Monday, January 27, 2025

Canon announces 410MP full-frame sensor

Press release: https://global.canon/en/news/2025/20250122.html

Canon develops CMOS sensor with 410 megapixels, the largest number of pixels ever achieved in a 35 mm full-frame sensor

TOKYO, January 22, 2025— Canon Inc. announced today that it has developed a CMOS sensor with 410 megapixels (24,592 x 16,704 pixels), which is the largest number1 of pixels ever achieved in a 35 mm full-frame sensor. This sensor is expected to be used in applications that demand extreme resolution in various markets including surveillance, medicine, and industry.

The newly developed CMOS sensor features a resolution equivalent to 24K (198 times greater than Full HD, and 12 times greater than 8K). This enables users to crop any part of the image captured by this sensor and enlarge it significantly while maintaining high resolution. While many CMOS sensors with a super-high pixel count are medium-format or larger, this extreme resolution sensor is compacted into a 35 mm full-frame format. This allows it to be used in combination with lenses for full-frame sensors, and it is expected to contribute to the miniaturization of shooting equipment. As data readout of a CMOS sensor tends to take longer as the number of pixels increases, achieving a CMOS sensor with a super-high pixel count requires advanced signal processing technology. The newly developed sensor employs a back-illuminated stacked formation in which the pixel segment and signal processing segment are interlayered and also includes a redesigned circuitry pattern. As a result, the sensor is capable of achieving a super-high readout speed of 3,280 megapixels per second, delivering video at 8 frames per second2.

This sensor3 also features a “four-pixel binning” function that virtually treats four adjoining pixels as one, thereby improving sensitivity and making it possible to capture brighter images. When this function is in use, the sensor can capture 100-megapixel video at 24 frames per second.

By leveraging the technology it has accumulated over many years as a leading imaging company, Canon has developed breakthrough products including CMOS sensors with super-high pixel count and ultra-sensitivity, and SPAD sensors, which detect faint traces of light even in dark areas. Canon will continue to advance its technology and contribute to the transformation and further development of society.

Additional information
The sensor is scheduled to be displayed at the Canon booth at SPIE Photonics West, a leading global conference for optics and photonics held in San Francisco from January 28-30, 2025.
 1 As of January 21, 2025 (According to a survey by Canon).
 2 Applies to both color and monochrome sensors
 3 Monochrome sensor only

11 comments:

  1. Very low frame rate compared to some of the recent high resolution sensors.

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    1. Compared to what exactly? 3280 Mpixels/s isn't that slow.

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    2. This Canon sensor has an order of magnitude lower pixel rate ( 3.2GPix/s of Canon vs ~40GPix/s) compared to this "A 316MP, 120FPS, High Dynamic Range
      CMOS Image Sensor for Next Generation Immersive Displays. In Proceedings of the International Image
      Sensor Workshop (IISW) 2023, Crieff, Scotland, UK, 22–25 May 2023."

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    3. Blackmagic URSA Cine 17K 65 (17520 x 8040 ) has ~8GPix/s pixel rate higher than Canon...

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    4. Do all the sensors need to be high speed now? You should compare apples to apples. This is a 35mm sensor not a full wafer sensor like the other you are referring to. Much more difficult to get high speed with small pixels and little headrooom for reading circuits. Yield also plays a role here.

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    5. I don't think comparing to research paper level HW makes sense, and it also is missing 1/4th of the pixels. But the blackmagic sensor is actually impressive, although it too has much lower pixel count.

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  2. "This is a 35mm sensor not a full wafer sensor like the other you are referring to". Have a look at Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K (full frame sensor) with ~8GPix/s pixel rate. It is stupid to say that much more difficult to get high speed with small pixels. If you have a look at the Canon sensor it is stacked so you are not restricted to just column parallel architecture. Regarding yield Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K is already available in market at a relative low price so that argument isn't very strong..

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    1. Apologies but it seems you are not well informed about image sensors. In general smaller pixels=less parallel structures = less speed. I do agree that stacking breaks this rule and Canon has an advantage in tech and could have used that to get more speed. However, not everyone needs high speed. It is like saying that all 50MP sensors now are outdated because there are already 500MP sensors in the market.

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  3. "I don't think comparing to research paper level HW makes sense, and it also is missing 1/4th of the pixels. " What a stupid argument. What matters is the number of rows and not total number of pixels as far as frame rate goes. The more rows, the more difficult to settle long pixel lines especially when multiple pixel lines are running in parallel close to each other. Adding more columns is straightforward and no power penalty.

    Secondly it is not just a research paper. Sphere made a camera out of it called BigSky which is already used for shooting documentaries (https://theasc.com/articles/sphere-and-the-big-sky-camera). So there are already faster sensors than Canon in this category.

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    1. All the new Toyota cars are outdated because new Tesla plaid model reaches 150mph. Right? Forza’ s sensor is great for targeted application, Canon’s one great for many others. Not all applications need same spec.

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  4. Less than 1.5 µm pixels or about 330 LP/mm. For reference: the Blackmagic 12K and 17K sensors have around 170 LP/mm and 150 LP/mm. And a good full frame lens datasheet has MTF curves for up to 50 LP/mm. Guess they wont need an OLPF.

    JH

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