Mobile phone cameras are about to get a significant performance boost.
Sony on Monday introduced a 48-megapixel sensor for cellphone cameras that measures less than one-third of an inch diagonally. The sensor is slated for release in September.
To pack that many pixels into such tight quarters, Sony had to shrink their size to 8 microns. Shrinking pixel sizes usually results in performance degradation, not improvement. It usually results in poor light collection and a drop in saturation sensitivity and volume.
"With traditional sensor architecture, the pixels get so small that they pick up a lot of noise, so the pictures aren't as good as sensors with fewer but larger pixels," David D. Busch, creative director of the David Busch photography guides, told TechNewsWorld.
Better Digital Zooming
However, the new sensor is designed and manufactured with techniques that improve light collection efficiency and photoelectric conversion efficiency over conventional products, Sony said.
The smaller pixel size makes the sensor suitable for many mobile phones.
"Any component that fits into current hardware design trends, like thin bezels, will be attractive to OEMs," noted Gerrit Schneemann, a senior analyst with IHS Markit.
Meanwhile, the large number of pixels enables high-definition imaging, even on smartphones that only have digital zooms.
"Having that much pure resolution opens up more options when it comes to a digital zoom, as opposed to optical zoom, which happens in the lens," said Stan Horaczek, technology editor at Popular Science.
"Digital zoom happens by basically cropping in on an image as you capture it, rather than in post capture," he told TechNewsWorld. "More megapixels help for that, because the system doesn't have to guess what details should look like."
The new Sony sensor is an "amazing product," said Kevin Krewell, principal analyst at Tirias Research.
The sensor blends a 48-megapixel super resolution mode with a lower resolution mode that offers high sensitivity for low light conditions, he explained.
"The 48-megapixel mode, combined with a precise lens, will offer very detailed pictures," Krewell told TechNewsWorld. "The smaller area for each pixel will limit the amount of light those pixels receive, but the quad-pixel, low-light mode addresses that limitation."
Sony works its low light magic through something called the "Quad Bayer color filter array." In low light conditions, that technology allows the signals from adjacent pixels to be added together, effectively doubling their sensitivity.
"Sony is combining four smaller pixels into one in order to improve resolution in low light circumstances. Overall, this is a proven, sensible approach to solving a common problem," observed Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT.
"Huawei is another OEM utilizing this type of technology to increase low-light performance," IHS' Schneemann told TechNewsWorld. "Subjectively, this has worked for Huawei. It remains to be seen if Sony can deliver as well."
Manipulating pixels may have some tradeoffs, however.
"My guess is that when they group smaller pixels to form larger pixels, they may be able to smooth over the noise in the image, but there may be loss of sharpness in the details," said freelance journalist and photographer Terry Sullivan, a former associate editor for digital cameras and imaging at Consumer Reports.
"It will also affect dynamic range," he told TechNewsWorld. "Details will be missing from lightest highlights and darkest tones."