Canon develops 35 mm full-frame CMOS sensor for video capture

The newly developed CMOS sensor features pixels measuring 19 microns square in size, which is more than 7.5-times the surface area of the pixels on the CMOS sensor incorporated in Canon’s top-of-the-line EOS-1D X and other digital SLR cameras. In addition, the sensor’s pixels and readout circuitry employ new technologies that reduce noise, which tends to increase as pixel size increases. According to Canon, the sensor enables the shooting of clearly visible video images even in dimly lit environments with as little as 0.03 lux of illumination, or approximately the brightness of a crescent moon – a level of brightness in which it is difficult for human eyes to perceive objects. While an electron-multiplying CCD, which realizes approximately the same level of perception as the human eye, can capture magnitude-6 stars, Canon’s newly developed CMOS sensor is capable of recording faint stars with a magnitude of 8.5 and above.

Using a prototype camera employing the newly developed sensor, Canon captured demonstration videos such as footage recorded in a room illuminated only by the light from burning incense sticks (approximately 0.05–0.01 lux) and a film of the Geminid meteor shower. The company said future applications for the new sensor include astronomical and natural observation, support for medical research, and use in surveillance and security equipment.