A dual-aperture camera comprising a first camera having a first sensor and a first image signal processor (ISP), the first camera operative to output a first stream of frames, a second camera having a second sensor and a second ISP, the second camera operative to output a second stream of frames, and a synchronization and operation control module configurable to control operation of one camera in a fully operational mode and operation of the other camera in a partially operational mode and to output an output of the fully operational camera as a dual-aperture camera output, whereby the partially operational mode of the other camera reduces a dual-aperture camera the power consumption in comparison with a full operational mode of the other camera.

An optical object detection apparatus and associated methods. The apparatus may comprise a lens (e.g., fixed-focal length wide aperture lens) and an image sensor. The fixed focal length of the lens may correspond to a depth of field area in front of the lens. When an object enters the depth of field area (e.g., due to a relative motion between the object and the lens) the object representation on the image sensor plane may be in-focus. Objects outside the depth of field area may be out of focus. In-focus representations of objects may be characterized by a greater contrast parameter compared to out of focus representations. One or more images provided by the detection apparatus may be analyzed in order to determine useful information (e.g., an image contrast parameter) of a given image. Based on the image contrast meeting one or more criteria, a detection indication may be produced.

Systems and methods for implementing array cameras configured to perform super-resolution processing to generate higher resolution super-resolved images using a plurality of captured images and lens stack arrays that can be utilized in array cameras are disclosed. An imaging device in accordance with one embodiment of the invention includes at least one imager array, and each imager in the array comprises a plurality of light sensing elements and a lens stack including at least one lens surface, where the lens stack is configured to form an image on the light sensing elements, control circuitry configured to capture images formed on the light sensing elements of each of the imagers, and a super-resolution processing module configured to generate at least one higher resolution super-resolved image using a plurality of the captured images.

An optical imaging lens includes: a first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth lens element, the first lens element with positive refractive power, the second lens element having an object-side surface with a concave part in an outermost portion for an imaging rays passing through and an image-side surface with a concave part in an outermost portion for the imaging rays passing through, the fourth lens element having an image-side surface with a convex part in a vicinity of the optical axis, the fifth lens element having an object-side surface with a convex part in a vicinity of the optical axis and an image-side surface with a concave part in a vicinity of the optical axis, the sixth lens element having an image-side surface with a convex part in an outermost portion for the imaging rays passing through, and the sixth lens element being made of plastic.

An optical image capturing system includes, along the optical axis in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens, a second lens, a third lens, a fourth lens, a fifth lens, a sixth lens, and a seventh lens. At least one lens among the first to the sixth lenses has positive refractive force. The seventh lens can have negative refractive force, wherein both surfaces thereof are aspheric, and at least one surface thereof has an inflection point. The lenses in the optical image capturing system which have refractive power include the first to the seventh lenses. The optical image capturing system can increase aperture value and improve the imaging quality for use in compact cameras.

A photographing lens assembly includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element, a fifth lens element and a sixth lens element. The first lens element with positive refractive power has a convex object-side surface. The second lens element, the third lens element and the fourth lens element have refractive power. The fifth lens element with negative refractive power has a convex object-side surface and a concave image-side surface, wherein the surfaces thereof are aspheric, and at least one of the surfaces thereof has at least one inflection point thereon. The sixth lens element with negative refractive power has a convex object-side surface and a concave image-side surface, wherein the surfaces thereof are aspheric, and at least one of the surfaces thereof has at least one inflection point.

A photographing optical lens assembly includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element, a fifth lens element and a sixth lens element. The first lens element with positive refractive power has an object-side surface being convex in a paraxial region thereof. The second lens element has refractive power. Each of the third through sixth lens elements has refractive power and an object-side surface and an image-side surface being both aspheric. The photographing optical lens assembly has a total of six lens elements with refractive power.

A lens system includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element, a fifth lens element and a sixth lens element. The first lens element with negative refractive power has a concave image-side surface in a paraxial region. The second lens element with refractive power has a convex object-side surface in a paraxial region. The third lens element has positive refractive power. The fourth lens element with positive refractive power has an object-side and an image-side surfaces being aspheric. The fifth lens element with negative refractive power has an aspheric concave object-side surface and an aspheric convex image-side surface in a paraxial region. The sixth lens element with refractive power has an image-side surface being concave in a paraxial region with a convex shape in an off-axis region.

An imaging optical system includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element and a fifth lens element. The first lens element with refractive power has an object-side surface being convex in a paraxial region and an image-side surface being concave in a paraxial region. The second lens element with positive refractive power has an image-side surface being convex in a paraxial region. The third lens element with negative refractive power has an image-side surface being concave in a paraxial region. The fourth lens element with positive refractive power has an image-side surface being convex in a paraxial region. The fifth lens element with negative refractive power has an image-side surface being concave in a paraxial region and having a convex shape in an off-axial region thereof.

An image capturing apparatus comprises: an image sensor that includes a plurality of pixels, each including a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements; a readout unit that reads out a signal from a portion of the photoelectric conversion elements of each pixel as a first signal and reads out a sum of signals from the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements of each pixel as an image signal; a generation unit that generates a second signal for each pixel using the image signal and the first signal; and a calculation unit that calculates a moving amount of a focus lens for achieving an in-focus state based on a phase difference between the first signal and the second signal. The calculation unit performs the calculation without using a signal from a defective line.