The “OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1” is the new flagship camera of OLYMPUS, which integrates a Digital SLR camera conforming to Four Thirds System standards and a Mirrorless camera conforming to Micro Four Thirds standards. The “OM-D E-M1” has various features such as the best image quality ever at OLYMPUS, the advanced electronic viewfinder system and high reliability to severe environments. Especially, “DUAL FAST AF”, combination of Contrast Detection AF and Phase-difference Detection AF, has played a major role to integrate both product ranges. In this report, I describe technical topics in development of the On-sensor Phase-difference Detection AF for “OM-D E-M1”.

Panasonic has started to launch DMC-GM1 as the one of answers that a mount system of Micro Four Thirds is the good balance at November, 2013. We believe that this model has not only as ‘Small-and-lightweight’ but also NOT compromising the ‘image quality’, and archive that a best solution for expanding the enjoying the interchangeable camera. On this lucubration, We will mention regarding the development of technology including the process, the decision of specification and the additional possibility for future GM series.

In the recent years, digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera users’ shooting style has grown more and more diverse with the progress of DSLR cameras’ functions and performances. The opportunities to check the image not only in the optical viewfinder but also on the LCD monitor while shooting with the Live View function or the movie function have increased. The Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology, by combining the imaging function and phase-difference autofocus function in all effective pixels of the CMOS imaging sensor, makes possible to achieve, in the same way as during viewfinder shooting, phasedifference AF on a large area and up to final focus during Live View and movie shooting. Compared to previous contrast AF or hybrid CMOS AF technologies, the Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology realizes “Shorter focusing time”, “Excellent tracking of moving subjects”, and “Smooth focusing operation for movie shooting”, and represents a leap forward in AF performance.

In 2013, we released “instax mini90 NEO CLASSIC” as a flagship instant camera-mini. In this report, I would like to explain the basic system of the instant camera and new function of “instax mini90 NEO CLASSIC”.

「Nikon 1 AW1」 is a world’s first waterproof and shockproof digital camera with interchangeable lenses. The Nikon 1 AW1 expands places and situations in which photography is possible to include outdoor scenes. In this report, we will explain these features of the Nikon 1 AW1 in detail.

RICOH THETA, has been developed by Ricoh, is the world’s first device capable of taking the spherical image surrounding the photographer in one shot in consumer goods. This product was realized that you shoot, browse and share spherical images more easily than ever before. This paper describes the background concepts, technology, and the development of this product. In addition, it also introduces the use scene and the outlook for future, we would like to present the possibility of utilization of various scenes of this product.

Nuclear track emulsion is a unique presence as a high spatial resolution and a three dimension detector in the field of fundamental physics. And the emulsion that Nobel Prize scholars Powell of the United Kingdom was introduced, has entered a new phase researchers to their own development. In this paper, the author organizes with respect to the prior knowledge of the fine grain emulsion and then discusses the emulsion design to discriminate the track of interest more precisely. First, the author presents a mechanism of photographic sensitivity to ionizing radiations, then introduces the latest high resolution emulsion and at the end discusses technologies of recombination prevention, of high-intensity reciprocity low failure and of track discrimination being an important in nuclear emulsion.

Coin operated electrical amusement machine was born at the end of the 19th century. Then, it developed using analog circuits and mechanical devices, CRT is used as a display device in the 1960s. In the late 1970s, computer video games were hit worldwide, leading the real-time CG, imaging technology will continue to be applied.

The silver-ion based electrochromic device having interchangeable three states, mirror ⇔ transparent ⇔ black, is expected to be useful as sunlight shielding windows. The change is controlled by applied electric potential and surface morphology of electrodes. We fabricated a smart window using the transparent electrochromic device having three states, mirror ⇔ transparent ⇔ black. We attached the smart window to a model house and evaluated the relationship between the transmittance of the window and the room temperature in the model house. By shielding with the mirror state of the window, a temperature drop of 4.4°C was observed. It was thereby confirmed that it is possible to suppress the rising room temperature. Therefore, the “window with transparent electrochromic device” is expected to play a major role as an alternative cooling equipment in summer.