Last edited by Wayne_ASUS on 2016/1/11 18:23
Envisioning the future
How does a groundbreaking invention like ZenFone Zoom come into existence? It’s a simple question that heralds a fascinating story — a tale beginning September 17th, 2013. This was the day we introduced PixelMaster’s Low Light mode, the revolutionary technology that brought superior low-light photography to PadFone Infinity — and many more ASUS smartphones and tablets since. Both PixelMaster and Low Light mode proved enormously popular — with reviewers, industry professionals and, most importantly, our customers. And so it was that ASUS Chief Executive Officer, Jerry Shen, and ASUS engineers sat to envision the future of smartphone photography — a future that would include an unparalleled,
no-compromise smartphone camera made by ASUS. We are driven by the desire to excite our users, delivering breakthrough technologies that ignite passion in everyone that encounters them. This defines our unique place in the increasingly homogenous world of technology. ASUS is always in search of incredible.
Framing the problem
The discussions were long, and the studies in-depth. We confirmed some factors we already knew, including that most smartphones rely on compact camera modules, or CCMs. These CCMs are great for keeping dimensions down but the restricted space limits the optics: it’s hard to make an optical zoom when there’s no room for the mechanics.
That, we also confirmed, is why existing optical-zoom smartphones relied on barrel-style mechanisms, aping the construction of traditional zoom cameras. The additional space enables optical zoom but at the cost of bulk, plus the unwelcome aesthetic of the barrel bulge. And so we set ourselves the challenge: to be the first company to put a true optical zooms into a smartphone without the bulk or ugly protuberance. We would, we agreed, establish a new era for smartphone photography.
Samsung K Zoom
Perfection is our pursuit
We are craftsmen, in pursuit of perfection — so finding the right partners to realize of our vision was never going to be easy.
We spent many tireless months surveying and conferring with optics experts from around the globe. Size, specifications and scalability were obviously key criteria in our considerations: which companies had the industrial expertise, energy and equipment to help build that which had not been built before?
The answer came only in 2014, when we partnered with HOYA — the Japanese company renowned worldwide for the quality of its optics. Of all the organizations considered, only HOYA could meet all of our requirements.
HOYA was able to make the slimmest lens with the largest aperture, and to the manufacturing scale demanded by our endeavor. But still we needed to reduce the size of the module, and consider how it could be engineered into a slimline smartphone. Clearly, our journey had still only just begun.
Overcoming our own fear
On paper, our mission was straightforward. We had to combine the HOYA lens, complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor, image signal processor (ISP), stepper motor and optical image stabilization (OIS) into one module — and a compact module that would not result in an oversized smartphone
Reality is rarely as simple concepts, and thus it was now that the hard work really began. Every component was from a top-tier manufacturer, but that meant combining the electronics from diverse sources into one cohesive unit.
Remember that what we wanted to do had not before been achieved. It would be wrong to believe that we never suffered self-doubt — for assuredly we did. But great engineering thrives on solving big problems, and that’s just what we did.
The proof is that ZenFone Zoom exists — the world’s thinnest 3X optical-zoom camera. So how did we do it?
Sideways thinking
To understand how we achieved the seemingly impossible, turn your head to one side — because that’s how ZenFone Zoom accommodates its periscopic 3X optical-zoom mechanism.
Periscopic is the key word here: our engineers created a unique dual-prism layout to fit a true optical-zoom mechanism into the slimmest-possible frame. Piecing together the dozens of elements that make up this mechanism takes total precision.
That alone is a significant challenge but, to shave every last micrometer from the design, we cooperated with HOYA to shape the lens using a technique we named the ‘D-cut’. In this process, the lower part of ZenFone Zoom’s glass eye is polished flat for the ultimate compactness — a method itself that took dozens of iterations to perfect.
Protected perfection, positioned for you
With such intricate precision, ZenFone Zoom’s camera module needs protection. Our engineered precision-milled a dedicated frame from aerospace-grade alloys, encapsulating and strengthening the area around this vital component.
We also considered how real-world users — people just like you — would hold ZenFone Zoom. That means how your hand grips ZenFone Zoom, and where your fingers rest naturally, be it for selfies or stills. We looked at right-handed use, and left-handed use; and both large hands and small. We considered wrist angles and weight balance. And where we found we’d gone wrong, we’d rectify or start over.
We did all this to create a frame that both protects ZenFone Zoom and provides ideal comfort for you — and this describes just a handful of the 201 distinct processes we employ to cement perfection.
Harder than hardware
Hard software sounds like a contradiction, but creating the tools to make ZenFone Zoom’s innovatively intricate hardware work harmoniously was our next challenge — and it was seriously difficult!
By late 2014 we had the fundamental software structure in place, and our engineers watched with joy as lens and motor reacted synchronously when the camera was activated. We also had the OIS system working flawlessly, and used this period for extensive testing and refinement, including countless minute adjustments to correct lens distortion and shading — where light falls off towards the edge of the image sensor.
These are standard procedures for experienced optical engineers but ZenFone Zoom presented our world-class experts with new challenges, because no-one before had made what we were making. Every small change in the hardware had an impact on the software controls, and vice versa. We had to innovate and iterate at every turn. We also had to remind ourselves that ZenFone Zoom was to be more than an extraordinary optical-zoom camera — it had to perform as a smartphone. The switch between fine photography and supreme smartphone had to be as fluent and flawless as the hardware itself.
That ZenFone Zoom does just this is testament to the brilliance of our software engineers. The transition is seamless, so you don’t even notice it — and that’s just how it should be!
ZenFone Zoom v.s. iPhone 6S Plus
Perfection that lasts a lifetime
When you pick up ZenFone Zoom, you will feel the solid metal frame that perfectly balances slimness and strength.You’ll marvel at the how the bezel has been polishedto a beautifully smooth finish, and delight in touching the fully anodized surface — a finish that stops oxidization and imparts a luxurious sheen.You’ll run your fingers across therear and appreciate the luxury of the fine burnished leather, cut from only the thinnest yet toughest parts of the hide — and crafted using traditional Italian tailoring skills. The whole process takes 201steps; the perfection lasts a lifetime. Remember that ZenFoneZoom is imbued with the many PixelMaster enhancements that are adoredby millions of existing ZenFone devotees, including the industry-leading Low Light mode, Backlight (Super HDR) to see clearly through daytime shadow, laser auto-focus for total clarity at the speed of light, and the dual-LED Real Tone flash that captures skin tones in all their natural beauty. You’re able also to controlall of this manually, if you want, for photography experiences that make you feel like a pro. And most importantly, ZenFoneZoom frees you from distance restrictions. No longer do you need to get closerto get the perfect shot:you’ll frame what you want and see in close-upfrom right where you stand, using thepower of 3X optical-zoom and true optical image stabilization. Wehave made the impossible possible and turned ZenFoneZoom into a reality. It is yours to own and love today, the world’s thinnest 3X optical-zoom smartphone — a new classic. It’s time for everyone to See the World Up Close.
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