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I know some of you must have been on the edge of your seats for this little piece of news, but now we know. After much speculation, it’s been confirmed that the Nikon Z9‘s image sensor is manufactured by none other than Sony.
The SonyAlphaRumors website published the news today, saying “the Nikon Z9 sensor is not only manufactured by Sony but also part of Sony’s patent authorization.” Interesting!
Sony has announced their Sony’s newest huge CMOS sensor, the Sony IMX661 with a global shutter and whopping 127.68-megapixel resolution. It’s said to be both the world’s highest-resolution and the world’s physically largest global shutter CMOS sensor with a diagonal measurement of 56.73mm – for comparison, your typical “full-frame” sensor is around 43.2mm.
But just as impressive as its size and resolution is its speed, which Sony says is up to 21.8 frames per second. And just a reminder, this is a global shutter sensor. It uses Sony’s Pregius technology, which enables it to capture scenes without the usual “jello effect” typically associated with rolling shutter CMOS sensors.
No, that thumbnail isn’t clickbait – at least not entirely. Photographer Arthur Reutov does indeed take a box cutter blade to a Sony sensor in this video to see just how much effort it takes to actually damage a camera sensor. The video was made in response to criticism he received after posting a video about the Sony A9 and constantly leaving the sensor exposed to the elements.
While Arthur doesn’t abuse an actual working camera in the video, he did buy a Sony A6000 sensor module in order to perform various tests to see how dust, soil, fingerprints and even sharp objects might damage the sensor. The good news is, you probably have nothing to worry about.
Sony recently announced a pair of new smartphone-sized IMX camera sensors. They’re the first two models of what Sony calls their “intelligent vision” sensors. Sony says that they’re the world’s first image sensors to be equipped with AI processing functionality built right into the sensor itself for the fastest possible processing speeds.
This first generation of sensors, which includes the IMX500 and IMX501 (both 12.3-megapixels), is destined more towards Sony’s commercial and industrial product clients, but their smartphone sensors will almost certainly evolve to incorporate this technology over the next few years.
The Sony RX100 VII is the latest in Sony’s line of popular RX100 compact cameras. DxOMark recently posted their review of the RX100 VII’s sensor in Sony’s latest iteration and found it to be a little lacking compared to previous generations.
Released in July 2019, the RX100 VII is an update to the RX100 VI. It was a welcome update, particularly for vloggers thanks to the addition of the microphone socket. It features the same 24-200mm equivalent lens introduced in the RX100 VI, but it also came with a new stacked BSI CMOS sensor, which DxOMark says doesn’t stand up to the earlier model.
Huawei has recently announced its P30 and P30 Pro phones, aimed to “rewrite the rules of photography.” The four-camera setup of the Pro version offers some impressive features, such as 5x optical zoom, optical image stabilization and excellent low-light capabilities. And while the lenses are co-designed with Leica, a recent teardown has shown that the sensors were made by Sony.
Will 100MP become a new standard in photography? According to details that were recently leaked about a new sensor from Sony, we’re getting there. Sony is reportedly developing a full-frame sensor which will shoot 102 MP photos and 6K videos. It will be available in consumer cameras, both by Sony and those from other manufacturers.
A leaked data sheet for a new Sony IMX435 sensor, one of the two 8K Sony sensors mentioned a few days ago has come out. It appears to be the 36-megapixel one, potentially offering 8K video at 60fps and a strange super ultra wide 4K (3840×1080) at up to 480 frames per second. It’s suspected that this might be the sensor that will reside in the much anticipated Sony A7SIII.
With the flood of new mirrorless cameras on the market offering 10-bit video, and those expected in the new year, it looks like Sony is taking no prisoners. Sony Alpha Rumors is reporting that Sony is about to announce two 36-megapixel and 60-megapixel sensors capable of shooting 8K video at up to 6o frames per second. And they may even offer 16-bit RAW stills.
Well, this is interesting, if it turns out to be true. Canon Rumors says they’ve received a report that an upcoming Canon APS-C interchangeable lens camera is going to contain a Sony sensor. Specifically the Sony IMX571, a 26MP APS sized sensor destined for DSLRs – although it could go in a mirrorless, too.
Udi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.
Alex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe
Dave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.
John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.
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