Consumers need to think about sensor size rather than pixel count, says Aptina’s Sandor Barna, because larger image sensors are likely to appear in all types of devices. Barna, the Vice President and General Manager of sensor maker Aptina’s Consumer Camera Business Unit, spoke to us about the challenges facing compact cameras, the niche that will continue to exist for them, and hints that more large sensor compacts are on their way.
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Sensor maker Aptina has given more details of its Clarity+ technology that it claims will offer a 1EV improvement in sensitivity over conventional sensors. The company believes it has found a way to use clear pixels to capture more light while retaining the image quality of a standard Bayer sensor. Although initially intended for smartphone sized sensors, the company says it could have applications in larger formats. Find out more over at connect.dpreview.com
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
The other big announcement from Sony today is a ‘Mark II’ version of its popular Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 compact camera. The RX100 II features a new 1-inch, 20.2 megapixel back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS sensor, which Sony claims is 40% more sensitive in low light than its predecessor. Other improvements including a tilting rear LCD, Multi Interface hotshoe, and Wi-Fi and NFC capability. Click through for more details.
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Pentax Ricoh has announced the Q7 – its latest Q-mount camera and the first to feature a larger, 1/1.7″ type sensor. The 7.44 x 5.58mm, 12MP BSI CMOS sensor is the same size as the one used in many enthusiast compacts, with the company claiming a 60% improvement in S/N ratio over the existing Q10. This improvement also allows the camera to focus faster in low light. The Q7 will cost around $ 500 with the ’02’ 5-15mm zoom lens and can be custom-ordered in any of 120 color combinations. The company has also introduced a body-cap ‘Mount Shield’ lens for the Q system – the 11.5mm F9 lens will cost around $ 80.
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Fujifilm and Panasonic have announced the joint development of a sensor technology that combines a light-sensitive coating on top of a CMOS chip. The companies claim higher dynamic range and sensitivity than current CMOS sensors, along with the ability to receive light at steeper angles – making it easier to design cameras with wide-angle lenses and allowing lenses to be mounted nearer to the sensor. The announcement extends from the work Fujifilm has been conducting on organic (carbon-based) photo-senstive materials and combines it with CMOS underpinnings developed by Panasonic. The result is a chip that uses CMOS technology only for circuitry – with the organic layer taking over the role of converting light into electrons.
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Leica has officially announced its much-teased (and leaked) X Vario – the world’s first compact camera with an APS-C sensor and fixed zoom lens. Its Vario Elmar 18-46mm 1:3.5-6.4 ASPH lens offers a 28-70mm equivalent range, and sits in front of a 16.1MP CMOS sensor. Viewing is via a 920k dot 3″ LCD, or the same optional plug-in EVF as used by the M Typ 240 and X2. As we’d expect from Leica the camera has a full set of traditional analogue controls for shutter speed, aperture and exposure compensation, along with a hefty price tag of £2250.
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Canon has patented a color-sensitive multi-layered sensor design, showing the company is still pursuing the technology. Like Sigma’s Foveon chips, the multi-layered design allows each of the sensor’s pixels to capture color information without the need for colored filters. The patent, discovered by the Japanese Engineering Accomplishment blog, suggests a system to promote resonance within the sensor, in an attempt to make the lower layers of the sensor more sensitive. (from Egami blog)
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Sensor maker Aptina has announced a 14MP 1″-type sensor for use in mirrorless and video cameras. The AR1411HS enters the range alongside the existing 10MP model and offers even faster shooting capabilities. The 14MP chip can shoot full-resolution images at up to 80 fps and can shoot either 4K or Quad HD (allowing high quality 4:2:2 color) at up to 60 fps. The company suggests the 1″ format (actually 13.2 x 8.8mm) offers an effective balance of image quality, price and capabilities to make a sensible middle ground between the tiny 1/2.3″ sensors in most compacts and the APS-C sensors used in many mirrorless models and DSLRs.
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Pentax-Ricoh has announced the much rumored and leaked Ricoh GR, a 16.2MP APS-C sensor enthusiast compact camera. The GR continues on from Ricoh’s GR Digital series of high-end, fixed-lens models, gaining a much larger sensor but continuing to offer a 28mm equivalent field of view, now with an F2.8 maximum aperture. It also retains the GRD IV’s high-res 1.2m dot LCD and a range of photographer friendly functions. Despite ta sensor nearly nine time as big, the recommend price increase by just $ 200 over the GRD IV, to $ 799.
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
The just-announced Phase One IQ260’s sensor is a breakthrough in long exposure capability. Doug Peterson of Digital Transitions has just written an in-depth look at what went into designing a 60MP sensor capable of up to 1 hour exposures.
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