- ▶ Industry-Leading Ultra-Close-Up Camera Module Development
- - Reduced close-up distance by 33% from the existing 18cm to 12cm, implementing 200MP resolution in close-up
- - Achieved 14.8x optical zoom without degrading image quality
- - Close-up photos creating microscopic-level images
- ▶ “Super” Macro Lens Developed for Ultra-Close-Up Photography
- - Ultra-close-up and miniaturization of camera module by separating close-up lenses into two distinct lens groups
- ▶ “Camera Performance” Emerges as Key Purchasing Factor for Smartphones
- - Continuously launching world-first products to provide customers with innovative solutions
- ▶ Capturing Market Share in Automotive Camera Module Sectors including IT, Electric Vehicles, and Autonomous Driving With Accumulated Optical Technology
Samsung Electro-Mechanics is set to target the smartphone camera market with its industry-leading camera module development capabilities. Samsung Electro-Mechanics has announced the development of an *ultra-close-up camera module for smartphones, which is currently being supplied to global smartphone manufacturers.
*Ultra-Close-Up Photography : Ultra-close-up photography captures subjects at magnifications exceeding 1x, clearly portraying details that are often invisible to the naked eye.
This technique allows for close-up, detailed shots that create effects similar to those seen through a microscope. While traditionally utilized by professional photographers, it has recently gained popularity among smartphone users for capturing artful images of food, pets, and nature, as well as creating high-quality documents without the need for a scanner, making it a vital purchasing point for consumers.
▶ Achieving Industry-Leading Close-Up Performance
Samsung Electro-Mechanics has implemented industry-leading close-up performance. By applying high-resolution and optical zoom technology, the close-up image quality has been enhanced to 200MP, while the shooting distance has been minimized to 12cm.
Previously, the maximum resolution for macro shots was 50MP, but Samsung Electro-Mechanics has quadrupled this figure to 200MP. In particular, to prevent quality degradation, it can still maintain 12.5MP image quality even at a 14.8x optical zoom, placing it among the best ultra-close-up camera modules currently available. Furthermore, Samsung Electro-Mechanics has introduced an innovative lens design, developing a *Super Macro lens that reduces the macro shooting distance by 33% from the existing 18cm to 12cm.
*Super Macro lens: Macro lens supports close shooting compared to standard close-ups, while super macro lens enables even closer shooting than regular macro lens.
▶ Cutting-Edge Technologies Including Lens Group Separation Design and In-House Production of Inspection Equipment
Previously, approaching subjects for macro photography would often result in blurred images due to focus issues. To achieve clear close-ups akin to a microscope, Samsung Electro-Mechanics has developed its Super Macro lens.
The Super Macro lens separates the macro lenses into two groups, allowing for precise focus adjustment based on shooting distance. As a result, Samsung Electro-Mechanics has successfully minimized the macro distance to 12cm while also contributing to the reduction of camera module size and resolving oversized camera bumps.
Samsung Electronics applied ultra-precision manufacturing techniques and manufactured its own equipment to mount two groups of lenses with their optical axes aligned.
The newly developed product features a large 200MP sensor that captures clear images even in low-light conditions. While larger sensors gather more light in dim environments, they require a bright, wide aperture lens. Samsung Electro-Mechanics applied a Ball-Guide type actuator to precisely drive the large-diameter lens in micrometer units (1/1,000,000 meters), achieving durability and accuracy at the micrometer level.
Having launched the camera module business in 2002, Samsung Electro-Mechanics is the only company with the expertise to directly design and manufacture core components of camera modules such as lenses and actuators.
Executive Vice President Lee Taegon, Head of Optics & Communication Solution Unit of Samsung Electro-Mechanics, stated, “Recently, there has been an increased demand for enhanced specifications in camera modules, particularly high-resolution sensors and ultra-close-up capabilities, especially in flagship smartphones. Samsung Electro-Mechanics will continue to offer differentiated products that meet customer needs based on our ultra-gap camera module core technologies.”
Leveraging technology accumulated in mobile and IT sectors, Samsung Electro-Mechanics is enhancing its competitiveness in the automotive camera module market. In March, the company developed and began mass production of highly reliable automotive camera modules, including all-season, weather-proof automotive camera modules equipped with water-repellent coating technology and lens heating capabilities, thereby expanding partnerships with global automotive manufacturers. Additionally, Samsung Electro-Mechanics plans to actively target next-generation business areas such as the new electronic component platform, Humanoid, as well as digital transformation through VR, AR, and XR technologies.