POLL: Is the new 50mp sensor Canon or Sony?

The sensor used in the upcoming 5ds (including the "Pirate" R version) is ...

  • 100% Canon - they would never borrow from the evil Sonikon empire!

    Votes: 43 53.8%

  • Sony licensed - Canon is missing crucial patents or lacks r&d

    Votes: 12 15.0%

  • Sony produced - Canon isn't able to release a high-res competitive sensor atm

    Votes: 18 22.5%

  • (none of the above) - post your own theory!

    Votes: 7 8.8%
  • Total voters
    80
  • Poll closed .
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Marsu42

Marsu42

Canon Pride.
Feb 7, 2012
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#1
Some shady rumor site outside the only real CR has it that Sony has its evil hands in the creation of our new flagship: http://www.canonwatch.com/cw2cw3-yet-another-rumour-sony-sensors-used-canon-dslrs/

What do you think? Vote here before the Fri 6th announcement and prove you're a Canon expert!
 
#2
My guess is it's a Canon sensor, but it wouldn't shock me if they partnered with Sony.

I wonder how much of their signal circuitry would have to change to work with an on-sensor ADC. I can't imagine it's as simple as removing a handful of analog components and going straight to digital amplifiers, but maybe it is.
 
Upvote 0
#4
Having been playing CMOS Semiconductor games for almost a decade, I'd say it won't be direct licensed tech (cut and paste). Canon would need to reproduce Sony process and probably "promise" not to use it on other chips. You can buy IP for various parts, but that's on pre-existing common processes. Canon have thier own process and I bet it's nothing like Sonys.

What Canon might have done is to license particular technique(s) (patents) that Sony use that makes their sensors "exmor", a bit like a patent swap, but that doens't mean canon would have been told how to do it, merely that they won't be prosecuted by copying Sony tricks.

Anyway I voted 100% Canon. I'm pretty sure Canon will have worked out how the Exmor chips work without Sonys help, the trick will be copying without infringing patents.
 
Upvote 0
#6
Canon has used others´sensors in the past. No reason why they should not have made an agreement with Sony for this one. This could give them access to a top notch high resolution sensor, so they can concentrate their own efforts on producing a magnificent 1DX-II sensor.

Personally I don´t care who makes the sensor, if I get a Canon camera with lots of resolution, significant jump in DR and much less noise. If Canon did it themselves, brilliant!
 
Upvote 0
#7
I'm guessing it's 100% Canon. I think the rumors about Canon using a Sony sensor are fueled by a combination of wishful thinking, and the (not so startling) revelation that the Powershot G7x uses a Sony sensor.
 
Upvote 0
#11
rfdesigner said:
What Canon might have done is to license particular technique(s) (patents) that Sony use that makes their sensors "exmor", a bit like a patent swap, but that doens't mean canon would have been told how to do it, merely that they won't be prosecuted by copying Sony tricks.
Click to expand...

this is what i really think is going on, and why we have not seen any improvement in DR - canon obviously has one hell of an R&D department but if sony has patents that stand in the way of changes, then canon is left spending a hell of a lot more on R&D to get around the patents, or just have the same DR they've had for a while. If this is a patent swap, then maybe DPAF is enough for sony to part with their patents? who knows though, guess we'll find out this week though!
 
Upvote 0
#12
My guess, a guess since I am not an insider, is that Canon partnered with Sony in some manner. Either licensed technology, or had Sony produce the sensor with Canon's unique feature such as dual pixel, ....

In the end the sensor will be a marriage of Sony and Canon.
 
Upvote 0
#13
From what I understand, this is a scaled up version of the 7DII sensor.

Now...with it being rumored that the 5D4 will have a "modest" increase in MP....could it be the 36mp Sony Sensor?

"Modest" I would say staying well within the 20's...no more than 28MP. Likely at or under 24MP. That is, until the 5DS and 5DSr now have 50!!! With that being the MP of a camera wearing the 5D badge on it - that now makes 36MP "modest" increase in context.

Anyway, the pixel counters have done the math and they figure this is just a scaled up 7d2 sensor. Based on the math, it makes it less likely to be a Sony.
 
Upvote 0
#15
My guess is it's a Sony sensor. Wasn't Canon quoted as saying "we will use the best sensors available in our cameras." recently?

Seems to me that statement has enough wiggle room to allow for other companies' sensors, or sensor technologies, while still maintaining an element of Canon bravado.

If you are only going to use/plan to use Canon-only sensors, that is not the answer you would give unless you followed up with "...which are always Canon sensors"
 
Upvote 0
#16
Just had another thought.. Semiconductor plants don't just cost an arm and a leg to keep running, but entire armies of arms legs and goodness knows what else. CMOS wafer prodcution is 99% overhead, cutting production scale saves almost nothing.

If you have a semiconductor plant, you absolutely use it.. and you use it as much as you possibly can.

You don't buy in sensors unless you either have more demand than your plant can supply, you are taking the load off your plant while you switch processes, or you're getting out of running your own fab.

So IMHO the sensors will be manufactured by Canon unless they expect to produce very very few of the 5Ds cameras.
 
Upvote 0
#18
rfdesigner said:
Just had another thought.. Semiconductor plants don't just cost an arm and a leg to keep running, but entire armies of arms legs and goodness knows what else. CMOS wafer prodcution is 99% overhead, cutting production scale saves almost nothing.

If you have a semiconductor plant, you absolutely use it.. and you use it as much as you possibly can.

You don't buy in sensors unless you either have more demand than your plant can supply, you are taking the load off your plant while you switch processes, or you're getting out of running your own fab.

So IMHO the sensors will be manufactured by Canon unless they expect to produce very very few of the 5Ds cameras.
Click to expand...

Very true. But I think that it is possible that Canon has designed a sensor that for some reason their own fab is ill equipped to produce. It is very likely they are switching processes. Maybe they do not want to spend the money upgrading their fab for the sensors they plan on producing. So Canon started looking for a partner to fabricate there sensors.

It is very possible that the rumored cross license deal with Sony in preparation for Sony manufacturing Canon's new sensors. It is possible that that Canon cannot meet expected demand with current fab equipment. And it was determined that a 3rd party was needed to meet time to market or cost constraints. I think they are finally changing semiconductor process and will return to manufacturing their own sensors in the future. Unless they are planning on leaving the semiconductor market.

I expect 100% Canon designed sensor manufactured by Canon and/or possibly Sony.
 
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