Developments within the technology industry have recently been largely dedicated to smartphones, with one example being Qualcomm's powerful Snapdragon 820.
A startup company named Light decided to use such technology to create the L16, which is a pocket-sized camera that is promising DSLR-quality pictures. To achieve this, the L16 packs 16 tiny cameras within it, as a solution to the problems that cameras in smartphones are currently trying to hurdle.
While cameras in smartphones have been showing improvements as newer models are released, the features are bound by physical constraints. Smartphones, to be able to fit all its components, could not utilize bigger camera sensors to be able to capture more light for the improvement of low-light pictures. For the same reason, smartphones could also not pack bigger lenses for better zoom functions.
The L16 addresses these issues by packing 16 camera lens modules, with the software of the device combining all the pictures taken together by the 16 tiny cameras to produce a single image which can have a size of up to 52MP. In addition to stronger performance in low-light conditions, the L16 will also pack a 25-150mm optical zoom which uses folded optics technology. The technology, which bends light to achieve zooming, helps maintain the device as a compact one.
All the data that the L16 handles to create that one 52MP image requires a lot of processing power, and this is where its usage of smartphone-geared technology comes in. The device utilizes Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 chipset, along with a 5-inch touchscreen, and will be powered by a modified version of Google's Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
All these specifications actually makes the L16 seem so much like a smartphone, and it basically is one, minus the cellular capabilities.
Preorders for the L16 have started, with the preorder price of $1,299 being $400 less compared to its full price of $1,699 once the device launches. That will not be any time soon though, as according to Light, it is hoping to be able to ship the L16 by the end of summer next year.
"The L16 is actually providing all the functionality of a $6,000 DSLR camera gear," said Light CEO and co-founder Dave Grannan.
