Last Updated on 09/10/2018 by Mark Beckenbach
It’s not a rumor anymore; Sony has updated their sensor page with a bunch of new Global Shutter sensors in several formats.
A few months back, we heard of a leaked specs sheet for a new Sony CMOS Global Shutter sensor, initially believed to be for an upcoming A6700 camera. Sony Alpha Rumors has recently broke the big news that it’s now official: the company has a whole bunch of these new sensors in nearly all possible formats, as indicated in their updated sensor page.
The report mentioned that included among the formats are APS-C and Micro Four Thirds Global Shutter sensors. Of particular interest is the 31 MP APS-C sensor (IMX342LLA/LQA in Sony’s sensor page) that uses the 4:3 format (so nope, not for an A6XXX series camera), although it’s hard to tell if the company will make it available to a 4:3 Sony APS-C E-mount camera. Still, the report doesn’t discount the possibility that some variation of this APS-C Global Shutter sensor may eventually be developed for the E-mount in the future.
A Global Shutter sensor, as we mentioned in a previous post, is one of those fancy but also pricey sensors that are only meant for industrial purposes (as we see in the table above) such as manufacturing automation and traffic cameras. It may be a long way before we see it for an E-mount camera then, but it’s easy to see why it’s big news nonetheless for fans and hopefuls.
For the curious, Sony has also uploaded the specs sheet/product information for these new sensors, including the previously leaked IMX342LQA:
Description
The IMX342LQA is a diagonal 27.9 mm (APS-C) CMOS active pixel type solid-state image sensor with a square pixel array and 31.49 M effective pixels. This chip features a global shutter with variable charge-integration time. This chip operates with analog 3.3 V, digital 1.2 V, and interface 1.8 V triple power supply, and has low power consumption.
High sensitivity, low dark current and low PLS characteristics are achieved.
(Applications: FA cameras, ITS cameras)
Features
◆ CMOS active pixel type dots
◆ Built-in timing adjustment circuit, H/V driver and serial communication circuit
◆ Global shutter function
◆ Input frequency
37.125 MHz / 74.25 MHz / 54 MHz
◆ Number of recommended recording pixels: 6464 (H) × 4852 (V) approx. 31.36 M pixels
Readout mode
All-pixel scan mode
Vertical / Horizontal 1 / 2 Subsampling mode
ROI mode
Vertical / Horizontal‐Normal / Inverted readout mode
◆ Readout rate
Maximum frame rate in
All-pixel scan mode: 8 bit 35.4 frame/s, 10 bit: 35.4 frame/s, 12 bit: 25.8 frame/s
◆ 8-bit / 10-bit / 12-bit A/D converter
◆ CDS / PGA function
0 dB to 24 dB: Analog Gain (0.1 dB step)
24.1 dB to 48 dB: Analog Gain: 24 dB + Digital Gain: 0.1 dB to 24 dB (0.1 dB step)
◆ I/O interface
SLVS (2 ch / 4 ch / 8 ch switching) output (594 / 297 Mbps per ch)
SLVS – EC (1 Lane / 2 Lane / 4 Lane / 8 Lane) output (2.376 / 1.188 Gbps per Lane)
◆ Recommended lens F number: 2.8 or more (Close side)
◆ Recommended exit pupil distance: –100 mm to –∞
Screenshot image via Sony Alpha Rumors