Sony - Foveon sensor & Expanded DR Sensor patent

[alphaomega]

Again I dare to refer to sonyalpharumors.com. This time there is an entry to disappoint Walt Knapp. No Sony Foveon type sensor until earliest 2013 but to play on two horses Sony have also applied for a patent covering a sensor

Sony patented a new expanded dynamic range imaging device (Source: Egami). The following technology allows to simultaneously obtain a high sensitivity and low sensitivity signal from one single pixel! So there is no need to combine different images to create a HDR image. It will create a High Dynamic Range picture form the same Image. To bad it’s a patent only and we might have to wait for years before to see a camera using such a sensor

Sounds to me like a similar device to that fitted in the Fujifilm S5 Pro. That was actually a great idea and the problem was more with Fujifilm having to rely on old generation Nikon bodies. As I recall the S5 had 6+6Mp sensor and tests showed it equalled a 9Mp sensor for resolution but had something like 12 or more EV DR. Just imagine if Sony could produce an APS-C sensor with 12Lo+12Hi Mp that would beat the resolution of the A580 and add a couple of EV to DR. Based on my understanding of the resolution of Sigma's Foveon sensor, for the same nominal sensor size it would probably not equal a development of the Fujifilm idea.

[bfitzgerald]

3 layer sensors will happen for mainstream been saying this for some time now bayer is running out of steam and fast.
Fuji already have a sensor that's trying to capture shadows and hold onto highlights it works well actually but as it's only a small compact one we've not really seen how much potential this has.

[tom power 53]

3 layer sensors will happen for mainstream been saying this for some time now Bayer is running out of steam and fast.
Fuji already have a sensor that's trying to capture shadows and hold onto highlights it works well actually but as it's only a small compact one we've not really seen how much potential this has.

For sure Bayer sensor technology getting long in the tooth - just a matter of when a new design, global shutter etc. takes over. 2 - 5 -8 years impossible to tell but it will happen. Furious research going on here I am sure.

Just have to hope (or maybe not) that whatever new technology comes out does not destine all our lenses to the scrap heap. A distinct possibility with some super high IQ/high ISO new sensor and a variable zoom (maybe liquid) super high IQ lens.

This is lens liable to be introduced by a completly new company if it happens as the present players would hold on as long as they can to their market.

JMO

[alphaomega]

3 layer sensors will happen for mainstream been saying this for some time now Bayer is running out of steam and fast.

Well Barry, maybe from the camera makers point of view as they cannot continue to increase sensor Mp indefinitely. As far as I am concerned 16Mp APS-C in my A580 is ample. Don't need more Mp. But equally I must say the the current Bayer sensors such as Sony's latest 14Mp in my A550 and NEX-5 and 16Mp in my A580 provide me with ample scope in terms of shadow and higlight rendering. Rarely do I have a problem with burnt out I cannot recover with the recover slider or exposure when shooting RAW. I always shoot RAW+Jpeg and in 90% of cases the Jpegs will do with very little adjustments. I was very impressed by the DR of the Fujifilm S5pro when reading the reviews. Not so impressed with the resolution. The opinion was (reviewers) that the nominal 12Mp equated to a Bayer 9Mp for resolution. Swings and roundabouts. You gain some and lose some. I recall the AP review of Sigma's Foveon DSLR. I think the expression was something like an excellent 4Mp sensor. So plenty of depth and DR but not so much resolution. If they can overcome these resolution restrictions there may be real improvements in sensor DR performance. No need to build in all sorts of HDR "tricks" to get better DR. It will also be interesting to note if these sensors can match curretn high ISO performance of the latest Bayer sensors. That question might be posed again if the Sony A77 will have the rumoured ISO 100,000+ setting. That will be three stops more than current 12,800 is a camera selling at $900-1200 in US.