Image Destabilization: Programmable Defocus using Lens and Sensor Motion

Abstract

We propose a novel camera setup in which both the lens and the sensor are perturbed during the exposure. We analyze the defocus effects produced by such a setup, and use it to demonstrate new methods for simulating a lens with a larger effective aperture size (i.e., shallower depth of field) and methods for achieving approximately depth-independent defocus blur size. We achieve exaggerated, programmable, and pleasing bokeh with relatively small aperture sizes such as those found on cell phone cameras. Destabilizing the standard alignment of the sensor and lens allows us to introduce programmable defocus effects and achieve greater flexibility in the image capture process.