In what can be termed as an innovation in the field of photography, Stanford computer science professor Marc Levoy and graduate student Andrew Adams have created an open-source digital camera, called 'Frankencamera'!

With practically all features of the camera - like focus, flash, exposure, and shutter speed - capable of being be controlled by programmers, with the help of the singular software, the camera's performance is not restricted by the preinstalled software by the manufacturers.

Once the 'Frankencamera' technology catches on, consumers would be able to download applications to open-platform cameras, just like they download Apple apps to iPhones. Once the camera's operating software becomes publicly available - in nearly a year's time -, users will be able to perk it up, alongside the open-source model of Firefox or Linux.

Elaborating on how the 'Frankencamera' functions, Levoy said: "What we're talking about is: tell it what to do on the next microsecond in a metering algorithm or an autofocusing algorithm, or fire the flash, focus a little differently and then fire the flash again - things you can't program a commercial camera to do."

About the prospective availability of the cameras, Levoy said that, within a year, the two photo-scientists would probably have the requisite funding and arrangements in place to have a manufacturer produce the cameras in bulk, preferably at a cost less than $1,000!