Quantum film threatens to replace CMOS image chips
- Thread starter combatentropy
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wonderfilm
Member
I just have to wonder what a material like this could do when used in a full frame sensor size. The light sensitivity sounds tremendous. Sounds like a significant shift could happen with these. We'll have to wait and see how they actually perform, but wow!
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/03/quantum-dot-images
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/03/quantum-dot-images
TrueIndigo
Well-known member
There's also a press release on dpreview. Shame it starts with mobile phones, but I guess that's where the volume sales come from. Be very interesting to see the first implementation in a (video) DSLR. I wonder which camera company would be the first to adopt it? I also wonder what effect this big change will have on maverick sensor users like Fuji and Sigma?
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combatentropy
Veteran
I too hope it will be applied to professional cameras, not just phone cameras.
I'm not an electrical engineer, but as I understand it, the reason most CMOS sensors have a rolling instead of global shutter --- even though global-shutter CMOS has been around for a while (for example, see this brochure for one from 2006: http://www.ericfossum.com/Articles/Cumulative Articles about EF/truesnaparticle.pdf) --- the reason is that each pixel takes one more transistor, bringing the number of transistors in each pixel from three to four. That's 25% more circuitry covering up precious light-gathering space, and so far camera manufacturers have been unwilling to trade the light sensitivity for global shutter.
The claims of this new technology more than makes up for it.
Also, the company claims the stuff won't actually cost more. "Quantum dot-based sensors won’t be more expensive than traditional CMOS-based sensors, promises Lee."
I'm not an electrical engineer, but as I understand it, the reason most CMOS sensors have a rolling instead of global shutter --- even though global-shutter CMOS has been around for a while (for example, see this brochure for one from 2006: http://www.ericfossum.com/Articles/Cumulative Articles about EF/truesnaparticle.pdf) --- the reason is that each pixel takes one more transistor, bringing the number of transistors in each pixel from three to four. That's 25% more circuitry covering up precious light-gathering space, and so far camera manufacturers have been unwilling to trade the light sensitivity for global shutter.
The claims of this new technology more than makes up for it.
Also, the company claims the stuff won't actually cost more. "Quantum dot-based sensors won’t be more expensive than traditional CMOS-based sensors, promises Lee."
combatentropy
Veteran
Can't they just skip the mobile phones?! Nothing said about time schedules, so...how many years you guys think we'll have to wait for this to effect video/DSLR?
EDIT: "[...] and the sensors could be in phones by mid next-year"
hmm...
if that's the case and their promise of "taking wedding photos from phone cameras" will turn out to be true, I don't see any way the photography industry could ignore / not adapt this technology for a long time; the whole point and shoot market might experience heavy losses.
EDIT: "[...] and the sensors could be in phones by mid next-year"
hmm...
if that's the case and their promise of "taking wedding photos from phone cameras" will turn out to be true, I don't see any way the photography industry could ignore / not adapt this technology for a long time; the whole point and shoot market might experience heavy losses.
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