转自塞班论坛，原帖地址：http://bbs.dospy.com/thread-14096149-1-604-1.html

Nokia imaging guru Damian Dinning on the journey to create industry-changing camera tech
(Nokia 影像大师Damian Dinning于创造改变相机界科技的旅途上)
Published by Damian Dinning on March 7, 2012
(Damian Dinning 于 3月7日2012年 发布)

GLOBAL – Yes, the Nokia 808 PureView has the largest-ever sensor by a long way shoe-horned into its pocketable dimensions. When people hear the figures, many either find their jaws on the floor in sheer astonishment or struggle to believe it’s possible. After all, this isn’t a
digital SLR (that would be astonishing enough) but a smartphone! Something you can carry with you at all times.
(全球 - 是的, Nokia 808 PureView拥有着史前未见的最大尺寸传感器, 经过长时间的"硬塞"进入便携的尺寸[这句好难翻译...才开始就瓶颈了我......]. 当大家听到这数字时, 好多不是纯粹惊讶地下巴掉到地上就是挣
扎着相信它的可能性. 毕竟这不是一台数位单眼(这已足以令人够惊讶)而是一部智能手机! 能让你全天候携带的东西.)



I can understand the reactions: even people inside Nokia have reacted similarly.
(我能理解这些反应: 即便是Nokia内部人员亦有类似的反应.)

Despite this, the innovation and news is NOT the number of pixels but rather HOW those pixels are used.
(尽管如此, 这项创新与新闻不是在强调多少像素, 反而是这些像素如何地被使用.)

It’s been incredibly exciting to have been associated with this project from a very early stage. For some of our team, it’s taken over
five years to bring this to the market, such is the technological and engineering achievement, so you can perhaps imagine the excitement but
also sense of relief some of us are feeling right now.
(非常令人难以置信的是在非常早期的阶段就被关联到这项计划之中. 对于我们团队某些成员, 用了超过5年的时间
才把这技术与工程的成果带到市场上, 你们也许能够想象得到其中的激动同时也能够感觉到我们现在倍感安慰的心情.)

Given the amount of effort that’s gone into this project, I wanted to share more of the background as well as some more detail around
how PureView works.
(鉴于对这项计划付出的努力与工作量, 我想要分享更多这其中的背景以及更多关于PureView是如何运作的细节.)

Where it all started
(它是从哪里开始的)

In late 2005, Nokia were in the final phases of
preparing the Nokia N73 3Mpix AF and the rather
unique N93 3Mpix AF 3x optical zoom smartphones
for introduction in the spring of 2006. We’d
already been researching alternative directions
in the area of imaging and camera development as
well as extending the direction both of these
products would be soon starting. Roughly a year
after their introduction, the N95 and N93i came
to market.
(在2005年年底, Nokia正准备着N73的最后阶段以及比较特别的光学变焦N93在2006年春季的发布会. 我们已着手研究影像与相机发展这个领域的替代方向以及延长这两项产品方向的工作将尽快地展开. 在它们发布大概一年后, N95与N93i来到了这个市场上.)[右图分别左上-N73, 右上N93, 左下N93i, 右下N95]

Around this time, we were starting the development of a number of next-generation imaging rich smartphones. Commercial products such as the Nokia N82, N86 8MP as well as the extremely popular Nokia N8. But there were many other projects intended to include optical zoom which never made it to the market. A number of these were quite advanced concepts using different camera configurations and physical form factors, some conventional, some significantly different.
(在这段时间里面, 我们开始展开下一代影像后继机种的研发工作. 商业产品如N82, N86以及极受欢迎的N8. 不过还有许多其他的包括光学变焦的计划却未能把它们推到市场上. 这些计划里的好些项目是还蛮进阶的概念, 运用不同的相机配置以及外型, 有的按照常规, 有的显著性的不一样.)
[左图左上N82, 右上N86, 下图N8]


However, over this time, the market was evolving. For example, displays were becoming bigger and bigger. This aspect alone resulted in
a number of concepts not being taken forward due to the limited potential screen size of some concepts. Another important factor was how
market expectations were evolving in the area of image quality.
(然而, 在这个时候, 市场开始变化了. 举例, 荧幕显示开始变得越来越大. 这个局面导致好些概念因为受到了这些概念在荧幕尺寸上的限制无法被继续带向前. 另外一个重要因素是市场对于影像质量是如何演变的一个期望.)

For example, at one stage we had working prototypes equipped with optical zoom using folded optics. Despite this almost reaching commercialization, the module was relatively large and we decided the performance would not be fundamentally good enough to meet the
evolving expectations.
(举例, 在某个阶段我们曾拥有已经能运作的使用摺叠式镜头的光学变焦原型机. 尽管这差不多快接近商业化了,
可是这模块却相对的也很大, 所以我们觉得它的表现在本质上不足以满足这市场不断变化的一个期许)

It became clear to us that if we were ever to meet the increasing expectations and evolving market dynamics we were going to need to find a new direction in imaging.
(这清楚的告诉我们, 如果我们要满足这不断攀升的期望以及这不断变化的市场, 我们需要为影像技术找一个新的方向.)

After developing several optical zoom modules, we were still seeing significant performance trade-offs caused by optical zoom: performance in low light; image sharpness at both ends of the zoom range; audible noise problems; slow zooming speed and lost focus when zooming during video. We became convinced this could never be the great experience we once hoped. You’d need to accept a bigger, more expensive device with poor f no., a small and noisy image sensor and lower optical resolution just to be able to zoom.
(在开发出数种光学变焦模块后, 我们依然明显看到光变所带来的性能权衡取舍; 低光表现; 广角端与长焦端的图像锐利度; 看得见的噪声问题; 缓慢的变焦速度以及在拍摄影片途中变焦时候的失焦问题. 我们开始相信这将不可能成为我们曾希望的体验. 你必须接受一个更
大,更贵, f no.[这应该是指光圈]却很差的设备, 一个小且噪声满布的传感器以及更低的镜头分辨率就只是为了能变焦.)

Around this time, the Nokia imaging team had just finished creating a tool called the Camera Simulation Environment. This tool is a virtual
environment where we can easily simulate the performance of different types of optics, image sensors and image processing algorithms and see the impact of different technical solutions to the final image quality. It’s an easy and fast way to try new ideas.
(在这段时间里面, Nokia影像团队刚完成了一个叫相机彷真环境的工具. 这个工具是一个可以轻易模拟各种镜
片性能, 传感器, 图像处理运算法以及让你看到各种不同技术解决方案的影响直到最终成像质量的一个虚拟环
境. 这是一个容易且快速尝试新概念的方法.)

Nokia was also leading the market by driving large image sensors into devices and understood how to integrate large image sensors in to small camera modules. The Nokia N73 and N95 were the first mobile products with 1/2.5” sensors and since then we’ve continued to introduce large sensors such as the 1/1.83” sensor in the Nokia N8.
(Nokia亦领导着市场把大尺吋的传感器放进手机里以及懂得如何把大尺寸的传感器整合进小小的相机模块上. N73与N95是首批装进1/2.5"传感器的移动产品, 从那之后, 我们继续地推行大传感器例如在N8身上的1/1.83"传感器.)




Of course, we understood the need for being able to zoom and frame the shot during video recording.
However, co********ising image and video quality to achieve the zooming capability was something we were not willing to do.
(当然, 我们明白拍摄影片的时候能够变焦以及能够拍照的需求[这一段感觉怪怪的].
然而, 为了获得变焦的能力而妥协于图像与影片的质量, 这是我们不愿去做的事情.)

One idea leads to another
(一个概念引领出另一个想法)


One day when a couple of our engineers met over lunch,
one of them mentioned how earlier that day he found an article in the Electronics Times on satellite imaging inspiring, specifically how
satellite imaging uses extremely high resolution sensors to capture high resolution images.  It was the fact that we typically only ever look at
a section of a satellite image that inspired him the most.
(某天, 当我们好几个工程师聚餐的时候, 其中的一个提到在当天更早的时候, 他在Electronics Times这本杂志[(右图)其实不知道说的是杂志还是网站]找到一篇关于人造卫星影像的启发, 特别是人造卫星影像技术如何使用极高分辨率的传感器去补抓高分辨率的图像. 事实上我们通常只能看到的卫星图像的一小部份, 却让他有了很大的启发[这位仁兄貌似就是影像技术开发小组的头头Juha Alakarhu(下图), 也就是此次研发PureView技术的关键人物].)

An idea emerged from this discussion to use a sensor with somewhat higher resolution sensor than needed at the time but output a lower
resolution image than the sensor input resolution possibly adding some upscaling/interpolation to provide a meaningful enough zoom range. This would provide the user with an experience similar to optical zoom. Whilst the performance was thought to be superior to conventional digital zoom as well as result in a far smaller package than optical zoom, it was felt that the performance would still not be up to the standard we were aiming to achieve.
(在这次的讨论中诞生了一个概念, 那就是使用一个高出需求分辨率的传感器, 不过却输出比这传感器的分辨率要低的图像, 这或许能增加些放大/插值提供一个意义十足的变焦范围. 这将提供使用者一个类似光学变焦的体验. 虽然这被认为是优于一般传统的数位变焦以及
能够达到远比光变更小的封装, 不过还是感觉起来依然无法达到我们旨在实现的标准.)


Sometime later after a ten-hour long meeting seeking to solve the technical challenges of optical zooming, a few engineers were sitting in
a Tokyo hotel bar. During a lively discussion about how the technical problems of optical zooming could be solved the earlier idea came up
again in conversation…. What if we would just add enough pixels to avoid having to upscale the image?
(这之后的某天, 几位工程师在东京一家饭店的酒吧里, 进行了一段长达10小时的会议, 寻找解决光学变焦技术挑战的
方法. 在这个热闹的关于光学变焦技术问题该如何解决的讨论中, 早前提及的概念再一次出现在谈话之中...
"我们是否能塞入足够的像素去避免放大图像的必要?")

….after some further discussion they concluded that a sufficiently large enough image sensor could create an output image with excellent low light performance, excellent optical performance as well as maintaining a low f no. Instead of trade-offs, there would be significant benefits, especially at the wide range of the zoom. As an additional benefit the file sizes would be small due to low noise whilst the level of detail would be way beyond anything seen before thanks to the pixel oversampling.
(...在进一步的讨论过后, 他们得出了结论---一个充分够大的传感器能够创造出优秀的低光, 光学表现同时还能保持低f no.的图像. 替代权衡的是, 那将会有显著的好处尤其是在广泛的变焦功能上. 作为一个额外的好处, 文件大小将会由于低噪声而很小同时细节表现将会超出以往所能见的水平, 这要感谢像素超取样这技术的加持.)
At full zoom, while pixel oversampling could not be used, optical performance would benefit as only the central optical path would be used,
where the performance is always superior due to manufacturing tolerances and light incoming angle.
We could therefore keep the same low f no. and achieve performance which is not possible with optical zooming (not even in expensive SLR optics). As a bonus the closest focus distance would remain the same as wide, resulting in greater macro performance!
(在最高倍数的变焦下, 当像素超取样不能使用的时候, 光学的性能仅能从使用中央的光学路径而受益, 其中的表现总是优越的由于制造的公差以及光线进入的角度. 我们因此能保持同等低f no.以及获得光学变焦无法取得的表现(甚至昂贵的单眼亦不能). 作为额外的好处, 对焦距离将保持同宽达到更大宏观的表现.[这一段是解释无损数位变焦])

We would also achieve instant and silent zooming
by keeping the focus during zooming which has
always been a problem in optical zooms. We would
also be able to achieve simpler, smaller and
more robust construction for the camera. Eureka!
The solution was right there!
(我们也做到了实时且安静的变焦过程同时全程依还是对得上焦, 而这一直在光学变焦上都是个问题. 我们同时还做到了更简单, 更小以及更健全的构造于相机身上. 找到了! 答案就在那!)
That evening the basic idea had been sketched on a bar napkin,
but even during ‘the morning after’ it was clear this idea was really worth taking seriously.
(当天下午的基础概念已草拟在酒吧的餐巾纸上,
不过甚至就在第二天的早上, 已经很清楚明了地这概念是非常值得被认真去看待的.)
[就是左图那张]
In order to make the camera happen, the largest and highest resolution image sensor in mobile devices would need to be created. Simulations showed that we would need new solutions and materials in the optics to be able to achieve great optical performance in a small enough package.
Manufacturing tolerances, materials and surface accuracy used in SLRs, pocket cameras or
mobile cameras would not be enough to make it work.
Working closely with Carl Zeiss, we analysed different optical solutions, materials and manufacturing technologies, searching the
world for image sensor technologies and companies willing to take on the challenge.
(为了让这相机成真, 移动设备里最大以及最高分辨率的传感器必须被制造出来.
模拟显示, 我们需要一个新的方案以及镜片的材料在一个足够小的封装里实现卓越的光学性能.
制造的公差, 材料以及单眼上才有的表面精度, 口袋式相机或手机相机不足以让这实现.
透过与卡尔蔡司的紧密合作, 我们分析了数种光学方案, 材料以及制造工艺, 寻找全世界的传感器技术以及愿意接受这挑战的厂商.)

We had often debated that, for the vast majority, 5-megapixels completely fulfils their real world needs, but the market for many years
has been pixels, pixels, pixels. It’s hard to block that out. Our friends at Carl Zeiss believed the same.
At the time, the challenge was like Columbus trying to convince people the world was round and not flat.
(我们经常议论的是, 以绝大部分的人来说, 5百万像素完全能满足他们现实的需求,
不过这个市场这么多年来都是像素, 像素, 还是像素. 那是很难排除掉的.
我们在卡尔蔡司的朋友也是相信这样.
这段时间, 这挑战就象是哥伦布试着说服人们这个世界是圆的而不是平的一样.)
Shaping the sensor
(传感器的成型)

At this time, the sensor was supporting the conventional 4:3 aspect ratio. 4:3 aspect ratios were the norm but we could see the future was
16:9. The challenge was how to support 4:3 and 16:9.
This part of the story I remember well as I was in the meeting when we brainstormed this part of the module design.
(在这个时候, 这传感器支援常规的4:3长宽比.
4:3是标准的比例不过我们能看见未来会是16:9的天下.
现在要挑战的是要如何同时支援4:3以及16:9.
这一段情节我记得很清楚, 就如同当时我在这会议中, 我们是如何脑力激荡地商讨着这一部分模块的设计.)

People from Nokia were in the meeting, of course, but also our friends from the companies we work with often on our high-end optics and
sensors. The atmosphere was relaxed but I had a feeling that some of our optics and sensor suppliers thought we were perhaps crazy.
Nevertheless, they were still putting 100% into the project.
We were really pushing the boundaries of optical design at this point clearly going where no one had dared before.
(Nokia的人在这会议中, 这是当然, 不过经常与我们共同在高端镜片以及传感器研发上的战友亦在其中.
当时的气场是轻松的, 不过我有个感觉就是有些我们镜片以及传感器的供应商在想说我们恐怕是疯了.
尽管如此, 他们依然100%地投入到这计划里面. 我们是真的在把现阶段的光学设计清楚地往从无人敢于尝试的边界推去.)

In this meeting we created the idea to use the
13:9 sensor based around the optical circle to fully support both 16:9 and 4:3. Of course,
since then we have been incorporating this into the new modules for example in the N9, Lumia 800 and 900. But to maintain the same effective zoom range someone quickly pointed out we were going to have to increase the size of the sensor even further… and that’s how we ended up with 41-megapixels.
(在这议程中, 我们创出了这想法, 运用13:9比例基于光学镜头圆周的传感器去完全同时支援16:9以及4:3[为什么是13:9? 有谁能解释? 还是那是作者的笔误?].
理所当然的, 从那时起我们把它纳入了新的组件里比如N9, Lumia 800以及900. 不过为保持相等效率的变焦范围, 某人快速的指出, 我们必须更进一步提升传感器的尺寸...这就是怎样在最后我们选择了4千1百万像素.)


A few months later, in October 2008, the initial prototyping had been done. There was enough evidence now to show this was possible, although we knew there were going to be lots of challenges ahead of us.
(几个月后, 2008年的10月, 初步的原型机完成了.
那已经有足够的证据证明这是可能的, 虽然我们知道还有许多的挑战在我们前方等着我们.)

Many different optical designs were trialled, using different lens configurations, lens materials, lens designs etc.
In the end, I think we considered around 40 design proposals.
As one aspect improved, another became worse.
We continuously changed and then evolved the design until we were completely happy with the balance
of the various aspects.
(许多种类的光学设计都试验过, 不同的镜头配置, 镜头材料, 镜头设计等等.
最后, 我想我们已经考虑了40种左右的设计提案. 当一方面提升的时候, 另一个却变糟.
我们持续地替换然后改变设计直到我们完全对各方面的平衡都满意为止.)

But even then, while we knew the camera performance would be really good, we didn’t know how good.
Simulations are one thing but with so much complexity involved in the image processing as the area of the sensor used changed and
effecting scaling and oversampling behaviour,
we never really knew that we could be 100% confident what would work well and what wouldn’t.
A great deal of discussion and simulating was carried out to try and predict every eventuality, but there’s only so much you can do.
(但即使如此, 我们知道这相机的性能会非常好, 但不知道有多好.
摸拟是一种方法, 不过在这么复杂的图像处理上包括传感器的范围使用和改变所影响的伸缩以及超
取样的特性, 我们无法真正知道我们能100%有信心哪些将可行, 哪些却不.
我们展开了一个庞大份量的讨论以及模拟去尝试以及预测每一个可能性, 但就只有那么多是目前能做的.)

When the very first prototype camera modules
became available, the excitement and anticipation of all those involved in the project was pretty extreme. Would it be as good
as our simulations showed? One sample was sent to our friends at Carl Zeiss for testing around this time. A few of guys from our imaging team went to take some shots over the Pyhäjärvi lake, which lies in between cities Tampere and Nokia (yes, there really is a city called Nokia in Finland).
(当第一个原型相机模块出来的时候, 所有涉及这项目的人兴奋度以及预期度都是极致的. 它会如我们模拟显示的那般好? 这个时候, 一个样品送了过去给我们在卡尔蔡司的朋友做测试. 我们影像团队中的几个人则去了座落在Tampere市跟Nokia市[我晕, 居然还有名字叫Nokia的城市?!]之间的Pyhäjärvi lake[不知道哪里的湖]拍取一些样片(是的, 那的确是有一座叫Nokia的城市在芬兰里面[无言...囧]).


I remember the content of two emails still to this day. One from the Tampere team with images attached captured with the first prototype
camera and another captured with a Canon digital SLR as a reference. I opened both images and viewed immediately at 100%.
Initially, I thought the images were labelled wrongly. Then I also saw the email from Carl Zeiss with the results from the lab testing.
It’s usual for Carl Zeiss to provide a list of comments on areas where improvements could be made.
On this occasion however, the email was uncharacteristically short.
Here’s a short unedited excerpt from that email: “Our lab people are VERY happy with the quality. :-) ”
(我依然到今天都还记得那两封电邮的内容. 一封来自Tampere的团队, 里面附件着原型机牌的照片以及另外以佳能数位单眼所拍的照片做为参考. 我打开双方的照片并立即的以100%去查看.
最初, 我以为照片标签错误了. 过后我也看了从卡尔蔡司发过来的实验室测试结果电邮.
通常卡尔蔡司会提供一份评论列表说明什么地方需要改进. 可是, 这封电邮却一反常态的非常短.
以下是从这封电邮截取出来未经编辑过简短的一段:"我们实验室里的人对这样品机的质量感到非常高兴 :-)"
[看到这句就爽 XD]

Relief!
(心头大石放下了!)

This is, without doubt, our most complex imaging project to date. Often the ‘big idea’ has involved much discussion, but throughout the
development process, as exciting as it may sound to introduce a device equipped with a 41-megapixel image sensor, our real excitement has ALWAYS been associated with the opportunities and in particular the performance this provides in its default form when shooting ‘just’ 5-megapixel images or when recording full HD video.
We’ve waited a very long time to be able to do what we believe is right and break free from the years of legacies laid down behind us.
(这, 无需怀疑的, 是我们迄今最复杂的影像计划. 这"大概念"涉及了大量的讨论, 但在整个开发过程中, 令人
兴奋的除了推出了一个配备4千1百万像素传感器的设备之外, 我们真正激动的是一直地与机会挂钩以及当在预
设格式下仅以5百万像素拍的照片或是当在摄录全高清影片时的性能表现. 我们已经等了很长一段时间才做到我
们所相信的是对的以及挣脱了这么多年来在我们身后的传统枷锁.)

During the journey, what was originally a simple idea evolved into something a great deal more revolutionary.
This was possible due to Nokia’s long expertise in imaging, partnering with the best companies in the world, incredible
craftsmanship and unwillingness to co********ise in performance.
(在这路途上, 本来是很简单的一个想法如今竟幻化成如此革命性的一个东西.
这都是可能的, 因为Nokia长久的专精于影像技术, 与全世界最好的厂商搭档, 难以置信的工艺以及不愿对于性能表现妥协的精神,
这都是可能的[老外卖瓜, 自卖自夸 XD].)

最后来一张808 PureView部份开发团队成员的照片(是用808拍的喔, 点图可放大)


感谢塞班论坛的feiplane的翻译

[ 本帖最后由 dboy99 于 2012-3-10 22:05 编辑 ]

这用机器翻译还是繁体我愣是看不懂...

我可能是看惯了繁体所以没感觉 ，已经转回简体了

(当第一个原型相机模块出来的时候, 所有涉及这项目的人兴奋度以及预期度都是极致的. 它会如我们模拟显示的那般好? 这个时候, 一个样品送了过去给我们在卡尔蔡司的朋友做测试. 我们影像团队中的几个人则去了座落在Tampere市跟Nokia市[我晕, 居然还有名字叫Nokia的城市?!]之间的Pyhäjärvi lake[不知道哪里的湖]拍取一些样片(是的, 那的确是有一座叫Nokia的城市在芬兰里面[无言...囧]).
(我依然到今天都还记得那两封电邮的内容. 一封来自Tampere的团队, 里面附件着原型机牌的照片以及另外以佳能数位单眼所拍的照片做为参考. 我打开双方的照片并立即的以100%去查看.
最初, 我以为照片标签错误了. 过后我也看了从卡尔蔡司发过来的实验室测试结果电邮.
通常卡尔蔡司会提供一份评论列表说明什么地方需要改进. 可是, 这封电邮却一反常态的非常短.
以下是从这封电邮截取出来未经编辑过简短的一段:"我们实验室里的人对这样品机的质量感到非常高兴 :-)"

从这段可以知道808的镜头绝对强大啊

posted by wap, platform: iPhone

看不懂 但好像很NB的样子

posted by wap, platform: Opera

感谢翻译，真是读到好东西了。

posted by wap, platform: iPhone

顶一下真饭

posted by wap, platform: Opera

@皮埃罗幻想 mark

等上市后看拆解，底真那么大就入个，样张不可信

posted by wap, platform: iPad

以前看到x3传感器我就想为啥普通传感器不能四个像素合一个模拟胶片成象原理。

塞班粉这水平，活该被果粉操了

posted by wap, platform: iOS

@samback mark

感觉nokia 808和Belle FP1应该是早就定好的战略，用超大像素的镜头 和可提速的cpu这2点展示自身实力和做宣传，可是在iPhone横行的现在估计没人再关注这些了，nokia也很无奈吧

posted by wap, platform: Nokia (E63)

依我看，诺基亚肯定没有打算靠808重新崛起，只不过是把花了大笔钱和大笔时间的研究成果拿出来变现罢了

但是这机器刚好命中了我的死穴，不买不行