Nikon D3100

[dynax800si]

The Saga continues, this is from Thom Hogan's site:

Update: I've now heard even more details about the D3100 sensor and from a few sources closer to Nikon Japan. It does indeed appear that Nikon has moved to producing their own sensors. They may be licensing or cooperating on some of the underlying technologies, but it appears that Nikon has decided that Nikon DSLRs will in the future have Nikon-controlled and Nikon-exclusive sensors. That they haven't chosen to make a bigger deal of this is strange. And some parts of Nikon appear not to have gotten the memo on this, as I've seen quotes from Nikon personnel in some subsidiaries that say "Sony sensor."

[dynax800si]

This sensor appears to be very slow (fps wise) and to offer ISO100, so it is certainly not identical.
David

Maybe Nikon just don't need a fast sensor in the entry level camera and don't want to pay extra money for that. If it's true that A55 will have 10fps.
And maybe Sony just don't offer such a cheap CMOS sensor at the moment, they even released A290/A390 with CCD sensors!

[Mark K]

Thom is quite sure that Nikon is making their own sensors for D3100.

[catalytic]

I am as certain as I can be that there will be an upgrade to D90 and/or D300s at Photokina and Nikon will use the Sony 16Mp sensor to try and "kill" Canon's 7D. It just makes so much sense to me. I cannot see Nikon going their own way on APS-C.

Rumour has it that Nikon is announcing a successor to the D90 at Photokina called the D7000 based on a Nikon 16 MP sensor (Nikon designed, but probably fabbed by Sony). Interestingly, another rumour floating around is that the D5000s and D400 could be around the corner too, based on seeing those model numbers on a Finnish retailer's website. If it's true, i doubt Nikon will announce it at Photokina, as they have the D7000 to announce and the D3100, 24-120, 85/1.4, 28-300, and 55-300 to focus on, but probably near the end of the year or before PMA in 2011.

[alphaomega]

Don't know what to make of this SR3 rumour posted on everybody's "favourite" rumour site:

(SR3) Nikon is still using Sony sensors! And Pentax will soon come with their Sony powered cameras!

UPDATE: This is a controversial rumors. I will check it with my other sources. I downgraded the rumor rating and I hope to give you an update soon. Anyway the source that gave me the following news gave me lots of good and correct news in the past. He is reading your comments and he will answer your questions!

The rumor:
As you may remember Thom Hogan “speculated” that Nikon is or will starting to produce their own sensors. A source told us that this is NOT going to happen:

“new D3100 CMOS is indeed Sony designed and manufactured, to Nikon specs. It is basically a Sony CMOS with some mainly cosmetic differences and since not all pixels are being normally used at the edges, it gives the manufacturers the leeway to make the specs change to make them look different. Sony’s policy, for over a decade, has been to sell its chips to competition with 6 months delay. Although Nikon had sample chips to design their products, they could not start making the products during the 6 months of Sony selling products with the same chips, unless Sony has a different arrangement with Nikon, which I doubt. Nikon does not have the expertise to design its own chips, never the kind that Sony designs. Nikon would never be able to achieve Sony’s expertise. See the video codec on the Nikon CMOS. Do you really believe that it is different than Sony’s. It’s just set at 24p; that’s all. Do you believe that Nikon could design chip with this codec? Do you think that Sony would licence them the technology to copy Sony’s design? Sony and Nikon have a strong relationship and work together in fighting Canon. Canon is really nervous about Sony camera releases. The NEX and the 33/55 cameras are and will be marketed totally differently than previous Sony cameras, where Sony just continued the Minolta tradition, until they developed their own cameras, which were from the beginning meant to properly integrate video and still photography, which is the future trend and it is where Sony expertise lies. Total misinformation is that Sony is getting out of FF sensor business. Sony’s future is no OVF on APSC and a pro FF line with OVF. That will be Sony’s main future emphasis. That will naturally include continuous design and manufacturing of FF CMOS sensors. Pentax tried Samsung sensors. They dropped tham and went quickly back to Sony. No company cam produce better sensors than Sony.”

P.S.: We from SonyAlphaRumors that Sonys next step is to satisfy the semi-pro and after that the pro market. So stay tuned!

So Walter Knapp may be right about EVF only on APS-C eventually or maybe sooner than we think. New FF camera? Sony sensor in D3100 after all?? Lots to ponder if there is a grain of truth in any of this.

[alphaomega]

Reference the above SR3 rumour, so if Barry Fitzgerald switches to Nikon or Pentax he will end up with a camera with a superb Sony sensor?????????????

[bfitzgerald]

Nikon are on a roll they have to be having fallen asleep for so long. I'm just an observer in things right now. I'm pleased thing have improved at long last. But is it too late? I could be heading for a von Stauffenberg moment, or I may even become a loyal A mount user again.

Making a sensor is only one part of a camera lots of other areas to consider.

[David Kilpatrick]

I suggest you ignore all rumours. The Nikon sensor appears to have a different pinout arrangement; this does not mean it is not made by Sony for Nikon, it does mean it's not identical to an EXMOR sensor.

Sony has previously allowed Nikon earlier use of its sensors and Nikon cameras have generally appeared 1-3 months before Sony using similar sensors.

David

[dynax800si]

I really want to see how the 'first camera with continuous AF during video' tracks something in real

[alphaomega]

Yes, it is just a rumour and graded SR3 at this stage. My manufacturing experience is in heavy engineering equipment rather than sensors, but what does it cost to establish a new sensor fab plant and how long to get into high quality quantity production? What are the minimum loadings to make the venture economical? How could Nikon in such a short period acquire the skills and plant and what about their financial situation? A fab plant can't be got for peanuts. It is one thing to get a minor player to make some D3/A700 12Mp FF sensors. It is another matter to feed all Nikon's DX cameras with new sensors. I think there is a lot we do not know about this and it is not impossible that Sony are still involved in one way or the other. I can also see Samsung having said to Pentax that it is no longer economical to make their 14Mp sensor. Switch to Sony please. Maybe or maybe not. Fact is that Sony appear to have developed some fine 14 and 16Mp APS-C sensors and strangely the new Nikon sensors are also 14 and 16Mp sizes with slight "variations on a theme". No doubt all shall be revealed in due course.

[Greg Beetham]

In 2007 Sony announced they were going too spend around 60 Billion Yen (I Yen = around 80c US last I looked, so it's no chicken feed) over the next 3 years expanding their Sensor Fab, so I guess that dosh has all been spent by now. Unless Nikon have LOTS of surplus cash lying around too build a Fab of their own they would have to source them elsewhere (if they no longer buy from Sony), or go into some sort of partnership with someone who does have a 300mm wafer facility. (300mm is more cost effective apparently, especially for FF sensors, FF sensors I read somewhere were 8 times more expensive too make than APS-C).There was only a handful of 300mm wafer plants in the world as at late 2007, again from what I read.
Greg