Nikkei speculates on Sony's CMOS future
By
Mike Tomkins
(Wednesday, January 12, 2005 - 15:14 EST)
An interesting article from Nikkei Electronics Asia looks at Nikon's D2X digital SLR, which features a CMOS image sensor from electronics heavyweight Sony.
The article, authored by Nikkei's Tomohiro Otsuki, speculates that the imager is part of a larger plan by Sony to eventually switch from CCD to CMOS imagers across its line. According to the article, Sony built upon experience in developing the 1.3 megapixel IMX006 CMOS image sensor aimed at use in cameraphones to create the D2X's (much larger) sensor. It is suggested that Sony will launch a three megapixel CMOS imager for consumer digital cameras with a 2.4µm pixel pitch next year...
If the hypothesis proves correct, it will bring CMOS imagers full-circle. Several years ago, CMOS imagers were generally considered to have inferior image quality, despite their benefits in relative ease of manufacture, cost, and low power consumption. Canon pioneered use of CMOS imagers in its digital SLR lineup beginning with the three megapixel EOS D30, and technological advances have seen CMOS's reputation improved greatly. Consumer digicams currently use CCD imagers almost exclusively, however, with CMOS imagers generally only being found in the lowest resolution models. A move to CMOS for consumer digicams by Sony would be very significant news indeed!
Thanks to
Peter Burian
for this item!
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