Submitted via IRC for takyon
Think medium format CMOS sensors are big? Check out[*] what Canon's largest sensor looks like when placed next to a DSLR camera (an EOS Rebel T3i/600D).
[...] Canon first unveiled its humongous, ultra-sensitive, ultra-resolution CMOS sensor back in August 2010, saying that it would open new doors in various academic and industrial fields.
"A certain level of light is required when shooting with a digital camera or camcorder, and without it, images cannot be captured due to insufficient sensitivity," Canon writes. "In the pursuit of further improving the sensitivity of imaging elements, Canon has embraced the challenge of achieving higher levels of sensitivity and larger element sizes while maintaining high-speed readout performance, and has succeeded in developing the world's largest class of CMOS image sensor measuring approximately 20 cm square."
[*] Image location: https://petapixel.com/assets/uploads/2018/06/sensorsizecompare-800x547.jpg
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Snotnose on Wednesday June 20 2018, @08:55PM (2 children)
I remember prying the top off an EEPROM or DRAM, writing a program that mapped cells to pixels, and used it as a rudimentary camera. It was B&W with really bad resolution (you could tell when you passed a finger over it, that was about all). We probably got the idea from Byte or somesuch, we sure didn't think of it on our own.
Heh. Back then the die of my 32k EEPROM was close to the same physical size of the 32 Gig SDCard I bought recently. Times change.
When the dust settled America realized it was saved by a porn star.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Uncle_Al on Wednesday June 20 2018, @09:17PM (1 child)
The Micron Eye
It had gaps in it because the array divided into quadrants
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 20 2018, @11:37PM
Micron was making plastic-packaged DRAMs, so simply used clear epoxy for the packaging.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday June 20 2018, @09:26PM (10 children)
The really impressive applications for this kind of sensor would be low light stuff - they don't mention the resolution, but if this is even 1080p but with starlight vision capability, that would make an awesome way to video night hunting lions, etc.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by EvilSS on Wednesday June 20 2018, @09:30PM (6 children)
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday June 20 2018, @09:40PM (1 child)
As I read the article, that's another sensor that's 120MP, not this one...
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by EvilSS on Thursday June 21 2018, @01:28PM
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Wednesday June 20 2018, @09:56PM (1 child)
Would this sensor make sense to use for large ground telescopes or space telescopes?
(Score: 1) by anubi on Thursday June 21 2018, @05:50AM
My guess: Orbiting Spy-sats.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 2) by aim on Thursday June 21 2018, @02:46PM (1 child)
But way out of the domain of amateur astrophotography. Considering usual focusers being 2" (or 2.5", 3"), I'd guess you'd need custom equipment to sensibly adapt a camera with this sensor. Even at 2.5" - 3" focusers plus accessories get expensive pretty quickly. The scope and mount would have to be able to take the weight of the camera, too.
To make a decent cam, it'd have to be cooled (less noise), have a decent buffer, quick connection, be protected from dew etc. etc. ... even smallish cams have 4-digit price tags. Plus filters, which are also very expensive at size, a filter wheel...
Also, don't forget the computing hardware to store and process all those images.
Then again, there are amateurs shelling out tens of thousands for high-end gear, so... just maybe. Won't be me, though.
(Score: 2) by EvilSS on Thursday June 21 2018, @03:09PM
(Score: 2) by Bot on Wednesday June 20 2018, @09:34PM (2 children)
Hunting lions with a 20cm sensor means: get very close to the lion, or carry a lens as big as a can(n)on, or put up with some slight vignetting.
Account abandoned.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday June 20 2018, @09:43PM
That's why the company is called Cannon, right? Personally, I prefer to be some distance from the lions when filming, especially with a 100kg camera+lens to maneuver, so a reflector telephoto isn't a bad thing (and, yeah, reflector lenses do have some funky flare effects...)
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 20 2018, @10:53PM
I've photographed lions (in the wild). During the daytime, they mostly sleep and if you poke them with a stick, they might be bothered enough to roll over and yawn. The closest 'I've ever been to one (in an open land rover) is about half a meter (have video, but no photographs of that encounter).
(Score: 2) by crafoo on Wednesday June 20 2018, @11:38PM (1 child)
sweet, sweet pixel porn. That's a fucking awesome sensor.
(Score: 2) by shortscreen on Thursday June 21 2018, @06:59AM
Yep, porn. That's what it's for, right?
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 21 2018, @01:54AM (1 child)
If you want to CMOS, just look on the north side of a tree.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 21 2018, @06:15AM
:)