Canon working on 250-megapixel sensor in aps-h format

Canon has announced an aps-h-sized cmos sensor with a resolution of 19,580×12,600 pixels. When used in a camera, the sensor can capture 250-megapixel video at 5fps.

The aps-h sensor measures 29.2 by 20.2mm. According to Canon, this is the largest number of pixels in a cmos sensor to date. There are sensors that can capture a higher resolution, but this concerns larger full-frame sensors, for example. With cmos sensors, increasing the number of pixels causes timing problems and signal delay due to the increased volume of signals.

However, the sensor developed by Canon achieves read speeds of 1.25 billion pixels per second, according to the manufacturer. Canon does not detail how this was achieved, other than that it is due to ‘deep miniaturization and improved signal processing technology’.

The sensor allows to capture images at a great distance with great detail. Canon gives an example of an aircraft that flew 18 kilometers away, where letters on the device could be displayed legibly. The sensor is not coming to consumer cameras for the time being. The group is considering processing in products for niche markets, such as surveillance systems, measuring instruments and other industrial devices.

In 2010, Canon already managed to develop an aps-h sensor with approximately 120 million pixels.