At CES 2018, Canon unveiled three specialized CMOS sensors: an ultra-high resolution 120MP APS-H sensor, a 5MP Global Shutter sensor, and a 19?m Full HD sensor capable of shooting 100fps Full HD in extremely low light. Each does something special—offering high resolution, global shutter, and high-sensitivity, respectively—and now, a few months later, Canon is showing off these sensors in a series of demo videos.
The first video featured the 120MXS sensor, which can shoot a mind-boggling 9.4fps at 120MP resolution. Now Canon USA has released the second video in the series, demoing its full-frame 19?m Full HD sensor made for shooting slow motion in extremely low light:
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| The 35MMFHDXS CMOS sensor, capable of shooting 100fps Full HD in ‘exceptionally low-light environments.’ |
The sensor is called the 35MMFHDXS, and in many ways it’s the polar opposite of the 120MXS. It only contains 2.2 effective megapixels, but each of those pixels is a whopping 19?m x 19?m in size, allowing them to capture a lot of light. This, combined with new pixel and readout circuitry that helps reduce noise, is what allows this full-frame sensor to capture Full HD at 100fps even when shooting in very little light.
You can see what this means in the video up top, or read Canon’s own description of the 19?m Full HD sensor below:
The 35MMFHDXS CMOS sensor delivers high-sensitivity, low-noise imaging performance, enabling the capture of Full HD video even in exceptionally low-light environments. The sensor’s pixels and readout circuitry employ new technologies that reduce noise, which tends to increase as pixel size increases. High sensitivity and increased well depth have been achieved through a larger pixel size of 19?m x 19?m (square) with proprietary device design technologies. The 35MMFHDXS CMOS sensor is available in RGB, RGB+IR or Monochrome.
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| Sample video screenshot. Credit: Canon |
These new specialized CMOS sensors now have their own landing page on Canon’s website, where you can dig into the specs and read a full white paper on each of them.
As with the 120MXS, we probably won’t see this 35MMFHDXS sensor in standard, consumer-facing Canon cameras anytime soon; however, the technology Canon is developing to create these “advanced CMOS sensors with state-of-the-art technologies” will no doubt trickle down into the sensors the company will use in its DSLR and mirrorless cameras of tomorrow.
Check out the demo video above, and then head over to the Canon landing page to learn more.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)