Canon previews 120-megapixel camera sensor
updated 08:15 am EDT, Tue August 24, 2010
Canon 120MP sensor shoots fast with HD
Canon this morning gave a look at the future of cameras with one of the world's largest camera sensor. The 120-megapixel, APS-H sized CMOS sensor is about 7.5 times larger than that in the EOS 1D Mark IV but yet is capable of performance that would be expected of current cameras. It could shoot full 13280x9184 still images at up to 9.5FPS and could record 1080p with just 1/60th of its usable pixels.
The speed comes by improving the technique used to manage readout circuit timing, allowing for many more pixels without having to wait.
Canon hasn't said whether it intends to produce a camera using the 120-megapixel sensor anytime in the near future. A previous, 50-megapixel sensor from 2007 has never been used in a shipping model. The development may see some of the breakthroughs implemented with more conventional cameras.
