Is Canon Catching Up in the Sensor Department

[dje]

Some may not agree with me on this but it seems to me that Nikon has moved ahead of Canon in the sensor department in the last 2-3 years, with up to 2 stops more Dynamic Range at base ISO. Rightly or wrongly, I believe this has been a big selling point.

But with the recent release of the Canon 1Dx mkII, it appears that Canon may have bridged the gap in DR that I mention above. The word is that they have finally integrated their analogue to digital conversion stage onto the sensor chip, just like Nikon/Sony, thus improving the read noise performance significantly. The 1D x is probably out of reach of many financially but things will get interesting if Canon start using similar sensor technology on camera models below top of the range. I think they will but we'll have to wait and see. For now Canonites, hang on to your L glass.

Dave

[Inkanyezi]

I would say that Canon is indeed at least trying to catch up, but still lagging behind a bit.

Whether it is of any interest to the particular photographer could be seen as a moot question, as we anyway have more dynamic range than needed in most cases, and the FF systems are still far beyond the requirements for most of us.

However, product development continues, not only in Canon's facilities, and we have recently seen one large company issue a camera that image-wise runs circles around those we have from the large players in the market of photographic gear. Not even a year after the introduction, they discontinued their whole line of system cameras (Samsung).

When we look at present technology, back-illuminated cmos sensors are currently superior to ccd in various respects, and it can be considered a trend. However in the larger formats, there's still much ccd technology, and not so much incitament for further development. One result of faster development of cmos is that presently cmos FF sensors display more dynamic range and other desirable features than medium format ccd sensors. Canon has been hanging on to the ccd for a long time and just recently jumped on the new bandwagon.

If we scrutinise the Samsung NX1, we find that cmos sensors can be made in large format with small sensels and backlit technology, so even if they left the sector, they showed us what can be done. Whether anyone will start making cmos for larger formats is not quite clear. Will the market need it? When the Sony FF camera already beats the medium format on most counts?

What Olympus, Panasonic, Sony and Samsung have shown us is that readout and signal treatment is fast enough with today's technology to make cameras without the mirror, and a plausible step for manufacturers could be making competitive medium format cameras as well. Will the next medium format camera be mirror-free? It has many advantages and few disadvantages compared to the complex opto-mechanics of the SLR, and for medium format shooters, the most prominent advantages of SLR are perhaps secondary to those of mirror-free systems. Particularly for untethered shooting with direct capture the mirror-free systems reign, and newer wireless standards are a great aid to this development.

Canon has great glass, and it all works with Sony EVIL cameras, which beat present medium format cameras on nigh to all counts; most particularly untethered shooting. To catch up, Canon should seriously look at the possibility to buy spearhead technology from elsewhere.

[NorthernFocus]

I certainly hope they don't catch up. Because if they do I may sell my entire Nikon kit and take out a loan so I could get the Canon 200-400mm and whatever body it is that has caught up

[Shadowman]

I saw a list of top cameras for dynamic range and Fuji was rated the highest.

[Manfred M]

I seem to remember reading that Canon is using a Sony sensor in the Canon 1Dx mkII.

[dem]

While Canon is catching up, others move the goalposts:

http://petapixel.com/2016/02/03/pana...x-sensitivity/

It is a shame Samsung cameras didn't take off as Sony seems to be monopolising the sensor market.

[tao2]

Canon is reputed tae have tested both Sony and their own sensors for the new 1DX2 and opted for their own, although using Sony on-chip technology for the AD converter and S/N (older tech); which is sensible, as, had they used Sony sensors the couldn't come tae market with the latest models until months after Sony had released a model in their own lineup. So a commercially sensible decision - but, as they've arrived unfashionably late in this area, they'll struggle tae keep up. Sony for example has already introduced medium format sensors and are up and away there.

While it may have made commercial sense tae the bean counters at Samsung, Panasonic and Olympus tae use Sony in many of their top line cameras sensors; it's put them in a technological turmoil - see Panasonic, who are sacrificing market share in camera sales for a new direction of further development in sensors.

I saw a list of top cameras for dynamic range and Fuji was rated the highest.

... Sony sensors are at the heart of several Fuji cameras. Surprisingly the new PRO2.

Sony sensors are/were in many of the exciting, much-lauded new cameras - Pany LX7/8, Samsung GH/X series, Olympus em5 (although ah think the new em1 has a Panasonic sensor) several Nikons (who are now increasingly using Aptina).

Canon were several years behind everyone else. Now, they may only be a couple but that's a long time in today's markets.

PS

Personally, ah think they (and Nikon) are just trying tae squeeze the market, neither company are truly innovative (or haven't been for around 20/30 years). Canon say they were 4 years developing this one sensor... look at Sony over the last 4 years ?