Canon today announced that they have made world biggest sensor with Ultra high sensitivity. So that sensor is literally very big in size when you are going to see in comparison with Canon entry level Rebel camera.
Canon has succeeded in developing the world’s largest class of CMOS image sensor measuring approximately 20 cm square. The Big Canon Sensor is used by Kiso Observatory operated by the University of Tokyo’s Institute of Astronomy. Ultrahigh-sensitivity sensor made possible the world’s first video recording of meteors with an equivalent apparent magnitude of 10, a level so dark that image capture had not been possible until now.
The large sensors will going to fulfill the specific demand of astronomical Laboratories around the globe those who required largest sensors Telescopes / space exploration. While creating such a big sensor Canon developed parallel processing tech and new methods to overcome the problem of bigger sensor.
We always welcome Canon effort to push camera / imagine technology to next level.
World Biggest Camera Sensor – Made by Canon – Press Release
The Potential to Open New Frontiers in Academic and Industrial FieldsCMOS Image Sensors
In addition to the image sensors used in its consumer-model digital cameras, Canon is exploring new potential in academic fields and industrial fields through the development of ultrahigh-sensitivity CMOS image sensors and ultrahigh-resolution CMOS image sensors.
The World’s Largest Ultrahigh-Sensitivity CMOS Image Sensor
A certain level of light is required when shooting with a digital camera or camcorder, and without it, images cannot be captured due to insufficient sensitivity.
In the pursuit of further improving the sensitivity of imaging elements, Canon has embraced the challenge of achieving higher levels of sensitivity and larger element sizes while maintaining high-speed readout performance, and has succeeded in developing the world’s largest class of CMOS image sensor measuring approximately 20 cm square. At present, the standard diameter of the silicon wafers on which CMOS sensors are fabricated is 12 inches (approx. 30 cm). As such, a 20-cm-square sensor is the largest size that can be manufactured based on these dimensions, and is equivalent to nearly 40 times the size of a 35 mm full-frame CMOS sensor.
Increasing the size of CMOS sensors entails overcoming such problems as distortion and transmission delays for the electrical signals converted from light. To resolve these issues, Canon not only made use of a parallel processing circuit, but also exercised ingenuity with the transfer method itself. As a result, the sensor makes possible the shooting of video at 60 frames per second with only 0.3 lux of illumination (approximately the same level of brightness as that generated by a full moon).
Possible applications for this ultrahigh-sensitivity CMOS sensor include the video recording of celestial objects in the night sky, nocturnal animal behavior and auroras, and use in nightwatch cameras.
When installed in the 105 cm Schmidt camera at the Kiso Observatory operated by the University of Tokyo’s Institute of Astronomy, the ultrahigh-sensitivity sensor made possible the world’s first video recording of meteors with an equivalent apparent magnitude of 10, a level so dark that image capture had not been possible until now. As a result, the sensor provided proof that the frequency with which faint meteors occurred coincided with theoretical estimates to date. By supporting more detailed recording and statistical analysis of meteors, the technology could lead to an increased understanding of the influence that meteors may have exerted on the development of life on Earth.
120-Megapixel Ultrahigh-Resolution CMOS Image Sensor
Canon has spent many years working to reduce the pixel size for CMOS image sensors. These efforts have led to astounding results, making possible a pixel size of 2.2 µm for a total of approximately 120 million pixels on a single sensor. The APS-H size (approx. 29 x 20 mm) CMOS sensor boasts approximately 7.5 times the number of pixels and 2.6 times the resolution of sensors of the same size featured in existing products.
This CMOS sensor performs parallel processing to support the high-speed readout of large volumes of pixels, and by modifying the method employed to control the readout circuit timing, Canon successfully achieved the high-speed readout of sensor signals. As a result, the sensor makes possible a maximum output speed of approximately 9.5 frames per second, supporting the continuous shooting of ultrahigh-resolution images.
Images captured with the ultrahigh-resolution CMOS sensor maintain high levels of definition and clarity even when cropped or digitally magnified. Accordingly, this sensor offers potential for a range of industrial applications, including cameras for shooting images for large-format poster prints, cameras for the image inspection of precision parts, aerospace cameras, and omnidirectional vision cameras.
The 120-megapixel ultrahigh-resolution performance of the Canon CMOS sensor may lead to unprecedented industrial applications that could only be imagined in the past.
The Big Bull shoot Full HD videos… Not 4K
Canon is world leading camera company. Those who are switching from Canon to others do will regret at end.
On an other rumor site was a mixup of two Canon sensors. This one produces 1.7GB images, but I think it’s not an 20 square centimeters, but 20x20cm.
The another one is a 43MB sensor slightly larger (few mm.) as FF is.
I like this site becouse is not using this blody privacy tracking Disqus.
An owners decision!
@Dr.S
We have spotted large sensor news at two different sections of Canon website.
BTW, The news is old. coming out from press release published in 2010. The time when New Camera website was Born. But the same text was update in Canon official website in Future Tech Page section.
# Source 1 link – https://global.canon/en/news/2010/aug31e.html
August 31, 2010
Canon. Inc.
Canon succeeds in developing world’s largest CMOS image sensor, with ultra-high sensitivity
# Source 2 link – http://www.canon.com/technology/future/cmos.html
HOME > Cutting-Edge Technologies > CMOS Image Sensors
The Potential to Open New Frontiers in Academic and Industrial Fields
CMOS Image Sensors
In addition to the image sensors used in its consumer-model digital cameras, Canon is exploring new potential in academic fields and industrial fields through the development of ultrahigh-sensitivity CMOS image sensors and ultrahigh-resolution CMOS image sensors.
Is it 20cm square or 20mm square..? Hope this camera can use for prof phtographers…..
I was writing about this:
https://photorumors.com/2018/06/17/canon-got-the-worlds-largest-cmos-sensor-ams-cmosis-is-starting-production-of-their-new-48mp-full-frame-sensor/
Sincerely
Dr. Strangelove
There are comments here. What is their current biggest sensor? Thanks.
@Dr.S
The website has blended two different news in one. Canon and CMOSIS / AMS announcement.
@Wayne
36 mm × 24 mm – The biggest sensor canon makes and uses in its fullframe DSLRs camera.
200 mm x 200 mm