A device to reproduce a natural scene under constant and defined lighting conditions

Test charts are used to test digital cameras and to perform objective measurements. But there are certain aspects in testing a camera that require a real scene. One of these aspects is the correct white balancing for different types of illuminants. Another aspect might be the determination of the visual loss of detail due to noise reduction or the amount of noise in an image. To perform these kinds of tests is one thing and to have them comparable over time or for different teams working in different locations is another.

We have developed the lightSTUDIO to make this possible. It provides the standard types of illumination and is large enough to illuminate a whole table top scene. It also allows for remote control and the dimming of the lights from a PC using a USB interface. To get a worldwide comparison between labs the lightSTUDIO comes with all the interiour shown on the picture and a detailed description of each object and why it is in the box can be found in the user manual.

The 1.3 x 0.8 x 0.8 m lightSTUDIO has six different types of illuminants (D50, D65, F11, F12, tungsten, and tungsten filtered to D55).The user can easily switch between the different illuminants and control the intensity in 1% steps . The control can be operated from the front panel of the device itself or via the integrated USB interface. A software that provides a digital version of the front panel is supplied, but through an SDK the control can also be integrated in individual software solutions. To make the usage error proof, the user can switch on only one light source at a time.

After all, having a box with the illumination will only provide you with one half of the complete solution. Now it is important to find natural objects that will reveal possible mistakes in the camera’s image processing and show the limits of the camera's capabilities. Therefore we are happy to provide a collection of objects that serve this purpose. We have started off with a collection of objects which one of the interested camera manufacturers asked us to provide and added additional items which, based on our 15 year experience, have caused or might cause problems with cameras or show their limitations. The customer who buys the package gets a detailed description of these objects and what their intended use is, as well as how to use them. This set of objects is delivered with the lightSTUDIO. That way cameras can be compared at different locations worldwide under defined and constant illumination conditions.


FEATURES OF THE lightSTUDIO

TECHNICAL DATA

Please note that the box is not designed to illuminate test charts. It will not provide the spatially uniform illumination required to measure the physical characteristics of a camera using a test chart. If you need a device to illuminate test charts please do not hesitate to contact us.