The megapixel race ain't over just yet...

gloobag

New sensor in development at Canon :eek:
http://www.canonrumors.com/2010/08/canons-120mp-aps-h-sensor/

johndoe99

wow!

magicbastarder

sensors are outpacing lenses at this stage. it'll sell cameras, but be of very little utility.

artyeva

speaking as someone who has no interest in these things - why would they bother - i mean - what use would it have? if you want to print a billboard in one single print or something?

magicbastarder

because when their competitors are selling 100MP cameras, they'll need some way to claim their camera is better, and megapixels are the easiest way of claiming superiority to someone who is not well versed in cameras.

Paulw

1Ds MkIV coming soon I guess. FF, 9fps, 120mp.

So, how many here will be buying? :rolleyes:

magicbastarder

photos taken on this sensor will be TEN TIMES as good as ones taken on a 12MP sensor. sounds like a no-brainer.

Paulw

magicbastarder wrote: »

photos taken on this sensor will be TEN TIMES as good as ones taken on a 12MP sensor. sounds like a no-brainer.

I wouldn't say ten time as good, just ten times the size. Ok, probably not that large, but will be a very large raw file, for sure. Bring on the 64gb CF cards. :eek:

GhostInTheRuins

magicbastarder wrote: »

sensors are outpacing lenses at this stage. it'll sell cameras, but be of very little utility.

Just what I was thinking, what's the point of images this size (even forgetting for a second that nobody needs 120MP pictures), because it will just highlight the weaknesses of your lenses.

magicbastarder

well, the files would be 360MB uncompressed, or 720MB if 16bit.

The Snipe

Not to mention at the scale in which most pictures are printed (Most done up to about A2/A1) It wont make much of a difference in picture quality.

gloobag

Theoretically, you could crop significantly into a 120MP image while still retaining a relatively high level of image quality. So, there's at least one use I guess.

I can crop fairly heavily into my 5DmkII's files as it is and still get a decent enough image out of it. I'd imagine this sensor would be about 5 times better for that.

Anyways, I'd say it'll be years before we see this an actual commercial product.

Nforce

Thecageyone

better start saving now I guess ... should have enough by Christmas 2100 ...

Kintarō Hattori

It'll be kind of sad if this finds its way into a DSLR. They can stick it in a compact or a bridge and that would be fine. After all those two markets, particuarly the compact segment are really the ones caught up in the MP race.

I would hope that the average user who buys a DSLR is aware that the number of MP is not the be all and end all and that there is more to a great camera/picture than just the number of pixels. I would also hope that Canon would be responsible enough to not let the DSLR/enthusiast market go the same way with the growing increase in the market.

They managed it just fine with the G11, down to 10MP as opposed to the 14.7MP of the G10.

Thecageyone

Agreed. I have contacts on Flickr who shoot stunning images with D40's and humble kit lenses, 5mp olympus compacts etc ... On the other hand I also have some who use FX cameras and I find a lot of their images dull and lifeless.

MP count means nothing to me, or I'd have waited for more funds to buy a Canon 550D - Loving my old D200 10mp is where it's at.

Nisio

I'd wonder if the megapixel race is over when we (consumers) say it is; if they've spent a bazillion developing this sensor and only sell a handful to the extreme spelunking crowd will they realise there's no point continuing to stuff pixels on sensors and concentrate on more importaint developments? (like dslrs in pretty colours or that taste like snozeberries)

TinyExplosions

Nisio wrote: »

I'd wonder if the megapixel race is over when we (consumers) say it is; if they've spent a bazillion developing this sensor and only sell a handful to the extreme spelunking crowd will they realise there's no point continuing to stuff pixels on sensors and concentrate on more importaint developments? (like dslrs in pretty colours or that taste like snozeberries)

There's a few places I've come across that are of the opinion that the next 'race' will be high ISO rather than megapixels (that or they start adding weird stuff like hdr into the camera)

Thecageyone

I think it's a bit like the Bugatti veyron. It'll cost more to produce than they'll sell for. Just to prove it can be done.

Nisio

I think improving ISO performace would probably be a worthwile arms race to have, I wonder what the trade off for that is though? It'd be great to have ISO 100 like quality in all lights!

GhostInTheRuins

Nisio wrote: »

I think improving ISO performace would probably be a worthwile arms race to have, I wonder what the trade off for that is though? It'd be great to have ISO 100 like quality in all lights!

Kind of leads you to wonder that maybe in years down the line high ISO will be such good quality that it won't matter what ISO you use, which in turn would mean that people wouldn't need to have really fast lenses to be able to capture a picture, no matter how dull/dark the lighting. They'd buy them only for shallow dof and bokeh reasons. I think that would take a bit of the fun and skill out of it though in a way!

Nisio

GhostInTheRuins wrote: »

Kind of leads you to wonder that maybe in years down the line high ISO will be such good quality that it won't matter what ISO you use, which in turn would mean that people wouldn't need to have really fast lenses to be able to capture a picture, no matter how dull/dark the lighting. They'd buy them only for shallow dof and bokeh reasons. I think that would take a bit of the fun and skill out of it though in a way!

Really fast lenses are really expensive! something that lets you do what they do with a cheaper lens has to be good right?

punchdrunk

i'd rather they put the effort into a more affordable FF SLR i.e make the 60D full frame

the_monkey

What rubbish.

120 MP in the Ids MK IV ?

nonsense, it will be 35 MP MAX !

anyway, when is this BEAST due out ?

stick-dan

standard pc's and laptops would take an age to process a pic, imagine a content aware fill :P