Intel Cancels Plans to Acquire Sensor and Semiconductor Maker Tower
Intel is walking away from its plans to acquire Tower Semiconductor, a chip and CMOS sensor manufacturer that Panasonic once owned a major stake in.
Tim Cook Reveals Apple Has Used Sony Image Sensors for 10 Years
Apple CEO Tim Cook has revealed that the iPhone has been using Sony camera sensors for the last 10 years.
‘Father of Digital Photography’ Made No Money Inventing the Active Pixel
Peter Noble invented the solid state active pixel in 1966, a concept that is still used in brand new mirrorless cameras today via CMOS sensors.
Smartphone Cameras Will Be Superior to SLRs by 2024, Says Sony CEO
The CEO of Sony's Semiconductor division claims that smartphone cameras will exceed the quality of single-lens reflex cameras within the next few years, specifically by 2024.
What is Crop Factor? Here is What You Need to Know
"Crop factor" is a term that is often heard in the world of digital photography, especially when discussing entry-level cameras. If you have no idea what it means, this article is a basic explanation that should help to fill you in.
Researchers Develop a Way to Let Any Camera See and Calculate Depth
Researchers have developed a novel way to give any modern digital camera the ability to calculate depth with a low-power and compact optical device.
Intel Buys Tower Semiconductor for $5.4B, Enters Image Sensor Business
Intel has announced that it will purchase camera sensor manufacturer Tower Semiconductor (formerly TowerJazz as of March, 2020) in a deal worth $5.4 billion.
Image Sensors: The Main Battleground of the Camera Industry
Manufacturing silicon is patently not required in order to make cameras -- anyone can put together a pinhole model -- however, the wider point is more pertinent. To be a competitive, global, manufacturer, do you need to make the sensors that actually go into camera bodies?
New MFT Global Shutter Sensor Can Shoot 4K at 2,000 FPS
Gpixel has developed a new global shutter 4/3-inch 10-megapixel sensor that it claims will be capable of shooting 4K video at up to 2,000 frames per second.
Why Lower Resolution Sensors Are Not Actually Better in Low Light
There is a purveying thought that larger resolution sensors, with therefore smaller pixels, are worse than lower resolution sensors, with therefore larger pixels, in low light. This is a myth.
Canon Patents Retractable Barrier That Protects its Mirrorless Sensors
Canon has filed a patent for a new shutter-like barrier mechanism that appears designed to protect the shutter and image sensor of its mirrorless cameras when a lens is removed, ensuring that no dust or debris can enter and cause damage.
Engineer Develops Eyeball-Like Image Sensor Based on Art of Kirigami
A mechanical engineer has developed a camera with what is described as a "curvy" and eyeball-like adaptable imaging sensor that is based on the Japanese art of cutting and folding paper (kirigami) that he claims could improve the quality of some types of cameras.
The Sony A1 Could Open the Door to Full-Size Computational Photography
The Sony Alpha 1 may have many impressive specifications, but one that stands out as having greater implications for image-making is the sensor readout speed: it's so fast it may be able to achieve the computational photography we see in smartphones in a full-size camera.
Samsung Reportedly in Prime Position to Challenge Sony Sensor Dominance
Samsung Electronics is reportedly in a position to challenge Sony's imaging sensor dominance. Sony had prioritized the supply of image sensors to Huawei, a strategy that has backfired; Samsung is apparently ready to take advantage.
Sony Should Split From Its Sensor Business: Investor
One of Sony's crown jewels in its empire is its image sensor business, which dominates global market share and has helped the company hit record profits. But now a famous investor is calling for Sony to spin-off the sensor business into a completely independent company.
The Huawei P30 Pro’s Game-Changing Camera Sensors Were Made by Sony
Huawei's new P30 Pro smartphone has jaw-dropping low-light abilities and industry-leading image quality. The company has been touting its quad camera system as being co-engineered by Leica, but here's an interesting piece of info that isn't being widely publicized: all the imaging sensors were made by Sony.
Sony’s Next Full-Frame Sensor to Offer 60MP, 8K, 16-Bit RAW: Report
Here's a peek of what's to come in the camera industry: Sony is reportedly getting ready to announce two new full-frame sensors, one of which will be capable of 60 megapixel photos, 16 channels, and 8K video recording.
Canon is Now in the Sensor Business: 120MP Monster Unleashed
Canon is now officially in the business of selling sensors. Third-party companies can now purchase three of Canon's state-of-the-art sensors, including the 120-megapixel monster that has received a significant amount of attention in recent years.
Samsung Ramping Up Image Sensor Output to Overtake Sony for #1
Sony is the 800-pound gorilla of camera sensors these days, boasting a global market share of around 50% in late 2017, but increased competition may be looming on the horizon. Samsung is reportedly ramping up its image sensor production capacity with a goal of overtaking Sony for the #1 spot.
The NPF Rule: A Formula for Sharp Star Photos Every Time
A common rule of thumb to figure out your maximum shutter speed for sharp stars at night is to divide 500 by your focal length. Sometimes it's called the 600 Rule or the 400 Rule or several other numbers that can be used depending on your sensor size. Unfortunately, it's a a very inaccurate rule today.
Sony Keeps Its Best Sensors for Its Own Cameras
Sony is one of the heavyweights in the camera sensor business and a company that produces sensors for rival camera companies, including Nikon. But when it comes to Sony's best sensor designs, the company apparently keeps those precious sensors exclusively in-house for its own cameras.
X-Trans vs Bayer Sensors: Fantastic Claims and How to Test Them
Since the introduction of the Fujifilm X-Series line of cameras, reviewers and consumers have struggled to compare them directly to the competition. Fujifilm’s is a tightly integrated system, wherein everything is a little bit different.
This is How Fuji’s New Medium Format Sensor Size Stacks Up
Fujifilm caused a great deal of excitement this week by announcing its first medium format mirrorless camera, the 51MP GFX 50S. But "medium format" is a a relative term rather than a specific sensor size, so how does the new 50S's sensor stack up against other digital cameras on the market?
Canon to Sell CMOS Sensors to Other Companies for the First Time
Sony has become the world leader in image sensor production in recent years by supplying the sensors to third-party companies. Canon, however, has been content with using its sensors solely in-house on its own cameras and products. That's set to change: Canon is now planning to supply Canon-made CMOS sensors to other companies for the first time in the company's history.
Infographic: The Difference Between CMOS and CCD Sensors
Over the past couple of decades, CMOS sensors have come to dominate the digital photography landscape thanks to their increasing quality and falling costs. If you're unfamiliar with the differences between CMOS and CCD sensors, CEI-Europe has created a helpful infographic that compares the two technologies.
Sony’s Image Sensor Business Hits a Wall, Sees Major Drop in Sales
Sony's image sensor business has seen meteoric growth in recent times, but it seems that things are now cooling down. The company just reported its earnings for its latest quarter, and things aren't looking as rosy as they were before: Sony reports a "significant" decrease in image sensor sales.
A Simple Explanation of Smartphone Camera Quality
What makes one smartphone camera good and another one bad? YouTube tech video star Marques Brownlee of …
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 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.
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.