Does google use Canon?

[Tcapp]

Ok, this is NOT a Canon sucks post. I love my Canon stuff. But I was on google maps, and I saw something very familiar to me.... Banding in the shadows on the satellite images! To the best of my knowledge, this is fairly exclusive to Canon. So yeah. If million dollar satellite cameras have banding noise in their shadows, do we have any hope of our lowly little cameras ever breaking free from this curse?

 

[Loswr]

Not to worry, it's most likely just a post processing artifact used by Google at the request of the US Government to hide the sensitive military installations hidden in the shadows in that part of Oregon.

 

[Tcapp]

Not to worry, it's most likely just a post processing artifact used by Google at the request of the US Government to hide the sensitive military installations hidden in the shadows in that part of Oregon.

Yea. That must be it. ;D

 

[jrista]

Keep in mind...ONLY the Sony Exmor sensor has nearly read-noise-free images. Most other CMOS sensor designs still exhibit a lot more noise than an Exmor sensor. Many of those designs will exhibit pattern and banding noise like Canon sensors. Just because banding exists in a photo does not mean it was taken with a Canon camera...it just means it wasn't taken with a camera using an Exmor sensor.

Don't make the mistake of assuming Sony's advancements in sensor fabrication mean ALL sensor manufacturers EXCEPT Canon are just as good. Its the exact opposite. Only Sony is that good, and all other sensor manufacturers (for consumer grade devices, anyway) are worse to one degree or another.

 

[Tcapp]

Keep in mind...ONLY the Sony Exmor sensor has nearly read-noise-free images. Most other CMOS sensor designs still exhibit a lot more noise than an Exmor sensor. Many of those designs will exhibit pattern and banding noise like Canon sensors. Just because banding exists in a photo does not mean it was taken with a Canon camera...it just means it wasn't taken with a camera using an Exmor sensor.

Don't make the mistake of assuming Sony's advancements in sensor fabrication mean ALL sensor manufacturers EXCEPT Canon are just as good. Its the exact opposite. Only Sony is that good, and all other sensor manufacturers (for consumer grade devices, anyway) are worse to one degree or another.

Yea, but isnt Canon one of the biggest suppliers of commercial grade imaging equipment? I doubt Leica is making satellites.

 

[jrista]

Keep in mind...ONLY the Sony Exmor sensor has nearly read-noise-free images. Most other CMOS sensor designs still exhibit a lot more noise than an Exmor sensor. Many of those designs will exhibit pattern and banding noise like Canon sensors. Just because banding exists in a photo does not mean it was taken with a Canon camera...it just means it wasn't taken with a camera using an Exmor sensor.

Don't make the mistake of assuming Sony's advancements in sensor fabrication mean ALL sensor manufacturers EXCEPT Canon are just as good. Its the exact opposite. Only Sony is that good, and all other sensor manufacturers (for consumer grade devices, anyway) are worse to one degree or another.

Yea, but isnt Canon one of the biggest suppliers of commercial grade imaging equipment? I doubt Leica is making satellites.

One of the biggest, out of maybe half a dozen "biggest" suppliers? Sure, it could be a Canon sensor, that wasn't my argument. Just pointing out that it is ONLY Sony Exmor that gets super clean shadow detail. Just about any sensor from one of the major commercial grade imaging suppliers could exhibit noise like that.

 

[AdamJ]

Yea, but isnt Canon one of the biggest suppliers of commercial grade imaging equipment? I doubt Leica is making satellites.

Actually, Leica is still very much involved in satellite imaging equipment.

 

[Tcapp]

Yea, but isnt Canon one of the biggest suppliers of commercial grade imaging equipment? I doubt Leica is making satellites.

Actually, Leica is still very much involved in satellite imaging equipment.

Really? Wow. I stand corrected then!

 

[dr croubie]

Yea, but isnt Canon one of the biggest suppliers of commercial grade imaging equipment? I doubt Leica is making satellites.

Actually, Leica is still very much involved in satellite imaging equipment.

Really? Wow. I stand corrected then!

... except that Leica don't make sensors, it's all Kodak in the S2 (and the new one is Dalsa? or is it the M made there?). Either way, if Leica make satellite imagery then it's probably limited to some top-rate Glass.

and FYI, most stuff on G-Earth isn't satellite anymore, only for the really zoomed-out stuff. All the latest is from Aerial surveillance, and a lot of the shots come from other places, government and military agencies and all.
I remember seeing a few years ago, there was one US state that had obviously taken it upon themselves to maps the whole place and give Google the shots. The detail was great but you could see the line where the white-balance changed at the border (can't find it now though).

 

[AdamJ]

I also stand to be corrected but I thought the sensors Leica use for airborne imaging products are their own?

 

[rpt]

Such a lovely polite conversation. It makes me smile. A breath of fresh air - or was I looking at all the wrong threads last weekend?

And just to underscore my comment I am not being sarcastic (lest somebody else gets the wrong idea)...

 

[dr croubie]

I also stand to be corrected but I thought the sensors Leica use for airborne imaging products are their own?

these?.
Well, maybe you're right, it certainly doesn't say anything about them being Kodak or Dalsa-made (but then, it doesn't exactly say that the sensor is made by them either).
And technically, that's Leica Geosystems AG, a sister company of Leica Camera. Still, if Geosystems can make their own nice 60MP aerial sensors, why did Camera stick with the (originally) Kodak sensor for the new S and not one of their own?

 

[Tcapp]

Such a lovely polite conversation. It makes me smile. A breath of fresh air - or was I looking at all the wrong threads last weekend?

And just to underscore my comment I am not being sarcastic (lest somebody else gets the wrong idea)...

Totally agree. I think everyone is so nice cause no one said the N word. (no, not THAT n word).

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Not to worry, it's most likely just a post processing artifact used by Google at the request of the US Government to hide the sensitive military installations hidden in the shadows in that part of Oregon.

How did he find that secret submarine base in the first place??
Now, there will be a international incident as the US accuses Canada of leaking secrets via Canon rumors. ;D

 

[Tcapp]

Not to worry, it's most likely just a post processing artifact used by Google at the request of the US Government to hide the sensitive military installations hidden in the shadows in that part of Oregon.

How did he find that secret submarine base in the first place??
Now, there will be a international incident as the US accuses Canada of leaking secrets via Canon rumors. ;D

The sub is actually parked right behind OMSI and the portland opera. For reals yo.

 

[Tcapp]

Not to worry, it's most likely just a post processing artifact used by Google at the request of the US Government to hide the sensitive military installations hidden in the shadows in that part of Oregon.

How did he find that secret submarine base in the first place??
Now, there will be a international incident as the US accuses Canada of leaking secrets via Canon rumors. ;D

The sub is actually parked right behind OMSI and the portland opera. For reals yo.

And, oddly enough, no banding!

 

[rpt]

Not to worry, it's most likely just a post processing artifact used by Google at the request of the US Government to hide the sensitive military installations hidden in the shadows in that part of Oregon.

How did he find that secret submarine base in the first place??
Now, there will be a international incident as the US accuses Canada of leaking secrets via Canon rumors. ;D

The sub is actually parked right behind OMSI and the portland opera. For reals yo.

And, oddly enough, no banding!

That one is obviously the decoy!
Oops! Now after Canadian Bacon there will be Indian Paneer