[Pål Jensen]

We might even see that lens at Photokina.

[y0chang]

The way I read this patent is that it's lateral sensor shift and not longitudinal. This would allow ANY Pentax camera with SR to have this feature added via FW.

That would be very interesting...interesting indeed.

[bossa]

The Contax AX film SLR used longitudinal movement of the film plane to provide AF, a patent to move a digital sensor in the same way for the same effect would probably be difficult to achieve I guess.

I believe that this is a method for focus detection and not actually a method to create focus.

IOW, this is a Phase Detection method and not a physical means of moving the sensor (instead of the lens) to create focus.

[JPT]

Someone on the Ricoh forum at DPR has posted a link to another Chinese article that appears to be talking about the same patent.

??SR????? ???????????????? - ?????? ????? ?? ???? ?? (Chinese)

Pentax Ricoh SR image stabilization develop new expansion phase difference AF sensor shift technology - digital cameras Encyclopedia camera lens camera pictures sample database (English via Google)

[ruggiex]

interesting development, can't wait to see more!

I wonder if it would have restrictions like under certain shutter speed, etc.

[bossa]

interesting development, can't wait to see more!

I wonder if it would have restrictions like under certain shutter speed, etc.

I doubt it because you normally open shutter after focusing and this method would probably only work in live view or on mirrorless cameras anyway.

[ruggiex]

I doubt it because you normally open shutter after focusing and this method would probably only work in live view or on mirrorless cameras anyway.

I'm kind of looking forward to K-02 especially if this means the regular K mount lenses won't take forever to AF compared to current MILC.

[Fogel70]

The way I read this patent is that it's lateral sensor shift and not longitudinal. This would allow ANY Pentax camera with SR to have this feature added via FW.

I believe it will require on sensor PDAF capable sensor and electronics to support it for it to work.

[Ayoh]

Interesting idea. Basically main imaging sensor could oscillate laterally during CDAF acquisition to obtain two readings with a phase shift for estimating focusing distance. It will have lag associated with the mechanical actuation but if that is short enough to offer an advantage over what the CDAF System can do in that time, then it could be useful. Compare to other pd+CDAF systems it avoids the lightless and poor low light sensitivity of masked pixels, and the custom high speed sensor readout of canons dual pixel. This could also be implemented as a movement of the PDAF sensor assembly at the bottom of the mirror box to expand the AF area if there is an advantage to simply using a lager PDAF module.

[K David]

That first one could be a good way to account for lens focus curvature. Imagine if the lens had a semi-circular focal plane and the lens moved out, back, and out again following the lens' focal plane as it recorded lines on the sensor. Well, regardless, that patent seems exciting.

[Mistral75]

Did you notice that the patent's illustration is a mirrorless camera with a new mount?

[Kunzite]

How can you figure out it's a new mount? They're all round

If I didn't misread it myself. It's late, I had to use Google Translate...

Yep, I misread it - my apologies!

[Mistral75]

How can you figure out it's a new mount? They're all round

(...)

Because the register is short and the sensor almost as big as the mount's inner diameter. OK, it could be a Q mount wit a 1" sensor .

[Fogel70]

I could also be the square opening on the lens that most Optio cameras have.
The back of the camera looks like a 10 year old Optio with 1.5" LCD and OVF.

[monochrome]

IIRC, new technology cameras were supposed to be Ricoh-branded; traditional cameras were supposed to be Pentax branded.

Leads me to imagine this technology might first appear in a GR-type pocketable, perhaps with interchangeable lenses. That might explain the size of the sensor relative to the mount opening.