but isn't it so that a human can only focus upon one single little object at the time while a camera is operating within a much larger field of view?

Getting the background blurred 'enough'. To get - say - two persons in focus on one and the same picture may sound good but I definitely want the backgrund to remain as blurred as possible! How can I achieve that with the FocOz camera?

I have noticed that some of the demonstration photos presented at this web site are less than perfectly focused over parts of the scene. So how can you talk about an 'Infinite Depth of Field'?

General
Any use for extended Depth of Field? My problem is not to increase the depth of field but to reduce it. I believe that many 'real' photographers agree with me. There is little use for your FocOz camera.

This is not an invention! People have been merging differently focused photos manually in Photoshop for years. How can you get a patent for such a thing? It's nothing new about it!

To increase Depth of Field seems to be a useless camera feature to me. Can you give ANY good reason for using a FocOz camera?

Motion blur
Tripod. Is it required to use a tripod when using the FocOz camera?

Optics
Fix-focus. There are fix-focus cameras - and they work. So why should I bother about a much more expensive FocOz camera?

Image size. Isn't it true that image size may change if you are changing focus from infinity to close range? Sounds like a problem!

Stop down the lens instead! Why not just stop down the lens as we've always' done? It worked for our forefathers so it must be good enough for us!

Tilt and Shift. Why not use a Tilt and Shift camera lens instead. It's a traditional way and it works!

Why can't you use a split-field close-up lens instead, - one half close-up lens and one half open?

Other Methods
It's been known for a long time that you may merge differently focused shots by just 'adding them' to each other, thus doing the same trick as the FocOz system. So what's the big deal about your camera?

Why not put a cheap standard camera on tripod and make those shots one after another, interspaced by the operator with focusing inbetween the frames. Sounds cheaper to me.

Pricing
Why so expensive? Why is the FocOz camera so expensive? It's after all just a standard consumer camera being modified?

Software
Linux Support. Do you plan to introduce a Linux version of the software?

Mac Support. Do you plan to introduce a Mac OS-X version of the software?

Standard Software
FocOz camera vs. Photoshop. I can do the same tricks as the FocOz camera does, by using my Photoshop (R) program. So the question is: Is there any need for a FocOz camera??

I have heard of other separate PC programs for merging differently focused microscope images, cheaper too. Why can't I use them instead?

Questions and Answers

Q: Someone told me about a digital camera from the mid nineties which has 'Infinite Depth of Field'. So the technique of the FocOz camera can't be that 'new' after all?
A: 'Early' digital cameras of the mid nineties had wideangel lenses of such short focal length and small sensors with so few pixels that depth of field limitations within a range of 1 meter up to infinity tended to be obscured by the generally poor image resolution, constituting a more severe restraint. The depth of field of these cameras was therefore 'extended' due to system limitations rather than image processing. As a corollary Depth of Field problems are now escalating for cameras with increasing numbers of pixels and extended use of telephoto lenses..

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Q: There are reports about some cheaper cameras available, which can take at least 3 differently focused shots of the same scene in rapid succession. So why should I use a FocOz camera?
A: Agree. It's called 'Focus bracketing'. But you can't - to the best of our knowledge - control more than one of these focuses: The camera will make one shot according to your active Autofocus (AF) choice while the two other shots are focused according to an internal camera 'decision', without operator control. It's therefore - for instance - not possible to set up sequential shots, focused on three nearby persons, ignoring other objects within the field of view. The very purpose of 'Focus bracketing' is to get three differently focused frames to choose in between - not to merge them. You may nevertheless try to do so - if you have the suitable software. FocOz stands for a complete solution: A camera adapted for this mission plus state of art merging software.

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Q: Why modify a simple camera? Why have you modified a simple consumer camera - already being replaced by later models?
A: The difference inbetween this consumer camera and an expensive professional one is no big deal as far as image resolution and number of pixels is concerned. There are of course other details differing. We have refined this consumer camera quite a bit in the course of modification. Almost all digital cameras tend to become obsolete after a year on the market nowadays and it took us more than a year to make this development, involving our own electronics of microprocessors etc. It's therefore not so surprising that we are 'building' on an older model - and it's of very little consequence really: A five megapixel picture in one model remains more or less the same five megapixel picture in next years model. Our customers realize that we are selling a dedicated function, not the 'hottest model' for the jet people.

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Depth of Field

Q: A small-sensor digital camera has reputedly a good depth of field with the lens stopped down to f/8 So why should I use a FocOz camera?
A: The FocOz camera is a small-sensor digital camera, still suffering from insufficient depth of field at f/8 in single-shot mode operation, and where the range-interval of depicted objects is too wide. Examples of this may be found elsewhere at this website, where original individual shots are compared with processed images being merged from several differently-focused frames: This FocOz process is enhancing the Depth of Field significantly even at full aperture f/2,8.

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Q: Focusing: Human vs camera. You are claiming that a human eye has infinite depth of field but isn't it so that a human can only focus upon one single little object at the time while a camera is operating within a much larger field of view?
A: We have not claimed that a human eye has infinite depth of field. What we have claimed is that human artists make paintings with Infinite Depth of Field and have been doing so since at least the fifteenth century. Two examples of such artwork are decorating this website.

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Q: Getting the background blurred 'enough'. To get - say - two persons in focus on one and the same picture may sound good but I definitely want the backgrund to remain as blurred as possible! How can I achieve that with the FocOz camera?
A: Simple. Just don't focus on the background! The FocOz camera can only select 'sharp image details' where focused shots are available i.e., from the frame sequence acquired. So whatever was left out of focus when you made the original shots remains blurred later on. And even if you happened to make a shot of the background in perfect sharpness: Just drop that frame later during the image processing stage! It's easily done because you are in command when choosing frames to be processed! And we may introduce more background blurr in future program versions because the same technique may be used to blurr the background to a degree which you may never achieve with your 'standard' digital camera, and this applies also for those small-sensor ones (which seem to have too much depth of field for some present day users!). You may read about that feature in our patents (Publication number wo02059692 A1. You will find more referencs to the patents in the Inventor's view section). Do you like the idea?

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Q: I have noticed that some of the demonstration photos presented at this web site are less than perfectly focused over parts of the scene. So how can you talk about an 'Infinite Depth of Field'?
A: It's because we sometimes deliberately choose to process only very few (2-3) differently focused shots. The reason for this may be that we only want to emphasize certain picture parts, leaving the rest (like a background) as it may be, a bit blurred. Another reason may be that we want to suppress disturbances caused by picture motion. Strictly speaking - there is no such thing as an 'Infinite Depth of Field' because there will always be a proximity range limit within which image sharpness comes to a bitter end. We have nevertheless adopted this terminolgy because the camera can under favourable circumstances produce pictures which give an illusion of infinite Depth of Field. A good example of this may be found if you follow our Press Release link to EIBIS and scrutinize the 300dpi macro photo of eggs there (below to the right).

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General

Q: Any use for extended Depth of Field? My problem is not to increase the depth of field but to reduce it. I believe that many 'real' photographers agree with me. There is little use for your FocOz camera.
A: Fair enough - we respect your opinion. The FocOz camera is introducing new possibilities though, which may be hard to digest for some traditional photographers. Openminded persons who recognize the possibilities rather than the drawbacks of the new technique, may however harvest shots with a depth of field which was simply 'impossible' in the past. And there is a key word: 'Image Information'. Some applications fare better with as much image information as possible, rather than blurr. We refer to 'Applications' of this website for some further suggestions about possible FocOz use.

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Q: This is not an invention! People have been merging differently focused photos manually in Photoshop for years. How can you get a patent for such a thing? It's nothing new about it!
A: Fair enough. And we also recognize that kids make drawings, cut them into pieces with scissors and glue pieces together on a new sheet. The same procedure done with a PC was nevertheless regarded as a major advancement not long ago. Focusing was also done manually in the past, using eye and measuring-tape, until the first electronic autofocus AF was patented (1977). It took - say - 10 years until all consumer cameras had an AF and most people of today would agree about that it was a novelty - even though manual focusing 'as such' was known before. Autofocus may in the future become obsolete, because a consumer camera can now be programmed in advance with optimal set up's of focuses instead, using the FocOz principle. No AF will then be required any more.

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Q: To increase Depth of Field seems to be a useless camera feature to me. Can you give ANY good reason for using a FocOz camera?
A: Product photographers are frequently trying to depict their products in great detail, simply because manufacturers often wish to convey as much technical information as possible to their customers. However one wellknown problem with macro (product) photography is depth of field limitation. The FocOz camera can thus solve a problem here, because the product photographer may now make hundreds of test shots a day with (as it appears) unlimited depth of field. And this is impossible if relapsing into old manual photoshop picture-manipulation. Hundreds of working hours a year may thus be saved by those professionals being adicted to this kind of photography. So we suggest that it can be sound economy to buy and use a FocOz camera under such premises. We have also suggested some other possible applications under the web site heading 'Applications'. May I humbly suggest that you spend a few more minutes, studying that section as well!

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Motion blur

Q: Tripod. Is it required to use a tripod when using the FocOz camera?
A: No, in most cases it is not required. The individual shots with different focus settings will automatically be aligned by the software.

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Optics

Q: Fix-focus. There are fix-focus cameras - and they work. So why should I bother about a much more expensive FocOz camera?
A: Depth of field around a single focus is restricted by the optical laws of physics. That's why out of focus objects become blurred with such a device, being a reason why skilled photographers rarely use such lenses. However, you may in a sense regard the FocOz camera as a Multi-Fixfocus camera, operating with several focuses at the same time by using a special technique, where individual Depth of Fields are added to each other like in a chain.

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Q: Image size. Isn't it true that image size may change if you are changing focus from infinity to close range? Sounds like a problem!
A: No, not really. The FocOz software (program) is ideally only selecting image information from frames which are in focus, rejecting other contributions which (by the way) can not be associated with any magnification at all because magnification is only defined for idealized pictures - in perfect focus! In other words: The 'size' of objects out of focus may well change (increase) dramatically but that's not because of a magnification change but rather because the blurr 'expands' outside the object!

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Q: Stop down the lens instead! Why not just stop down the lens as we've always' done? It worked for our forefathers so it must be good enough for us!
A: Our forefathers had no choice. You may stop down a lens until the aperture is so small that diffraction (wavenature of light) degrades the image resolution. This occurs at about f/8 or f/11 for a small-sensor digital camera (being a reason why these cameras usually don't have f/16 and beyond that). Traditional 24x36 image cameras have lenses where the aperture can be stopped down a bit more (f/16 or even f/32). A telephoto lens with long focal length can be stopped down even more: There are lenses which can be operated down to f/64. But not without sacrificing other performances severely! The amount of light entering such a lens becomes so small that long exposure times are required, which means potential motion blurr and problems in poor light conditions. The FocOz camera can offer you enhanced depth of field even at the maximum f-stop - say f/2.8

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Q: Tilt and Shift. Why not use a Tilt and Shift camera lens instead. It's a traditional way and it works!
A: Not the whole truth! You may well incline your focal image plane in a Tilt and Shift camera, so that objects at different ranges remain in focus. So far so good. But the location of these objects are restricted to this very 'plane'. This may occasionally be feasible in a studio where you are controlling everything, including position of objects to be depicted. But mother Nature is not likely to be helpful very often with such set ups! 'Natural' outdoor scenes - like landscapes or hardrock concerts are rarely organized along suitable focal planes. And moreover: Fast Tilt and Shift adjustments may prove a bit cumbersome when portraying shifting objects etc. There is nothing like Tilt and Shift in the FocOz camera. Just do the Multi-focusing...and shoot!

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Q: Why can't you use a split-field close-up lens instead, - one half close-up lens and one half open?
A: That is a possible option. However, the image quality will not be very satisfactory. The picture will be split in half between a far focus part and a near focus part. If the motif isn't exactly matching the split, large parts of the image will be out of focus. Due to the discontinuity between the half lens and the open part, extra blur will be visible along the split. In addition trees, poles etc. could be discontinuous if covered by both parts of the split-field close-up lens.

Only two discrete distances will be covered by this solution.

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Other Methods

Q: It's been known for a long time that you may merge differently focused shots by just 'adding them' to each other, thus doing the same trick as the FocOz system. So what's the big deal about your camera?
A: It's partly correct. You may for example add partially transparent pictures to each other in a Photoshop program. But this procedure is indiscriminately adding sharp as well as blurred contributions, gradually reducing contrast of the final picture, as the number of frames are accumulating 'on top of each other'. This contrast reduction is manifested as a general haze over the final picture, usually becoming intolerable for professional photographers whenever the scene 'as such' exhibits low contrast portions from the set out. A partial remedy is to enhance contrast of the merged picture afterwards, but this won't do in serious cases because the 'noise' is still there. The FocOz program, on the other hand, rejects the blurred contributions, thus avoiding this problem.

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Q: Why not put a cheap standard camera on tripod and make those shots one after another, interspaced by the operator with focusing inbetween the frames. Sounds cheaper to me.
A: Agree. Thats how we did it before we had access to the first FocOz camera prototype. Some of the drawbacks are:
1. A whole sequence of - say - maximum 8 shots takes minutes to execute. A lot of accidental and 'natural' movements of the scene may take place during that period. Outdoor photography is thus severely restricted to days of dead calm and essentially to scenes without moving objects. Portrait photography is also (almost) out of question.
2. Let's say you want to make another shot with same focuses (but different exposure) as is a 'must' for professionals: Then you have to go through the pains of focusing again! And again for the next shot. It's quite different for the FocOz camera, where 'focuses' are stored in an internal electronic memory and where the whole sequence can be repeated again and again, taking a few seconds each time.
3. You can't aim the camera at the various objects over the scene while focusing. It means problems with AF (Autofocus) unless the objects you focus upon happen to be located where the AF sensors are aiming. And similar problems may arise with MF (Manual focusing). You may however relapse into 'dead reckoning' when setting manual focus (MF) which is critical however, when operating with macro and full aperture - like F/2.8.
Concluding: The manual "tripod + standard camera" solution can be used when experimenting with single shots under favourable circumstances and against static targets... but it's hardly something we recommend for professionals where time is of more value.

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Pricing

Q: Why so expensive? Why is the FocOz camera so expensive? It's after all just a standard consumer camera being modified?
A: There are many other specialist cameras, which cost even more - and which can't even produce a single 'Infinite Depth of Field' shot. FocOz is not just another camera but a complete professional system with its camera adapted for sequential Depth of Field enhancement technique plus the most optimal software for merging such shots. It's taken us years and a lot of efforts to develop. Or incisively worded: You are paying for the licensed use of a patented and unique idea with an associated computer program on CD. And you get the suitable camera into the bargain! Moreover the FocOz camera (HW) is composed of a standard camera, being integrated with a dedicated FocOz module with its own hightech electronics and this latter part costs more than the standard camera itself to produce.

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Software

Q: Linux Support. Do you plan to introduce a Linux version of the software?
A: All the image processing software and the algorithm development work has been done using Linux workstations. The tools used for developing the MS-Windows user interface have support for Linux and therefore a port to Linux should be fairly straightforward. Some work and a lot of testing have to be done, so a port to Linux will solely be based on customer requests.

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Q: Mac Support. Do you plan to introduce a Mac OS-X version of the software?
A: Se also our comments on Linux support above. We are fully aware of the fact that a great percentage of the users in the newspaper, publishing and advertising businesses use Macs. The Macintosh user friendliness has traditionally not covered the developers, only "normal" users. This, however, has improved dramatically with the OS-X, which is based on Unix. As for Linux support, Mac support also depend on customer requirements.

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Standard Software

Q: FocOz camera vs. Photoshop. I can do the same tricks as the FocOz camera does, by using my Photoshop (R) program. So the question is: Is there any need for a FocOz camera??
A: Firstly: Time is money and it may take lots of time to merge pictures with Photoshop manually. The Focoz camera System is capable of merging hundreds of such pictures during a single day - you may even have your cup of coffee or do something else while the PC is processing an image.

Secondly: The FocOz system can merge up to 8 frames simultaneously and those pictures may be so complicated (from a focusing point of view) that it would be utterly impossible or at least prohibitively time consuming to achieve the equivalent results manually! And how do you actually merge those 8 pictures by hand?

Thirdly: The FocOz camera itself (HW) is specially designed for taking the necessary differently-focused pictures in fast succession: It delivers 3-4 differently focused pictures within one single second (HI speed mode). You will need such a camera even if planning for a manual merge in the Photoshop. At least if your motif is moving a bit - like when portraying people or taking press conference telephoto shots! To the best of our knowledge the FocOz camera is today the only camera available with such a feature.

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Q: I have heard of other separate PC programs for merging differently focused microscope images, cheaper too. Why can't I use them instead?
A: These other programs are developed for microscopy but may possibly be tried for some 'regular' photography as well if you are prepared to spend a bit extra time doing 'clean up' retouch etc. But then again: You will also need a camera which can execute those differently focused shots in rapid succession. In other words: You may well rig up your own camera on a tripod, making these shots one after another, changing focus manually in between. But it takes minutes instead of seconds to do so and things are moving in the meantime. Particularly outdoors where the wind is moving the grass and the leaves and the clouds... To take portraits using this primitive strategy is almost out of question...on a regular basis. The FocOz 'package' gives the whole solution: It's the best camera for this particular task plus the most efficient program available for image 'combinations'.

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Updated: Sun Sep 19 21:19:03 2004 (GMT+2)