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Apple could obliterate the pro video and DSLR market with all it has learned about sensors and image processing in the past decade. It would only need to releas

by pier25 6y ago

Apple could obliterate the pro video and DSLR market with all it has learned about sensors and image processing in the past decade. It would only need to release a pro body like Red, Black Magic, etc, supporting different mounts (Nikon F, etc) and an integrated workflow with Final Cut. It has already done that for the consumer market and part of the enthusiast market... My guess as to why Apple hasn't done it yet is because the the pro market is peanuts (for them). It also wouldn't look too good. It's one thing to compete with Samsung, and another too put many beloved brands (Arri, etc) out of business with the snap of a finger.

dman 6y ago
Maybe buying Arri and bringing them in house would be their play.
Razengan 6y ago
While an Apple Camera would be interesting to see (and why not, given that they've just entered the headphones market, at the risk of cannibalizing Beats), I think it's more likely that they'd want iPhones to remain the all-in-one digital camera kit. Maybe introduce a way to attach extra lens as MagSafe accessories some day.
- vparikh 6y ago
  Apple released one of the very first digital cameras back in the day - The Apple Quick Take (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Qu https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Qu). Somewhere deep in their R&D facility I wouldn't be surprised if they are quietly working on a full speced ILC camera system - they could just license the Nikon Z mount (which is the most advanced and future proof mount of any other vendors - Nikon's real ace in the hole) or - as people have said here just outright buy Nikon - and apply all of their silicon / imaging knowlege to it.I wouldn't put it past Apple.
  - kridsdale1 6y ago
    Jony Ive made an Apple themed Leica camera. One of a kind in the world. https://www.wired.com/2013/10/this-jony-ive-designed-camera-is-gonna-cost-you-a-lot-of-money/ https://www.wired.com/2013/10/this-jony-ive-designed-camera-...
perardi 6y ago
I’d love to have a pro camera that has a high-speed connection to an iOS device, with an extensive API for programmability. But I don’t think Apple would do it, because it’s such an ecosystem to build out. Lenses, flashes, adapters, it’s all so much. It’s Nikon’s core business to build such an ecosystem, and they’re not great at it. Never did get a fully fleshed-out set of DX lenses. Here’s my pipe dream: Apple transitions all iOS devices to USB-C, they cook up a low-latency fast protocol to connect to cameras, and they give the camera manufacturers documentation and support to build out a way to use an interchangeable lens camera that immediately lets you pipe photos and video off the camera into iOS apps for immediate processing and offloading.
ksk 6y ago
Can you explain the contribution of Apple here? I believe they simply buy the sensor tech from Sony. Sony currently makes the the best (or close to the best) consumer grade sensors for a wide variety of markets from dinky sensors for smartphones to full-frame and medium-format sensors for professional applications. Also, I don't think Apple (as of today) has the capability to "obliterate" the pro market. Are you simply talking about buying other companies, or making new home-grown products?
- kridsdale1 6y ago
  AFAIK Nikon is also licensing the sensors from Sony.
- pier25 6y ago
  Apple buys the CMOS from Sony but I'd be surprised if it wasn't considering building it themselves just like the 5G modems, the ARM processors, etc. But it goes well beyond that. Apple has been investing for decades into video editing and post production software, codecs, image processing, AI, and electronics manufacturing. Plus, it's a brand already trusted by the video and photography industry which has been using their hardware and software products for decades. They could indeed buy other companies, but I was referring to creating new products.
  - ksk 6y ago
    Yes, Apple can and does design chips. But as you can imagine - "Designing chips" can mean anything. With respect to CMOS chips you can go from from calling up Sony and ordering one off the menu with your custom requirements, to designing the NAND/pixel interconnects, microlenses, downstream dual-gain architectures, to working on the bonding chemistry, masked pixels, CFAs etc, etc. However, all this stuff is patented up the wazoo, and companies like Sony, Samsung, Aptina, OmniVision etc do not simply hand-over world-class tech like this. Apple is very good at supply chain logistics, overall packaging and design, UX, Software, etc. However, I don't see them challenging the established players on core technology.
jedimastert 6y ago
> supporting different mounts (Nikon F, etc) I might not be super plugged in to how Apple does things, but I genuinely cannot see them being able to help themselves from making a proprietary mount, then being the only people licensed to sell mount adapters...

by pier25 6y ago

dman 6y ago

Maybe buying Arri and bringing them in house would be their play.

Razengan 6y ago

While an Apple Camera would be interesting to see (and why not, given that they've just entered the headphones market, at the risk of cannibalizing Beats), I think it's more likely that they'd want iPhones to remain the all-in-one digital camera kit. Maybe introduce a way to attach extra lens as MagSafe accessories some day.

vparikh 6y ago
Apple released one of the very first digital cameras back in the day - The Apple Quick Take (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Qu https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Qu). Somewhere deep in their R&D facility I wouldn't be surprised if they are quietly working on a full speced ILC camera system - they could just license the Nikon Z mount (which is the most advanced and future proof mount of any other vendors - Nikon's real ace in the hole) or - as people have said here just outright buy Nikon - and apply all of their silicon / imaging knowlege to it.I wouldn't put it past Apple.
- kridsdale1 6y ago
  Jony Ive made an Apple themed Leica camera. One of a kind in the world. https://www.wired.com/2013/10/this-jony-ive-designed-camera-is-gonna-cost-you-a-lot-of-money/ https://www.wired.com/2013/10/this-jony-ive-designed-camera-...

perardi 6y ago

I’d love to have a pro camera that has a high-speed connection to an iOS device, with an extensive API for programmability. But I don’t think Apple would do it, because it’s such an ecosystem to build out. Lenses, flashes, adapters, it’s all so much. It’s Nikon’s core business to build such an ecosystem, and they’re not great at it. Never did get a fully fleshed-out set of DX lenses. Here’s my pipe dream: Apple transitions all iOS devices to USB-C, they cook up a low-latency fast protocol to connect to cameras, and they give the camera manufacturers documentation and support to build out a way to use an interchangeable lens camera that immediately lets you pipe photos and video off the camera into iOS apps for immediate processing and offloading.

ksk 6y ago

Can you explain the contribution of Apple here? I believe they simply buy the sensor tech from Sony. Sony currently makes the the best (or close to the best) consumer grade sensors for a wide variety of markets from dinky sensors for smartphones to full-frame and medium-format sensors for professional applications. Also, I don't think Apple (as of today) has the capability to "obliterate" the pro market. Are you simply talking about buying other companies, or making new home-grown products?

kridsdale1 6y ago
AFAIK Nikon is also licensing the sensors from Sony.
pier25 6y ago
Apple buys the CMOS from Sony but I'd be surprised if it wasn't considering building it themselves just like the 5G modems, the ARM processors, etc. But it goes well beyond that. Apple has been investing for decades into video editing and post production software, codecs, image processing, AI, and electronics manufacturing. Plus, it's a brand already trusted by the video and photography industry which has been using their hardware and software products for decades. They could indeed buy other companies, but I was referring to creating new products.
- ksk 6y ago
  Yes, Apple can and does design chips. But as you can imagine - "Designing chips" can mean anything. With respect to CMOS chips you can go from from calling up Sony and ordering one off the menu with your custom requirements, to designing the NAND/pixel interconnects, microlenses, downstream dual-gain architectures, to working on the bonding chemistry, masked pixels, CFAs etc, etc. However, all this stuff is patented up the wazoo, and companies like Sony, Samsung, Aptina, OmniVision etc do not simply hand-over world-class tech like this. Apple is very good at supply chain logistics, overall packaging and design, UX, Software, etc. However, I don't see them challenging the established players on core technology.

jedimastert 6y ago

> supporting different mounts (Nikon F, etc) I might not be super plugged in to how Apple does things, but I genuinely cannot see them being able to help themselves from making a proprietary mount, then being the only people licensed to sell mount adapters...