Both Sony and Canon will announce Full Frame cameras with around 50 Megapixel during the first quarter of 2015. Those cameras will likely be displayed at the CP+ show which starts in mid February.
The Sony 46 Megapixel FF camera will almost certainly be a new E-mount A7 (or A9?). It will feature an advanced autofocusing system based on the current A6000 hybrid af camera.
Canon is likely to announce a new DSLR with such a 50MP sensor. But there is a small chance Canon could use that sensor also on a new Full Frame mirrorless system camera.
I am 100% sure those kind of sensors are coming early 2015. We have an exciting time ahead of us!
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If they can cram megapixels onto a FF sensor as tightly packed as on an APS-C sensor, maybe we might get to the point where FF can come close to the quality that the greats like Ansel Adams achieved with 8×10 negative film. Who knows.
I still dream of a future inexpensive 8×10 digital gigapixel camera. 🙂
Now this is a great news! A fast focusing ultra high mp ff camera at hopefully decent price, in Sony’s fashion!
Not that I would be intrinsically against high pixel count (even though I do not really have use for 50 Mpix personally), Increasing the MPix count on the same sensor size is a self boosting strategy. One the maker sells you such a camera you quickly realise that you need those very best lenses to get any discernible improvement over 24 or 36 MPix. So you keep spending (also on larger memory cards, storage, bandwidth, etc.)
True. But a lot of mp are great for crops and usually the more mp the higher the resolution (using the same lens).
Thats true. More Mp and sharper lenses makes slightly more room for cropping. Gaps between focal lengths in your gear bag are a diminishing problem. Just crop to what you want.
I just replaced my 10-24mm ultra wide angle zoom for a 8mm fish eye and don’t miss the in between focal lengths. My new 18-35mm f/1,8 could easily cover up to 50mm (cropped) with acceptable performance. More Mp also extends the practical range of a high quality tele zoom.
Lots of MP sony! but where are the Lenses? you need to bring more “fast” lenses out.
Sony want headlines to sell sensors. Lenses have always been a afterthought for them.
If Sony fixes the issues with the A7r with the new 46Mpix camera I may want one…. I have the A7s this “A9” may be the perfect compliment to that.
Assuming they fixed the shutter vibration and loudness issues and the Flash sync speed limits…. Then I sell everything else, including my D800E and Nikon Lenses and go 99% Sony…except for my Fujifilm X100s….. now we just need faster lenses that can handle all those Megapixels…
Why big MP war stars all over again??? Why don’t just use 36MP with more low light capable sensor with 15-20stop????
Many Mp is a problem for speed and storage, not image quality (Noise, DR). Pixels in new sensors are well separated and low cross leakage (high DR) for all relevant pixel sizes at APS-C or larger. Chief ray angle (CRA) can still be improved notable on the smallest pixels, but that is only relevant at large apertures and short flange distance cameras.
Samsung just released a very promising 65nm APS-C BSI type sensor said to improve CRA by 20%.
I hope Sony starts using BSI in APS-C and larger sensors too. Maybe even with stacking as they do on smaller sensors (Exmor RS). That would improve full well capacity (DR) by about a stop. Together you can expect the lowest ISO to expand down to about 40 (real ISO, not D810-like), giving about 1 stop more DR, and high ISO performance to improve by up to 20%. Improvements in noise cancelling will probably extend that even a bit more. This would be achievable even if the MP count increases 50-100%.
If the Sony full frame sensor was 58.5Mp it would have the same pixel density as a micro 4/3 sensor. Calculated as:
FF is 35.8mm * 23.9mm = 855.6mm(Squ.)
M43 is 18mm * 13mm = 234mm(Squ.)
M43 is 16Mp * (855.6/234) = 58.5Mp
However I also like the approach of the A7s to trade higher Mp for better light sensitivity. My Pentax K20 seems to start showing noise at 400ISO (ya I know really old). I am looking for an upgrade but can’t decide between Sony FF or M4/3. Ideally what I would like to see from Sony would be good quality in body 4K, in body image stabilization, and cheaper pancake lenses to cut the bulk down. It’s a nice system but the lens prices are outrageous. The Canon EF 50mm F/1.8 is about $110 vs the 55mm Sony 55Mm F/1.8 at about $800. Sony has done a grate job at making FF affordable but to really rock the market they need to do the same for there lenses.
You’re going to need a set of Zeiss Otus lenses to take advantage of that kind of resolution. Is this really what most photographers want? I’d rather see a Foveon-type sensor or global shutter tech introduced…
With practice cropping is seldom nedded. IMHO I prefer a 16 to 24 mpix sensor without vigneting and magenta coloration than a 50 mpix sensor. A revolutionary better than a evolutiinary sensor would be great, a non bayer sensor, what about a layered, such as foveon, what about a monochrome, b&w, hot mirrorless (680 to 1000 nano meters photography).
Taking into account viewing distance, even the current sensor generation’s pixel count is already useless. It only takes six to eight megapixels to generate prints of arbitrarily large size. In order to view large prints, you need to step further away to distances where your eyes are simply unable to resolve the extra detail. Quadrupling that number has achieved little more but increasing the crop reserve. And at that point you have to ask what these newfangled zoom lenses are for if not for framing your image to the desired crop in the first place.
IOW please, Canon, give us all the pixels your sodding marketing idiots think they need, as long as you put a priority on low noise at high ISO. And PLEASE finally, give us a full-frame mirrorless. WITH a flip-out-and-twist LCD!!! I can’t for the life of me understand what could give anyone the idea that was a feature only the lowliest consumers would want. Never mind anyone at the very company that gave us the G series.
Rant over.
I totally agree with you!