Canon is working on a new global shutter camera sensor

Canon is looking to catch up to Sony in developing cameras equipped with a global shutter sensor. The Japanese camera maker reportedly has a new EOS camera sensor in the pipeline with the global shutter technology.

The design of a brand-new Super 35-sized CMOS sensor with the model code LI5070SA has been published by Canon. The sensor is equipped with a global shutter and is designed for use in cinema and security cameras. First spotted by Digital Camera Life, the sensor could reportedly record 12-bit DCI 4K output at 60p, with a pixel count of 10.3MP.

The new sensor isn’t going to be featured in any of Canon’s new consumer camera systems; rather, it will be marketed to other companies who may want to purchase Canon-made sensors for their products. However, we may see such sensors being part of higher-end hybrid cameras in a year or two given recent developments.

Canon has published the specs for the LI5070SA global shutter sensor.

Earlier this year, Canon also published its design for a sensor with the model code LI5030SA, a 19MP CMOS full-frame with a global shutter. This sensor was rumored to be used in the EOS R1, but Canon opted for a stacked sensor instead.

Global shutter sensors are a rarity in today’s mirrorless camera world. Sony was the first to implement this technology in consumer-level mirrorless cameras with the A9 III. Canon has used a global shutter sensor in the EOS C700 GS PL cinema camera. Nikon-owned RED is another company known for producing cameras with global shutter sensors.

Having global shutter sensors eliminates the phenomenon called a rolling shutter. In typical cameras with electronic or mechanical shutters, the sensor reads data one line after another. This causes fast-moving objects like propellers to have a warped effect called a rolling shutter. Global shutters capture every pixel on the sensor simultaneously, eliminating the rolling shutter effect.

Equipping cameras with a global shutter is harder to do as it requires extra circuitry on the sensor, in a space normally occupied by light-collecting photodiodes. Sony used a stacked CMOS sensor in the A9 III to accommodate the circuitry required to run a global shutter. The design does not impact the low-light performance and image quality of the A9 III.

Stacked CMOS sensors are now more common and can be found in mid-tier mirrorless cameras like the Nikon Z6 III. This means that camera manufacturers can follow Sony’s lead in using stacked sensors to implement global shutter technology in upcoming cameras.