Canon ever sourcing their image sensors from Sony?

[dolina]

Specifically APS-C and Full frame sensors.

Sony is the choice image sensor brand for smartphones and Nikon for good reasons.

Do you think there will come a time where in we have an EOS or EOS M body that sports a Sony sensor part?

A bit annoying that the upgrades are sophomoric.

 

[jeffa4444]

Sony are not the only sensor manufacturer. Omnivision, Aptina, STMicro, OnSemi, Tosihba, Samsung, Sharp etc. or companies like CMOSIS design (think Leica) and use fab companies like TowerJazz or STMicro etc.

 

[RGF]

I think uses some Sony sensors in their P&S cameras.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Anythiing is possible, but if Canon can make sensors for a fraction of Sony's asking price, I'd say no. The last thing I'd want is to have sensors made primarily by one supplier. At that point, the price will shoot up and up. There are many other manufacturers of sensors, but their share of the DSLR market is tiny. I'd like to see more competition, but the cost of developing a new sensor is extremely high, so those willing to risk cash up front are few.
Samsung makes their own, Sony and Canon, and Nikon has some sensors designed in house with manufacturing farmed out. I'm sure there are some other < one percent players.

 

[Hjalmarg1]

I think uses some Sony sensors in their P&S cameras.

Yes, G7X uses Sony sensor. Now, the Sony's sensor manufacturing division was made indenpendent.... ....in order to sell more sensors???

 

[jeffa4444]

From Image Sensor World

The semiconductor business is highlighted by image sensors, a historically successful and profitable business for Sony.
...
Today, it dominates the CMOS image sensor business, with Q2 2015 revenues of slightly over USD1 billion, good for over 42% of the worldwide market, nearly three times the revenue of its closest competitor, Samsung Electronics.

 

[Perio]

I believe that those who want accurate colors would not want Sony's sensors in Canon's cameras...

 

[K]

The premise of this thread is that the Sony sensor is superior...which is arguable.

There's pros and cons surely. On the grand scheme, from a practical point of view, they are all very close in performance. If we nitpick details, each has advantages and disadvantages. And almost always, the newer the sensor - the better, regardless of brand. That's tech for you.

I can live without an extra stop or two of DR. But color correcting is much more of an impact to images.

 

[jeffa4444]

The sensor is not the area where the color is finalized if it was Sony & Nikon cameras with the same sensor would appear identical but there not. Likewise Canon are using Sony 1" sensors but the colors again look different from Sony cameras. Its in the signal processing & programming thats interpreting what the sensor readout provides within the Digic processor.
We have changed the signal processing from Sony video cameras to provide our own "color" to emulate film stocks so in reality whether Canon used Sony sensors or not they can completely re-write the color science if they want to and do with cameras like the G7X.

 

[3kramd5]

I believe that those who want accurate colors would not want Sony's sensors in Canon's cameras...

Those who want accurate colors calibrate their workflow.

 

[midluk]

The sensor is not the area where the color is finalized if it was Sony & Nikon cameras with the same sensor would appear identical but there not. Likewise Canon are using Sony 1" sensors but the colors again look different from Sony cameras. Its in the signal processing & programming thats interpreting what the sensor readout provides within the Digic processor.

Are you sure they are really using the same sensors including color filter arrary?

 

[crashpc]

That is a myth and very narrow thinking. You cannot rewrite everything. Especially data you don't have, or data in excess, which other cam doesn't have.
Do you have ANY idea what will change with different CFA? How would you process extreme situation, where one cam doesn't have red color to process? Will it add red where it thinks it should be nice? Do you have an idea what does spectral response to the final color?
SONY colors are real, and partially hardware "issue".

 

[jeffa4444]

That is a myth and very narrow thinking. You cannot rewrite everything. Especially data you don't have, or data in excess, which other cam doesn't have.
Do you have ANY idea what will change with different CFA? How would you process extreme situation, where one cam doesn't have red color to process? Will it add red where it thinks it should be nice? Do you have an idea what does spectral response to the final color?
SONY colors are real, and partially hardware "issue".

Trust me your wrong we changed colours on Sony F35 cameras and on F23 cameras years ago and they were tested by eminent cinematographers side by side.

 

[jeffa4444]

Look up articles by a guy called John Galt.

 

[KateH]

I reeeeeaaaallly doubt this would ever happen. Canon has a good thing going with their in-house sensor R&D and fabrication; their sensors may have some shortcomings compared to Sony, but Canon has a lineage of technology at this point that would be hard to break. Also, it's worth noting that Sony's "APS-C" sensors are slightly larger than Canon's "APS-C" sensors; that alone could break compatibility with some EF-S lenses.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Also, it's worth noting that Sony's "APS-C" sensors are slightly larger than Canon's "APS-C" sensors; that alone could break compatibility with some EF-S lenses.

That's hardly a concern, Most cameras do not use all the pixels on a sensor, they could use a FF sensor on APS-C and just ignore the extra pixels.

 

[Tinky]

canon used and probably still uses sony sensors...

note how it jumps in regular resoltions and regular technology advances despite the manufacturer.. all using 20mp 1" is it?

All using 16mp backlit sensors is it?

google the sony ccd failure of the mid-naughties to see how many folk relied on sony tech.

 

[3kramd5]

canon used and probably still uses sony sensors...

note how it jumps in regular resoltions and regular technology advances despite the manufacturer.. all using 20mp 1" is it?

All using 16mp backlit sensors is it?

google the sony ccd failure of the mid-naughties to see how many folk relied on sony tech.

Note the first sentence of the thread: "Specifically APS-C and Full frame sensors."

 

[crashpc]

jeffa4444 - didn´t say you cannot get close enaugh, especially on prepared test scene. But dynamics light is very different. Also there is no denial that if you turn hue and color knobs around long time enaugh, you get the color you wanted. The problem is, that it is a hardware problem, and people don´t like solving it all the time.
What we see with new Canon 24Mpx sensor is I believe different manufacturing process or different manufacturer. It has some color problems, and vignetting problems on M cameras.

 

[rs]

jeffa4444 - didn´t say you cannot get close enaugh, especially on prepared test scene. But dynamics light is very different. Also there is no denial that if you turn hue and color knobs around long time enaugh, you get the color you wanted. The problem is, that it is a hardware problem, and people don´t like solving it all the time.
What we see with new Canon 24Mpx sensor is I believe different manufacturing process or different manufacturer. It has some color problems, and vignetting problems on M cameras.

The CFA is a series of colour filters, tuned to certain wavelengths with their own attenuation. If there is a fundamental difference between sensor A's CFA and sensor B's CFA, as long as the CFA differences are mild you will at best be able to approximate the look from A in B's images. Matching will be next to impossible. If the CFA's vary with any significance, no amount of tweaking will be will be able to equal the outputs.