Sony to invest $1.2 billion in CMOS production

[alphaomega]

Here is a Sony announcement regarding doubling of Exmor and Exmor R sensor wafer manufacturing production:

Sony to invest $1.2 billion in CMOS production

http://www.dpreview.com/news/1012/10122 ... double.asp

Sony has announced it is investing $1.2 billion in production of CMOS sensors. The announcement includes the purchase and refurbishment of a a production facility it previously operated as a joint venture with Toshiba. With this move and other recent investments, the company aims to double its total monthly production from approximately 25,000 wafers to approximately 50,000 wafers per month by the end of March 2012.

You can read the full press release at DPReview and no doubt on the Sony corporate site.
Extract here

These investments will further strengthen Sony's production capacity for "Exmor" and "Exmor R" CMOS image sensors in order to meet increased demand from markets such as those for smartphones and Digital Still Cameras. Through this increase of capacity, Sony expects to solidify its position as the world's leading company in CMOS image sensors and CCD image sensors.

So Sony see themselves as being the leading company. I wonder if they mean volume, quality or both? In the overall scheme of things Sony are clearly not bothered about Nikon's attempts to move at least partly out of Sony sensors such as reported for their D3100.

[malcy]

Apparently Sony are going to start producing sensors for Nikon, according to Sonyalpharumours. They say that the sensors will be for a high end completely new pro mirrorless Nikon camera possibly in the 25mp range. I hope I got that right? I wonder what the odds would be of Sony buying Nikon???

[Dusty]

......... I wonder what the odds would be of Sony buying Nikon???

Gee, after they mess them up, it would mean only Canon and Pentax left producing usable DSLR systems!

Dusty

[UrsaMajor]

Apparently Sony are going to start producing sensors for Nikon, according to Sonyalpharumours. They say that the sensors will be for a high end completely new pro mirrorless Nikon camera possibly in the 25mp range. I hope I got that right? I wonder what the odds would be of Sony buying Nikon???

I believe that Sony has been producing many of Nikon's sensors for a number of years. It appears to me that the only noteworthy thing about that rumor is that Nikon is supposedly going to offer a high-end mirrorless camera.

With best wishes,
- Tom -

[Scooterman]

......... I wonder what the odds would be of Sony buying Nikon???

Gee, after they mess them up, it would mean only Canon and Pentax left producing usable DSLR systems!

Dusty

Pentax have said they may do a mirrorless body.
Looks like they will all jump on the “band wagon”.
Regards Richard

[alphaomega]

Scooterman wrote:

Dusty wrote:
malcy wrote:
......... I wonder what the odds would be of Sony buying Nikon???


Gee, after they mess them up, it would mean only Canon and Pentax left producing usable DSLR systems!

Dusty

Pentax have said they may do a mirrorless body.
Looks like they will all jump on the “band wagon”.
Regards Richard

Presumably Pentax will also use a Sony sensor, so developing this market (no Canon reported yet) will increase Sony sensor share of market over Canon. What they lose in NEX sales they gain in sensor sales.
Not sure I would want a 24 or 25Mp APS-C sensor. The 14/16Mp size in my A350/550/580 and NEX-5 are probably big enough for me. Would rather see more dynamic range and less luminance noise. I noticed luminance noise in A550/580 and NEX-5 at ISO400 RAWs. Needed luminance +30 or thereabouts in LR3.

[Scooterman]

I quite agree sensor size is more than enough at 16 meg on a 1.5 crop.
And when I had an A-850 shooting RAW all it did was make my computer work hard.
regards
Richard

[Lonnie Utah]

And when I had an A-850 shooting RAW all it did was make my computer work hard.

Sounds like You need a better computer....

[Scooterman]

I did and I have, now Quad core and Windows 7 64bit.

[Lonnie Utah]

Quad core and Windows 7 64bit.

That's what I have at home too.

[Dr. Harout]

I have a feeling that the Sony sensor for the Nikon mirror-less would be the same sensor for the a700 successor.

After all, whenever a new Nikon DSLR is announced, some time later a new Sony gets in the market with the same sensor...

[bfitzgerald]

Sony have a patent flying around for "gasp" a mult layer foveon type sensor (RGB 3 layers). Looks like my prediction for Bayer's limited life span will come true. In years to come folks will remember bayer as simply the first steps in sensor technology and how could we put up with such compromises?

[Javelin]

wow so now you're saying Sony is more influential than the other makers and they will all follow Sony now?

[Scooterman]

So now Sony will manufacture for all the makers (including Pentax Barry ) the only ones, Main stream , will be Canon and Olympus plus the other Micro 4thirds cameras that do not use Sony sensors.
Regards
Richard

[bfitzgerald]

I'm saying nothing bar Bayer sensors are not going to last in the long term could do for a few years yet but they'll be phased out.
Sony are a major sensor maker but they are not the only one.

I've never had a problem with a Sony sensor in a camera as I've said before I think other photographic makers tend to do a more rounded and better job with the final product (IMO of course)