Last Updated on 03/31/2026 by Chris Gampat
The photo industry has been seeing a wave of reports on upcoming APS-C cameras that largely talk about partially stacked sensors. While none have been confirmed officially, the announcement itself has excited many photographers who are keen on purchasing these models. Here’s a quick look at which cameras are reportedly working on ut and why it seems to be a thing of the future.
In the past few weeks, we have seen articles about the R7 Mk II, Sony a6900, and Fujifilm’s X-T6 and X-H3 that are said to come with partially stacked sensor. The only APS-C model to come with a full stacked technology is Fujifilm X-H2s, which was introduced in 2022. However, partially stacked sensors are now only seen in full frames such as Nikon Z6 III and Sony a7 V.
To understand why partially is working out so far, we need to look at a normal sensor first. A traditional sensor has a pixel layer and processing circuit on the same chip. A fully stacked will separate them onto two chips, which are bonded together. As for a partially stacked sensor, it takes the middle ground. The pixel layer is moved to the back of the chip for better light gathering capacity, with some some processing logic stacked beneath it. It does not have a complete dual-chip design.
One of the core arguments for the partially stacked sensor favor is that APS-C cameras are supposed to be fast, and light. A partially stacked sensor can thus help with the read-out speed better on its pixel array, along with a lower rolling shutter effect. An APS-C partially stacked sensor also is manageable, with the sensor area being roughly 40% smaller, which means the readout circuit has less ground to cover in the same amount of time as a fully stacked design.
There is also pressure in the camera industry to make APS-C right again. The smaller sensor was considered a compromised tier, and was considered second to full frame. Fujifilm has been the only brand to treat APS-C format nicely for a bit, before they started only catering to content creators. The X-H2s changed the game with its sensor, and people did love the camera for it.As we said in our review:
The Fujifilm XH2s marks several major improvements for Fujifilm. It’s packed with 40 fps electronic shutter, a no blackout viewfinder, subject detection autofocus, improved autofocus algorithms, and up to seven stops of image stabilization. Those are features photographers could still find on flagships from Canon, Sony and Nikon. However, mixing those features with an X-Trans sensor and Fujifilm colors is what sets the XH2S apart.
Keeping this in mind, if future APS-C cameras are offering partially stacked sensor, they certainly have to keep the cameras priced below $2000. For instance, the X-H2s is now priced at $2400, which makes it an expensive offering. Otherwise, people will go after full frames that offer 40fps of burst rate. Similarly, having a lens with good resolution is another challenge. A 33MP sensor will require sharper lenses to justify the pixel count.
Another challenge, and a legitimate one, s the heat and battery issue. Stacked sensors read out more data faster, which generates more heat and drains batteries quicker. Perhaps, a limited buffer option can help to manage this but that remains to be seen.
While partially stacked APS-C is exiting, there are too many ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ that need to be answered. If this alignment is figured out, we may finally get a camera that is worth our time.