Patent: Variable Diffusion Focusing Screen

Canon Rumors

Who Dey
Canon Rumors Premium
Jul 20, 2010
12,848
5,687
279,596
Canada
www.canonrumors.com
HTML:
<p>A patent for a variable diffusion focusing screen from Canon is out there. The patent shows a focusing screen capable of showing sharp areas as well as giving the shooter a better idea of depth of field. Current DSLRs are quite difficult to manually focus accurately using fast primes with the default focusing screens. There are focusing screens out there you can swap out, but having it all in one screen would be ideal.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.canonrumors.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/patentfocusingscreen.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-17597" src="http://www.canonrumors.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/patentfocusingscreen.jpg" alt="patentfocusingscreen" width="398" height="140" /></a></p>
<p><strong>Patent Publication No. 2014-191184</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Published Date 2014.10.6</li>
<li>Filing date 2013.3.27</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Canon patents</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Spreading factor variable finder screen</li>
<li>First diffusion rate</li>
<li>Brightness priority</li>
<li>Setting of low diffusivity and high transmittance</li>
<li>Second diffusion rate</li>
<li>Blur priority</li>
<li>Setting of high diffusivity and low transmittance</li>
<li>The partially changed spreading factor according to the focusing range</li>
</ul>
<p>Source: [<a href="http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://egami.blog.so-net.ne.jp/2014-10-15" target="_blank">EG</a>] via [<a href="http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/cameras/Canon_rumours.html" target="_blank">NL</a>]</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">c</span>r</strong></p>
 
WOW!

I wouldn't have even thought about this beeing possible.
So if this comes true, then nobody should call Canon "not innovative" again.

Let's hope it will find its way into cameras.
 
Upvote 0
I would pre-order this without hesitation.

I had to come back and add this....
So often over the years, I've heard Canon say they've added such and such feature to whichever camera because they've spoken with photographers and that's what those photographers wanted. Well, finally, here is something I really want (likely years away if ever) and I'd expect many others want too. Sort it out and hand it over Canon.
 
Upvote 0
Orangutan said:
That kind of detailed focus info would require a lot of data -- wouldn't this make sense only if there are a very large number of focus detection points?

It's not related to the autofocus system - it's just a transparent material whose diffusion can be changed. More diffusion=easier to judge focus, but less bright (and vice-versa). Its technology is probably similar to this: http://www.google.com/patents/WO2013098522A1?cl=en
 
Upvote 0
This is cool, but will it allow accurate enough MF for very thin DOF in critical applications? Not sure.

Wonder if the business people at Canon will put the kibosh on this tech given the very high quality MF-only lenses from Zeiss and the very affordable MF-only lenses from Samyang.
 
Upvote 0
iron-t said:
This is cool, but will it allow accurate enough MF for very thin DOF in critical applications? Not sure.

Wonder if the business people at Canon will put the kibosh on this tech given the very high quality MF-only lenses from Zeiss and the very affordable MF-only lenses from Samyang.

I can barely take a picture of a cat with my 85f1.4 right now, I don't care if isn't good enough for the most critical uses, it'll be a huge improvement.
 
Upvote 0