Melville, NY, Jan. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canon U.S.A., Inc. today announced that its parent company, Canon Inc. announced that it has developed a CMOS sensor with 410 megapixels (24,592 x 16,704 pixels), which is the largest number1 of pixels ever achieved in a 35mm full-frame sensor. It will be available in both RGB and monochrome versions. This sensor is expected to be used in applications that demand extreme resolution in various markets including surveillance, medicine, and industrial imaging.
The newly developed CMOS sensor features a resolution equivalent to 24K (198 times greater than Full HD, and 12 times greater than 8K). This enables users to crop any part of the image captured by this sensor and enlarge it significantly while maintaining high resolution. While many CMOS sensors with a super-high pixel count are medium-format or larger, this extreme resolution sensor is compacted into a 35mm full-frame format. This allows it to be used in combination with lenses for full-frame sensors and is expected to contribute to the miniaturization of shooting equipment.
As data readout of a CMOS sensor tends to take longer as the number of pixels increases, achieving a CMOS sensor with a super-high pixel count requires advanced signal processing technology. This newly developed sensor employs a back-illuminated stacked formation in which the pixel segment and signal processing segment are interlayered and also includes a redesigned circuitry pattern. As a result, the sensor is capable of achieving a super-high readout speed of 3,280 megapixels per second, delivering video at 8 frames per second2.
The monochrome version features a “four-pixel binning” function that virtually treats four adjoining pixels as one, thereby improving sensitivity and making it possible to capture brighter images. When this function is in use, the sensor can capture 100-megapixel video at 24 frames per second.
By leveraging the technology it has accumulated over many years as a leading imaging company, Canon has developed breakthrough products including CMOS sensors with super-high pixel count and ultra-sensitivity, and SPAD sensors, which detect faint traces of light even in dark areas. Canon will continue to advance its technology and contribute to the transformation and further development of society.
The sensor is currently scheduled to be displayed at Canon booth #2155 at SPIE Photonics West, a leading global conference for optics and photonics held in San Francisco from January 28-30, 2025. For more information about Canon CMOS Sensors, please visit: https://canon-cmos-sensors.com/
About Canon U.S.A. Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc. is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions to the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean markets. With approximately $29.4 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc., as of 2024 has ranked in the top-10 for U.S. patents granted for 41 consecutive years†. Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility. To learn more about Canon, visit www.usa.canon.com and connect with us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/canonusa.
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† Based on patent counts issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office and compiled by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services.
1 As of January 21, 2025 (According to a survey by Canon).
2 Applies to both color and monochrome sensors
