Canon develops 250 megapixels APS-H CMOS Sensor.

The Canon-developed approximately 250-megapixel CMOS sensor

If your impressed with the Canon and Sony high megapixel cameras released this year then how about a whopping 250 megapixel APS-H sensor.  That’s 125 times the size of Full HD. 30 times that of 4K. Wow!

Who needs 250 megapixels? Probably the government and security firms for surveillance but it seems like a very specialized sensor so don’t expect to see it in the next C500. 😀

A camera prototype equipped with the newly developed CMOS sensor (Shown with EF35mm f/1.4 USM lens)

Press Release From Canon.

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 pixels¹ for 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.

1

As of September 7, 2015, based on a Canon survey.

2

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.

Follow me on Twitter @eriknaso and check out my page on Facebook.

Thanks for coming by! Please help support my site by using the links on this page or bookmark these from my favorite retailers, B&H, Adorama, Zacuto, Amazon.com & Think Tank Photo. Using the links cost you nothing extra, but it helps offset the cost of running my blog. Thanks again for coming by eriknaso.com!

Filed in: 4K • Camera News • Canon • Featured Post
Tagged with: 250 megapixels APS-H CMOS Sensor. • APS-H • Canon • CMOS • Sensor