Agilent Technologies Introduces Industry?s Brightest and Smallest Auto-Focus Auxiliary LED Flash for Digital Still Cameras

PALO ALTO, Calif., Nov. 8, 2005 - Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) today introduced a high-brightness LED (light-emitting diode) specifically designed to provide the illumination required to operate the automatic focus function of a digital still camera under low-light conditions, and at a range up to 3 meters. With a typical light output of 18 candela (at 20 mA) the Agilent ASMT-FJ10 is the brightest auto-focus LED on the market. With dimensions of 4.80 mm length x 4.80 mm width, it also features the industry?s smallest package footprint.

In the past, cameras used infrared-emitting LEDs as the light source for auto- focusing under low-light conditions because only IR LEDs provided sufficient light output for the application. The use of visible light means that the same auto- focusing sensor is used under both low-light and ordinary conditions, whereas IR requires a separate sensor. Since the orange 612nm LED provides visible illumination, the same device can also be used as a red-eye reduction lamp and serve as an indicator that the camera?s self-timer is operating.

(Note from Steve: Let's hope that all the maufacturers begin employing an AF assist lamp like this. We have always made a "big deal" out of the lack of focusing lamps on digicams, it is a much needed thing on every camera!)

Read the Agilent press release.