Patent: Sensor Technology

[Marsu42]

As Canon seems to be unwilling or unable to compete with Sony's high-res sensors, the way out might be further integration of video and stills.

Viewed from another angle, Sony, Nikon, et al, have been unwilling or unable to compete with Canon's DPAF sensors. (Maybe Samsung now has)

It'll be indeed interesting to see how this plays out and how Canon's dpaf progresses. Afaik the phase af pixels only speed up focusing, the actual af is still done by contrast. I'm sure once mirrorless progresses, the other brands will leave no stone unturned to come up with a competitive af solution.

For most camera owners, good-focus vs. bad-focus is a larger determining factor in deciding whether a certain photo is worth keeping than is the superior sensor. It seems more like conservative Canon is putting its R&D investment into profitable advances, rather than niche advances. Of course I'd like dramatic sensor improvements from Canon; however, as I and many others have said before, it won't happen until the market demands it. When that eventually occurs, I have no doubts that Canon will be able to deliver.

Yippeee, all Canon fanboyism condensed into one paragraph! So Canon has a working af while other cameras like the d750 don't; more than 22mp or 11ev dynamic range is a niche market; if someone would request these strange things Canon would just reach into the drawer and release these cameras. There you are, I'm baffled

 

[Orangutan]

For most camera owners, good-focus vs. bad-focus is a larger determining factor in deciding whether a certain photo is worth keeping than is the superior sensor. It seems more like conservative Canon is putting its R&D investment into profitable advances, rather than niche advances. Of course I'd like dramatic sensor improvements from Canon; however, as I and many others have said before, it won't happen until the market demands it. When that eventually occurs, I have no doubts that Canon will be able to deliver.

Yippeee, all Canon fanboyism condensed into one paragraph! So Canon has a working af while other cameras like the d750 don't; more than 22mp or 11ev dynamic range is a niche market; if someone would request these strange things Canon would just reach into the drawer and release these cameras. There you are, I'm baffled

;D Unintentional efficiency on my part!

I'm no fanboy -- I was making a business argument. Notice that I said "camera owners" not "photographers," so this applies to all the people who use DSLRs as advanced P&S. By "niche" I mean most buyers are consumers, not serious photographers, and won't appreciate the difference between 11ev DR and 13ev DR; however, they will appreciate AF that works well straight out of the box. If I want to sell a lot of cameras to consumers I need to focus my R&D efforts on what the crowd wants, while not annoying the more serious photographers too much. Canon has kept serious photographers happy with glass, and placated the masses with easy AF.

I agree that they need to improve their sensors "soon," though I don't know when "soon" is. Mirrorless may also force their hand: a thoughtful mirrorless manufacturer might make a body that can take lenses from several different brands via adapters, like Metabones. Then bodies and lenses become interchangeable, and market pressure will build on all manufacturers to compete. Seriously, if I could use my Canon glass on a D610-equivalent mirrorless with fast/accurate AF I'd be very tempted.

 

[Marsu42]

I'm no fanboy -- I was making a business argument. [...]

Thanks for elaborating, this new and improved text version sounds reasonable to me

 

[rainless]

If it is something for video... then it is well-needed. Canon went from having the best video operation of any DSLR to just letting it slip away over a course of 5 years. Now they're third behind Sony and Panasonic (and I still don't even consider Panasonic to be a camera company, though they have been making video cameras for many years.)

I think they might actually be shooting for their own version of Depth-from-Defocus. A better/faster autofocus system.

Not that I think Canon cameras really need another boost in photography specs. I think they have all that and the current need is for a long-awaited video upgrade.

 

[CaiLeDao]

I think Canon continue to show excellence in Camera sensors, this helps maintain a lead. The real issue Canon have to address is the processing path from the sensor to the electronics. If they match the approaches and capabilities of the competition then the best sensors, would really shine and probably need 16bit files to do them justice. All the difference in the sensor market for DR and IQ sits in this electronics space. Sensors can and will improve but if you don't manage noise between the sensor and the electronics then you loose both.

I would get really excited about the ADC moving on sensor chip, then these sensor improvements would have a platform to really excel.