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| An HDR image taken by the newly-developed camera using infrared light in the dark (right) and an image taken by an existing camera (source: Sony) |
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Friday, September 05, 2014
Sony to Announce 10x Sensitive Sensors Next Friday
Tech-On: Sony developed three IP cameras featuring the new BSI sensor with 10x sensitivity over the previous products. The lowest illuminance of a subject is 0.05 lux comparing with 0.5 lux in the previous generation of Sony BSI sensors. Sony is expected to announce the three cameras in series, starting on Sept. 12, 2014. The news cameras also feature HDR mode based on fusion of two frames with different shutter speeds:
They mention lux and IR... technical nonsense and therefore the 10x value, as previously discussed, is only a marketing trick.
ReplyDeleteThey never said they will increase QE, or whatsoever. In the datasheets they can correctly write the camera can detect subjects at 0.05lux instead of 0.5lux. Thats 10x better sensitivity.
ReplyDeleteI don't see any contradiction in mentioning lux and IR. Can you elaborate a bit?
ReplyDeleteJust trying SONY a7s at SONY shop at Hong Kong airport. I can take a useful image in the shopping mall by using 1/8000s exposure time with F22. So 1/8000 to 1/50 => gain of 160x and F22 to F2.2 => gain of 100x, in total 16000X. Suppose that the illumination level is 500 lux in the shopping mall, then this camera can shoot with F2.2 at 50fps under 0.03Lux if it's used as security camera. Really impressive. If you remove the IR cut filter, then you have a top level starlight camera.
ReplyDeleteHey burglar, please stand still while I take a bracketed exposure of your face to best identify you to the local authorities.
ReplyDeleteoh boy... is canon still using a 5 year old sensor?
ReplyDeletelux is photometric unit, not radiometric unit, so lux for IR does not make sense.
ReplyDeleteIf the spectrum of illuminant is known, doesn't knowing the lux level tell you how much power it is in the IR spectrum?
ReplyDeleteSpecifying lux means you're referring to light as seen by the human eye. Luminous efficiency in the IR range is zero - Humans can't see light in the IR range yet :) If you specify your light level in lux, you omit the contribution of the IR and so your actual light level (in absolute terms ) is greater you advertise!
DeleteBetter couldn't be explained. :-)
DeleteIt is possible to have 10x lux improvement and still be able to work with IR signal, not marketing ploy, but can confuse those that are susceptible. They showed an example of HDR improvement using IR illumination in the dark. They could have shown an example using dim visible illumination too. Typically, IR illumination is created using LED's, so guessing the amount of IR by measuring lux doesn't work. It does work if your source is the sun or a Xenon lamp, though.
ReplyDelete