Gigapixel photography is not only changing the way we take pictures – it's changing how we interact with images, as well. The incredible detail captured in gigapixel photos has famously led star-gazers to new conclusions about our place in the universe, and everyone from artists and entomologists to physicists and CG animators has embraced this new imaging technology, which invites the viewer to pore over fine details like never before.
Up until recently, gigapixel photos were created by stitching together hundreds of high-res images shot with traditional cameras, but advances in sensor technology have allowed devices like the Pan-STARRS PS1 telescope to do the impossible and capture 1.4-billion-pixel images of the night sky.
And the first consumer Gigapixel camera isn't far off. Engineers from Duke University and the University of Arizona have been testing a prototype that incorporates 98 tiny cameras and produces a resolution five times better than 20/20 human vision over a 120-degree horizontal field.
They claim their new camera can capture up to 50 gigapixels – that's 50,000 megapixels, if you're counting – and will be available to the public within five years as smaller camera components become cheaper.
