Categories: Camera & PhotographyNewsPhotography

Canon has developed a 250-megapixels image sensor

A long debate over the megapixels war for a few years – with a phenomenon as they were thought to be not so important, once again seems to be rejected while Japanese giant Canon has announced an APS-H size CMOS imaging sensor with 250 megapixels, the highest pixel count ever for its size.

APS-H sensor measuring at 29.2×20.2mm, is larger than the size of APS-C type sensor but smaller than 35mm full-frame sensor, will take pictures of resolution around 19,580 x 12,600 pixels making them approximately 250 million pixels. APS-H type sensors have been used in Canon EOS 1D line-up.

With this high pixel count, the new sensor is said achieve an ultra-high signal readout speed of 1.25 billion pixels per second, which was made possible through circuit miniaturization and enhanced signal-processing technology.

Canon claims that the said sensor was able to distinguish lettering on the side of an airplane flying at a distance of approximately 18 km away from they shot.

Prototype camera with newly developed CMOS sensor and EF35mm f/1.4 USM lens

The prototype camera fitted with the new 250 megapixel sensor achieved approximately 125 times larger that of 1080p full HD video and around 30 times larger than the recent advancement of 4K video. Practically that high definition will let users crop and magnify video images without sacrificing the quality of the image.

The Japanese leading company in photography equipment has already made a 120-megapixels sensor since 2010 to feature in some final product. So don’t just start your expectations to this see this 250 MP sensor sooner or later in the digital SLRs. In fact Canon is yet considering the application of this technology in specialized surveillance and crime prevention tools. It’s unlikely to appear in EOS DSLRs any time soon.

Full Press Release

TOKYO, September 7, 2015—Canon Inc. announced today that it has developed an APS-H-size (approx. 29.2 x 20.2 mm) CMOS sensor incorporating approximately 250 million pixels (19,580 x 12,600 pixels), the world’s highest number of pixels¹for a CMOS sensor smaller than the size of a 35 mm full-frame sensor.When installed in a camera, the newly developed sensor was able to capture images enabling the distinguishing of lettering on the side of an airplane flying at a distance of approximately 18 km from the shooting location.²

With CMOS sensors, increases in pixel counts result in increased signal volume, which can cause such problems as signal delays and slight discrepancies in timing. The new Canon-developed CMOS sensor, however, despite its exceptionally high pixel count, achieves an ultra-high signal readout speed of 1.25 billion pixels per second, made possible through such advancements as circuit miniaturization and enhanced signal-processing technology. Accordingly, the sensor enables the capture of ultra-high-pixel-count video at a speed of five frames per second. Additionally, despite the exceptionally high pixel count, Canon applied its sensor technologies cultivated over many years to realize an architecture adapted for miniaturized pixels that delivers high-sensitivity, low-noise imaging performance.

Video footage captured by the camera outfitted with the approximately 250-megapixel CMOS sensor achieved a level of resolution that was approximately 125 times that of Full HD (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) video and approximately 30 times that of 4K (3,840 x 2,160 pixels) video. The exceptionally high definition made possible by the sensor lets users crop and magnify video images without sacrificing image resolution and clarity.

Canon is considering the application of this technology in specialized surveillance and crime prevention tools, ultra-high-resolution measuring instruments and other industrial equipment, and the field of visual expression.

As of September 7, 2015, based on a Canon survey.
Image capture employed a combination of optical and digital zooming while distinguishing of image content was realized through the magnification of an approximately 1/40,000th-sized area of the captured image.

Khurram Ali

Founder at Tech Prolonged Software Engineer by profession - Independent Tech/Gadget Blogger. Writes and reviews at Tech Prolonged for new gadgets/smartphones. @Twitter Facebook Google Plus