Canon Develops A New CMOS Sensor With High Dynamic Range and Able To Shoot Images In Harsh Settings

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Canon press release:

Canon Announces Development of New CMOS Sensor with High Dynamic Range and Ability to Capture Images Under Harsh Conditions

MELVILLE, NY, June 20, 2019 – The high demands of complex lighting and harsh environments require sensors capable of delivering high-dynamic range (HDR) and high-image quality in adverse temperature conditions. To answer this application need, Canon U.S.A. Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, is pleased to announce that its parent company Canon Inc. is pursuing development of the 3U3MRXSAAC, a 2.8-megapixel, 1/2.32-inch CMOS sensor ideal for HDR imaging.

“As Canon evolves in the sensor market, we are dedicated to utilizing our expertise to develop products built to meet current growing market trends,” said Kazuto Ogawa, president and chief operating officer, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “The 3U3MRXSAAC CMOS sensor under development reflects the continuation of our business strategy that leverages the high-quality imaging technology Canon is able to achieve.”

The 3U3MRXSAAC CMOS sensor being developed will be equipped with an HDR drive function that can achieve a wide range of 120 dB at low noise levels. This HDR function will reflect a greater ability to extract usable information even when there is a substantial difference between the lightest and darkest parts of an image. Even during normal drive operation, the sensor can achieve a dynamic range of 75 dB—greater than the sensors on many conventional digital cameras. 

Additionally, the 3U3MRXSAAC CMOS sensor will also be capable of operating in environments with extreme temperatures ranging from -40 degrees Celsius to 105 degrees Celsius. Typically, in high-temperature conditions, the increase in dark current noise (noise that occurs due to heat, even when no light reaches the sensor) can affect the quality of the image. However, the 3U3MRXSAAC CMOS sensor will be equipped with functionality that helps correct black levels (the luminance level of the darkest portion of an image) in real-time to help maintain high image quality. 

With a diagonal size of 1/2.32 inches (7.75 mm), the 3U3MRXSAAC CMOS sensor will feature approximately 2.8 million effective pixels (1936 x 1456), a pixel size of 3.2 μm x 3.2 μm and a frame rate of up to 60 fps (30 fps during HDR drive operation). The sensor will be compatible with the MIPI CSI-2 interface used by consumer-oriented cameras for a wide variety of purposes.

For more information on Canon sensors, please visit canon-cmos-sensors.com.

What Is Value Angle And Why Does Fujifilm Think Canon Has The Edge With The EOS M System

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Ever heard about the value angle?

Without diving into too much engineering stuff, the value angle is a computed parameter that has a strong influence on the design of a camera mount and hence of the whole system. But there is more. It also gives a glance about what can be made lens design wise and how far optical engineers can push the design. In one word: it expresses the potentiality of a camera system.

The idea behind it is that a larger value is generally speaking more advantageous and that it allows the design of lenses that provide a particularly high image quality. Oh, and it’s a concept invented by Fujifilm.

The formula for calculating the value angle is: 

ValueAngle = 2 × arctan ((2 × flange distance) / (mount diameter – sensor diagonal)) 

In a recent Fujifilm summit, the company introduced the concept of value angle to discuss the X System. And it turns out Canon has a real winner here with the EOS M system. If you have a look at the table below, you’ll see Canon’s EOS M mount ranks first when it comes to this very parameter, i.e. it has the most flexible lens mount (please note: “Kleinbild” means “full frame”).

value angle

If you want to learn more about, German site Profifoto has good introduction (Original | machine translated).

Canon EOS M mirrorless system: [shoplist 6091]

Canon’s APS-C Mirrorless Cameras Still Top Ranked In Japan

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The Canon EOS M50 and EOS M100 are best sellers in Japan, especially the former.

No surprise that latest BCNRetail data for May 2019 confirm once more that Canon is doing very good in the APS-C mirrorless market, and not just in Japan.

The EOS M50 has a market share of 20.5% (most sold), the Sony a6400 has 11.5% (second most sold), and the EOS M100 has 7.8% (third ranked).

Can Panasonic DFD (Depth from Defocus) Hold Up To Canon Dual Pixel Autofocus?

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Panasonic’s proprietary autofocusing technology, Panasonic DFD (Depth from Defocus), is not everyone’s darling.

Panasonic DFD is a technology that calculates the direction and the amount to move the focus lens at a single movement by predicting it with 2 images that have different depth of field (more here).

Canon’s Dual Pixel AF is an established technology and the reference in the industry. The next iteration of this autofocusing technology has already by filed as patent application.

The video below by DPReview TV, Chris and Jordan discuss Panasonic DFD and how it compares to Canon Dual Pixel AF.

Canon Announced New PIXMA G-Series MegaTank Printers (starting $250)

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The new PIXMA G-series printers are available today, with the PIXMA G6020 All-In-One Printer available for $299.99 and the PIXMA G5020 MegaTank Single Function Printer for $249.99.

Pre-order: B&H Photo | Adorama | Amazon

Press release:

Ease And Convenience Is Now Synonymous With Your Printer: Canon Announces Two New PIXMA G-Series MegaTank Printers

Providing Wireless1 Connectivity, Now is the Time to Upgrade Your Printer to a Continuous Ink Supply System

MELVILLE, NY, June 6, 2019 – In a time where it seems like digital is king, we cannot forget that 69% of Americans feel overwhelmed about the constant barrage of digital information2. It’s time to bring it back to basics and embrace the benefits of print. In that spirit, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, is excited to announce the new PIXMA G6020 All-In-One Printer and the PIXMA G5020 MegaTank Single-Function Printer. These new PIXMA G-series MegaTank printers are further extending the current lineup and are ideal for high-print volume printing with low maintenance.

  • pixma g-series
  • pixma g-series

The magic of PIXMA G-series MegaTank printers lies with the continuous ink supply system. Boasting ink bottles with spill-resistant tops, the printer system is designed to provide seamless and clean usability at home and in the office. With black ink providing up to 6,000 pages3 per bottle and total color ink combination providing up to 7,700 pages3, the printers provide a high-page yield, making them cost-effective and convenient for the consumer. Further adding to the flexibility and convenience of the two new MegaTank models is automatic two-sided printing along with a 350 page paper capacity when using both the front and rear trays. In addition, these two new printers feature faster print speeds than the previous generation of MegaTank printers, producing 13 impressions per minute (“IPM”) for black and white4 and 6.8 IPM for color4. 

“Listening to our customer’s printing needs is a top priority for our company as we continue to bring new innovations to our products and the marketplace, ” said Kazuto Ogawa, president and chief operating officer, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “I am confident that today’s product introductions will deliver upon the needs for a continuous ink system and easier wireless technology.”

The PIXMA G6020 and PIXMA G5020 printers both feature wireless connectivity via Wi-Fi®1 and, for users of compatible mobile devices, the added benefit of access to the Canon PRINT Inkjet/SELPHY app5, allowing for easy setup and basic operations on compatible smartphone devices. Through the Canon PRINT app, users can easily access PIXMA Cloud Link6 to print photos and documents from popular online social platforms and services, such as Instagram®, Facebook®, Twitter®, Flickr®, Photobucket®, Dropbox®, Evernote®, Google Drive™ and Microsoft® OneDrive®. 

The PIXMA G6020 printer also supports the Apple AirPrint® software feature7 and the Google Cloud Print™ web printing service8 for printing from the Gmail™ email service and the Google Docs™ web-based word processing program8 on a compatible mobile device and from the Google Chrome™ browser for Mac®, Windows®, Linux® and Chrome OS™ operating systems.

The new PIXMA G-series printers are available today, with the PIXMA G6020 All-In-One Printer available for $299.999and the PIXMA G5020 MegaTank Single Function Printer for $249.999. For more information and a detailed listing of all product features, please visit: shop.usa.canon.com/gseries.

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