Sony Announces New CMOS Sensor

Sony has announced it is commercializing a new CMOS sensor for upcoming digital SLRs. The 12.47-megapixel APS-C size CMOS promises improved noise reduction, better image quality, and faster speeds of up to 10.39 frames per second, according to a company press release.

The Sony CMOS sensor, model number IMX021, uses Sony’s technology of “Column-Parallel A/D Conversion Technique.” Each column of the 28.0 x 22.3mm sensor has an analog-to-digital converter. The system converts vertical signals over the shortest distance possible, and therefore preserves image quality while improving speed.

The Sony CMOS chip promises to produce shooting capabilities at 10.39 fps, a digital SLR frame rate that beats the rate currently held by Canon and its 10 fps EOS-1D Mark III, announced last February. The Sony CMOS, however, uses 12-bit AD conversion, while the Canon 1D Mark III APS-H sized chip uses 14-bit conversion.

“Sony will position ‘IMX021’ as a key device capable of generating new added value in the high-growth digital SLR camera market, actively promoting its use within Sony and externally," according to the release.

Sony’s semiconductor division will provide the IMX021 sensor. The initial sample price is set at 40,000 yen (approx. $348 USD).