SONY HEADS TO 150 MP WITH NEW MF SENSOR
SONY HAS ANNOUNCED details of its next generation of medium format sized digital sensors which will adopt the back-side illuminated (BSI) architecture. The new 100 megapixels BSI sensor is 33x44 mm in size (the same as the current 50 MP and 100 MP devices) while, even more interesting, is a 150 megapixels imager sized at 55x41 mm and available in colour and B&W versions.
According to Sony’s published specs, the new BSI 100 MP sensor (designated IMX 461) will be fast enough for continuous shooting at 6.0 fps – twice as fast as currently – while the BSI 150 MP (IMX 411) will allow for 4.0 fps. Both will enable 4K video at 30 fps with 12-bit processing.
Both these sensors provide clues to what the next generation of digital medium format cameras from Fujifilm, Hasselblad and Phase One will likely be capable of. Versions of IMX 461 will almost certainly appear in the 100 MP versions of the GFX and X1D while the bigger IMX 411 has clearly been designed for Phase One’s IQ backs (including the B&W device for the nextgen Achromatic model). It’s been a tough couple of years for the camera industry, but interestingly, one of the most individualistic, Leica, is actually doing OK. The company recently posted its figures for the financial year ending in March 2017 and recorded a six percent growth in revenue (and this in a declining market). For the first part of the 2017-18 financial year, Leica’s cumulative growth is tracking at a whopping 15 percent which is pretty impressive… and this is before TL2 and CL sales start ramping up. We reckon CL will be Leica’s biggest seller since… well, er, the last camera to wear that model designation. The big successes are the Chinese market (where all the prestige brands are making hay) and the move to controlling its own retailing via the Leica Stores.