James Bond may have just joined the HD world. Electrophysics said its new product, AstroScope, is a video night-vision device that has the ability to transform dark, moonlit or starlit nights into high-res imagery.
The company said "recognition and identification of humans and objects in low light is very important to the success of a variety of applications." (We suspect that may pertain to videographers, as well as to others.)
At SPIE 2006 this week in Orlando, a confab sponsored by the International Society for Optical Engineering, Electrophysics is showing off an extension of its AstroScope line with a new unit designed specifically for the HD market (model 9350BRAC-Z1U).
The night-vision adapter is designed to couple with the Sony HVR-Z1U to give videographers the ability to produce quality high-res video in light-challenged environments. The adapter incorporates a third-gen image intensifier that automatically transforms dark scenes (below 10-4 lux) into bright, high-res images with no vignetting (where light at image edges is cut off or reduced) which can be a problem with night-vision platforms.
