Canon unveils 120-megapixel APS-H camera sensor

Emanuel

Emanuel

Cross-Examiner
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/360568/canon-unveils-120-megapixel-camera-sensor

«Canon claims to have developed a digital camera sensor with a staggering 120-megapixel resolution.

The APS-H sensor - which is the same type that is used in Canon's professional EOS-1D cameras - boasts a ridiculous resolution of 13,280 x 9,184 pixels. The CMOS sensor is so densely packed with pixels that it can capture full HD video on just one-sixtieth of the total surface area.

Processing such enormously high resolution images should, by rights, cripple the average camera. However, Canon claims it would be possible to shoot 9.5 frames per second with the new sensor "by modifying the method employed to control the readout circuit timing". Whether the camera could buffer such high resolution images in its memory is another matter altogether.

The 120-megapixel sensor has seven and a half times as many pixels as the company's current top dog, the 16-megapixel sensor found in the 1D.

However, those expecting an enormous boost in image resolution in the near future are set to be disappointed. The company unveiled a 50-megapixel CMOS sensor in 2007, but that has yet to arrive in a DSLR.

"While we have no plans for a consumer product [containing the 50-megapixel sensor], we are looking at it for commercial products," a Canon spokesperson told PC Pro, with medical imaging devices among the likely uses.»
 
2.2um pixels, 14x smaller in area than the 5DII pixels, it will be useful with lenses that have good MTF at 230lp/mm, and the diffusion will probably be starting at f2.8. These should negate the advantages of resolution.
 
There would be no sense in this, +20 MPixel FF sensors already are sharper than lenses at apertures of f11 and smaller due to diffraction. For general photography the ideal resolution for FF sensor is around 12-16 MPix mark; maximum real resolution (lens and sensor combined) and very good sensitivity. NIkon with their D700 and D3 FF bodies have realized this perfectly, better than Canon with 5DMkII.
 
Petrus said:
There would be no sense in this, +20 MPixel FF sensors already are sharper than lenses at apertures of f11 and smaller due to diffraction. For general photography the ideal resolution for FF sensor is around 12-16 MPix mark; maximum real resolution (lens and sensor combined) and very good sensitivity. NIkon with their D700 and D3 FF bodies have realized this perfectly, better than Canon with 5DMkII.
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Well, like the article says, these thing are going to go into spy satellites with $100K lenses, not DSLRs.
 
David G. Smith said:
Well, like the article says, these thing are going to go into spy satellites with $100K lenses, not DSLRs.
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My understanding of diffraction is that it is a limitation of the real world laws of physics and not something that can be overcome by good lens design.

That being said, I'm sure a 120MP FF sensor sensor holds a lot of value for Canon or else they wouldn't have invested in the development in one...i'm pretty sure they have heard of diffraction and I don't think high megapixel count is being used as a consumer marketing tool in this instance.
 
egproductions said:
My understanding of diffraction is that it is a limitation of the real world laws of physics and not something that can be overcome by good lens design.
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Well, yes and no: diffraction is only a function of the f-stop. In practical world the maximum resolution from the lens comes when the image quality improvement from stopping down hits the diffraction effect. With the best lenses this happens around f5.6 to f8 mark. Smaller f-stop than that diffraction ruins the picture, bigger aperture than that the lens imperfections start to lessen the quality.

By making the lens better (with more money) the design and build quality can be higher and the resolution is higher also at large apertures where the effect of diffraction is much, much less. With a really good f2.8-4 lens it would be possible to utilize the full resolution of a 120MPix 35mm sensor.

Luminous Landscape site have an article with theoretical maximum resolutions for different size sensors and f-stops. Those interested should google that.
 
Petrus said:
By making the lens better (with more money) the design and build quality can be higher and the resolution is higher also at large apertures where the effect of diffraction is much, much less. With a really good f2.8-4 lens it would be possible to utilize the full resolution of a 120MPix 35mm sensor.
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Ah yes, good point. Lenses can be designed to be sharper at wider apertures where the caluclatable diffraction has insignificant bearing on sharpness.
 
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