Leaked spec sheet shows a new Sony 31MP APS-C sensor with global shutter

A spec sheet has been leaked to the folks at Sony Alpha Rumors about a new Sony sensor. Of course, new sensors are released all the time, so what’s so special about this one? Well, it’s a 31MP resolution APS-C sensor with a global shutter that potentially offers 4K video at up to 108 frames per second though SLVS-EC – although much lower is more likely.

The specs were found through Chinese microblogging website Weibo. SAR is giving them a high probability of being real.

So, here’s what the specs for the potential IMX342LQA sensor basically say…

Sensor type: Front-side illuminated CMOS
Electronic shutter: Global Shutter
Pixel resolution: 6464 x 4852 (approx 31.36MP)
Aspect ratio: 4:3
“All-Pixel Scan” mode frame rate: 10Bit 42.5fps, 12Bit 35.4fps, 14Bit 29.9fps
A/D Converter: 8, 10, 12 and 14Bit

A 4:3 sensor with a global shutter suggests that this sensor isn’t destined for something like an A6500 refresh. And it’s not going to show up in the A7 or A9 series cameras. Chances are, with a global shutter, it will be going into something more specifically focused toward video. Something like a Sony FS7 replacement.

There is the chance, though, that Sony may release something completely new. Perhaps along the lines of Micro Four Thirds style. Essentially a Panasonic GH5 type camera with a larger APS-C sized sensor of the same aspect ratio. Likely? Probably not, but certainly possible, and Sony do like pushing those boundaries when it comes to their mirrorless cameras.

SAR says that they have no reliable confirmation that the spec sheet is authentic, but that if it is a fake It’s “one of the best ever” that they have seen. It uses the same font style and size as other genuine Sony PDF files. This sort of attention to detail is often neglected with most fakes.

If this is genuine, then hopefully it means that we’ll start to see global shutter sensors filtering down to DSLRs and mirrorless bodies in a generation or two – assuming DSLRs are still being made in a generation or two.

[via Sony Alpha Rumors]