The technology could help smartphone cameras capture up to 2.5 times more light without requiring larger sensors. Vikhyaat Vivek / Digital Trends
Smartphone cameras have come a long way in the past decade, going from grainy images to near-DSLR quality for casual, social media, and everyday photography. Daylight photography in particular seems to have hit a ceiling on flagship smartphones, as you can’t really distinguish much beyond color tones at first glance. That said, night photography still has plenty of room for improvement, and an interesting piece of tech called HoloCoder could deliver the next breakthrough in this area.
According to a WIRED report, Boston-based company Metalenz has acquired PxE Holographic Imaging, which developed the technology. It basically makes better use of incoming light by redirecting more of it toward the sensor, potentially improving low-light photography and dynamic range.
Where smartphone cameras still struggle
Most smartphone cameras, even expensive flagships, struggle with harsh lights and dark areas in the same frame. I’ve come across this quite often while doing urban night photography, where illuminated shop signs lose details and buildings around them turn into dark patches. Trying to lift the shadows later brings up noise,
