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HP Pet-Eye Fix
Ilse Jurriën : June 25th 2007 - 17:20 CET
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 HP Pet-Eye Fix : HP explains about its new Pet-Eye Fix technology; Ever since HP introduced its industry leading In-Camera Red-Eye Removal, people have asked, “Can you fix my pet’s glowing eyes too?” Today - the answer is yes! Using HP’s new Pet-Eye Fix - included in select HP R-series cameras for 2007, Pet-Eye fix allows you to easily and quickly correct those pesky pet eyes - right in the camera. Like red-eyes in people, the glow in a pet’s eyes is a reflection of the camera strobe (flash) from the retina at the back of the pet’s eyes. Some animals, especially those with very good night vision like cats, have large pupils and very reflective retinas designed to capture as much light as possible. This means that the flash reflects very brightly from the retina.
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How does HP Pet-Eye Fix work?
Pet-Eye Fix uses the camera LCD and controls to indicate where the pet eyes are. Since animals facial structure, hair color and eye color vary so much, reliably locating the eyes on an arbitrary animal, that may be laying on its side or in some other position, would be very difficult - so having the photographer indicate where the eyes are adds reliability. Pet-eyes are identified by moving a small box around the image and placing it over the eye. You can zoom in or out to include more or less of the area around the eye. Then press the “OK” button and the camera will analyze the area indicated, locate the pet-eye reflection and fix it by fixing the bright reflection but preserving the ‘glint’ - the natural reflection from the front of the eye. If the glint were not preserved, the eyes would look dull and unnatural.
Another HP Pet-Eye Fix to fix?
If there is another pet-eye to fix, move the box to that eye and press “OK” again. When the last pet-eye is fixed, press “OK” without moving the box and the camera will save a new version of the image with the fixed eyes. The original version is not overwritten - so you have both the fixed and original version.
How come nothing happens when using Pet-Eye Fix?
Occasionally, when you indicate a pet-eye and press OK, the camera does not change anything. Sometimes that means the camera cannot fix the eye - but often it means you have selected too much or too little of the eye. Try ‘zooming’ in or out using the zoom controls and pressing OK again. Notice that when you zoom in or out the yellow box indicating pet-eye will not change size, but the image behind it will. This means you are including more or less of the image in the analysis.
Can In-Camera Red-Eye Removal and Pet-Eye Fix be used together?
Sure. The photo to the right shows exactly this. First, Red-Eye Removal was run, fixing the little girl’s red-eyes, and then Pet-Eye Fix was used on the dogs.
Is Pet-Eye Fix just darkening the area I select?
No. Pet-Eye Fix is looking for an eye, pupil and glint. This allows Pet-Eye Fix to get rid of the bright reflection from the pupil while preserving the eye color and the glint. Usually, if you select something in the picture other than an eye, Pet-Eye Fix will do nothing.
Did HP invent this technology?
Yes. HP researchers created this technology and put it in the camera where it is easy to use.
Does Pet-Eye Fix work perfectly?
No. Sometimes you will find a pet-eye that the camera cannot fix, or you may not like the fix applied. This is why it is so useful to have Pet-Eye Fix in the camera - where you can use it right away and decide if you want to take another picture.
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