32x zoom camera

Wide angle EO camera

• 1/2.4’’
• RGB: 4K HDR (24 fps)
• Photo: 21 MP
• Angular resolution: 0.016°/pixel
• MTF > 45 % at 160 lp/mm
• Zoom: 1x => 5x in 1080 p
• F2.4 aperture

Telephoto EO camera

• 1/2.4’’
• RGB: 4K HDR (24 fps)
• Photo: 21 MP
• Angular resolution: 0.004°/pixel
• MTF > 45 % à 160 lp/mm
• Zoom: 5x => 32x in 1080 p
• F2.4 aperture

The focal leap between the wide camera (1x to 5x) and the telephoto camera (5x to 32x) is automatic, which guarantees a continuous zoom.

Optical unit

We are using low dispersion aspheric lens architectures (110° and 26° diagonal fields of view, respectively for the wide and tele lenses). The optical units are composed of six lenses optimized to minimize the level of parasitic light while providing a high-resolution image across a vast temperature range (-43 °C to 45 °C).

Diagonal (DFOV) and Horizontal (HFOV) fields of view

The lens of the wide camera covers the full diagonal of the sensor with a 110° DFOV. It brings a 69° HFOV for the standard video mode, and a 75° HFOV for the standard photo mode.

The lens of the tele camera covers the full diagonal of the sensor with a 26° DFOV. It brings a 16° HFOV for the standard video mode, and a 16° HFOV for the standard photo mode.

Lossless zoom capabilities

The conception of ANAFI USA’s optical unit enables the drone to achieve 5x lossless zoom in 4K-UHD (3840x2160 px), 10x lossless zoom in Full HD (1920x1080 px) and 15x lossless zoom in HD (1280x720 px). Finally, at 27x zoom, ANAFI USA images still reach DVD quality (720x480 px).

Angular resolution and discernable details

The angular resolution of a lens expresses the angular separation between two pixels of the associated sensor. With the angular resolution of 0.004° on its telephoto lens, ANAFI USA enables its users to discern 10 cm (about 4’’) details at a distance of 1,500 m (about 0.93 miles), or 1 cm (about 0.4’’) details at 150 m (about 164 yards).

The optical unit is assembled with the sensor using an Active alignment technique. The optical block is positioned and held in place using a robotic arm, to achieve the following performance:

• the optical block is positioned above the sensor to ensure the desired focus at a set temperature (23 °C +/- 2 °C) and to guarantee resolution specifications in the scene;
• in yaw, roll and pitch, the optical block is positioned respecting the optical axis to obtain a uniform resolution on the edge of images;
• the sensor is aligned with the optical block axis to get the best performance at the center of the image;
• the optical center is finally aligned with the sensor center (+/- 20 pixels or 22 micrometer).

To guarantee the ISP’s image quality specifications, the factory performs an image calibration. In its internal memory, each optical unit carries the optical center, a dead pixel mapping, a lens shading mapping (luminance and color) and white balance.

Several optical tests are performed in the course of the production process:

• MTF checks on the image center
• MTF checks on the image borders
• Camera module checks while in production:
  • Center MTF
  • MTF at 40 % of the field
  • MTF at 70 % of the field
  • Light blemishes (dark or light areas on the image, dust suspicions)
  • Dead pixels (checking the total number)
  • Optical center
  • Uniformity of brightness and color in the field
• Cosmetic defects (stains, scratches, etc.)