Samsung Techwin on Image Sensors

DPReview published an interview with Choong-hyun Hwang, Vice President of the Digital Camera Business of Samsung Techwin Strategy Marketing Team. There are few interesting bits on DSC image sensors from Samsung Techwin point of view:

DPReview: On your compact cameras do you use your own sensors?

Samsung: No, we don't.

DPR: Would there be any advantage to developing your own compact sensors?

S: In terms of efficiency we're better at the moment outsourcing. We currently buy sensors from a range of suppliers.

DPR: Do you make any compact camera sensors?

S: No, at the moment we don't.

DPR: Do you think that CMOS is likely to eventually take over from CCD sensors in compacts?

S: Ah you are asking difficult questions! I think that many people - everyone - expects CMOS sensors to be applied to more compact cameras. Sony has a high speed CMOS sensor in development, and the speed is remarkable.

DPR: Is it less expensive to manufacture CMOS sensors?

S: Oh no, it's much more expensive. The Sony and Canon high speed CMOS sensors are very expensive to manufacture. The standard CMOS sensors used in mobile phones are very small and are inexpensive, but not those for compacts cameras. Canon has been making a lot of effort to replace CCD with CMOS, and they have not yet been successful because the performance and efficiency aren't good enough yet.