CMOS

Sony to Raise $4B to Ramp up Production of Sensors

Sony announced a few years ago that digital imaging would be one of its three main pillars (with the other two being games and mobile). It looks like the decision is paying off, and Sony is doubling down on its plans. After making 40% of all image sensors sold in 2014, Sony is now announcing that it will raise $4 billion in funding in order to increase how many sensors it can produce.

Sony RX100 IV and RX10 II Boast Stacked Sensors and 4K Video

In addition to unleashing the monster that is the a7R II, Sony today also announced two new cameras for its Cyber-shot RX lineup. The RX100 IV and RX10 II are new followup cameras that feature fresh technological innovations; both cameras boast stacked 1-inch sensors and 4K video recording.

Samsung NX500 Review: 4K Video and Big Technology Stuffed Into a Small Package

With Sony dominating the mirrorless camera market, other companies are looking to find ways to make their hardware stand out in comparison. Fujifilm has chosen to design their custom sensor array, Panasonic has focused on stunning video, and Samsung - well, they want to cram as much technology into a small package as they possibly can. The result is the NX500; and it is a real tiny camera with big promises.

Sony Reportedly Struggling to Keep Up With Demand For Its Sensors

This week it was discovered that Samsung has been using Sony image sensors in some of its S6 smartphone cameras, but Samsung sensors in others. Some publications guessed that the decision may have been due to a shortage of Sony-made sensors, which have been increasingly popular in recent years. That theory is now being bolstered by a new report that Sony is indeed struggling to keep up with surging demand.

These Animations Show How CMOS and CCD Sensors Work and How They Differ

Want to see how CMOS and CCD image sensors work and how they differ from each other? Photographer and animator Raymond Sirí created a couple of simple animations showing the basic idea of how these two sensor technologies go about capturing light, reading it, and storing the information.

The animation above showing CMOS sensor tech was used in a trial against Canon, Sirí says.

40% of All Camera Sensors Sold in 2014 Were Made by Sony

Sony may not make the world's most popular smartphones or cameras, but it's playing a bigger role in those industries than what meets the eye: the company's image sensor business has been booming in recent years. In 2014, Sony was the company that made 40% of all the sensors sold across the globe.

New Leica S to be Announced at Photokina, Packs a 40-50MP CMOS Sensor & 4K Video

From some talks with a Leica rep at the 2014 NAB show, it looks like Digipixelpop has found out that the next Leica S will be announced at Photokina in September. Packing a 40-50MP medium format CMOS sensor and 4K video, it's an interesting addition to Leica's current line-up, but one we probably should've seen coming considering PhaseOne, Pentax and Hasselblad have all already hopped on the CMOS medium format train.

Specs and Price Info for the Pentax 645D II CMOS Medium Format Camera from CP+

We weren't able to send anyone all the way to CP+ this year, and some of the products and details emerging from the trade show have us a little sad about that.

We already shared the news that Fuji will soon be debuting a 50mm tele conversion lens for the X100/s, and now we've got some specs and price information for the upcoming Pentax 645D CMOS Medium Format camera.

Attention Camera Marketing Departments: Tell Me About the Sensor

Since its spec sheet leaked on Monday, there's been plenty of buzz surrounding Pentax's newly-released K-3 APS-C DSLR. Many are particularly atwitter about the K-3's unique anti-aliasing system, which relies on a vibrating sensor to remove moire-effects. Because it's not filter-based, the effect can be turned off.

Therefore, the K-3 offers the moire-eliminating effect of an anti-aliasing filter when it's needed, and the greater sharpness of a filterless sensor when it's not. Not only do people care about this innovation, but for many it was a cardinal feature of the camera.

What a DSLR’s CMOS Sensor Looks Like Under a Microscope

Jack over at the astrophotography blog The Landingfield has published a series of photographs showing what a digital camera's CMOS sensor looks like when viewed through a microscope. The sensor (seen above) was taken from a broken Nikon D2H -- a DSLR from back in the early 2000s.

Fujifilm Set to Launch an X-Trans Sensor X100 Successor in Early 2013

Fujifilm made quite a splash in the camera industry when it announced the sleek X100 back in September 2010, but since then the camera's spotlight has been stolen by newer interchangeable-lens followups, namely the X-Pro1 and the X-E1.

When the X100 was discontinued back in July, many expected to see a followup announced at Photokina in September. It wasn't. However, it now appears that the camera will be launched in early 2013, equipped with the same X-Trans sensor technology as its interchangeable-lens siblings.

A Graphical Comparison of Mirrorless Camera Sensors Sizes

Mirrorless cameras feature sensors larger than compact cameras and bodies smaller than DSLRs, but how do their sensor sizes compare with one another? To give you a better idea of how formats such as Nikon CX and Olympus/Panasonic Four Thirds stack up against each other, Digital Camera Database created this helpful graphic showing the relative sizes of each format.

Is This the Difference Between CCD and CMOS Camera Sensors? Nope

Virtually all digital still cameras capture light using either a CCD or a CMOS sensor. Most consumers don't know the difference, and -- given the rate at which CMOS sensors are improving -- both sensors perform equally well in most cases (Leica is rumored to be switching over to the CMOS camp with its upcoming M10).

However, that's not what a PC World store in Ireland wants you to believe. The photo above shows an informational placard that was on display recently in one of its stores. The top image shows a scene shot with a CCD sensor, and the bottom image allegedly shows the "same scene" shot with a CMOS sensor. Hmmm...

Newer Smartphones Packing CMOS Sensors with Dedicated White Pixel

Some time ago Sony announced a new series of "stacked" CMOS sensors that would bring a new level of quality to smartphone cameras. And now, several months later, rumors are floating about that Sony's new LT29i smartphone -- codenamed the Hayabusa -- will be packing a 13-megapixel version of the new tech.

Lower ISO Doesn’t Always Lead to Higher Quality Images

When learning about ISO, you've probably heard that the lower the number, the lower the noise and the higher the image quality, but did you know that this isn't always the case? The reason is something called the base (or native) ISO of a camera -- the ISO achieved without amplifying the data from the sensor. This is usually somewhere between ISO 100 and ISO 200.

Invisible Paintings That Can Only Be Seen by Cameras

Toronto-based artists Brad Blucher and Kyle Clements have an exhibition titled "Take a Picture" which features paintings that are invisible to the human eye but visible to cameras. To do this, they use a frequency of light that is outside the visible spectrum but visible to the CCD and CMOS sensors found in digital cameras.