I have been told by a reputable source (was right in the past) that Canon’s 120MP full-frame sensor is not based on Bayer technology. That means: not an RGB sensor.

According to Canon (as told by the source), an RGB sensor doesn’t work for such a high resolution, i.e. for resolutions above 100MP. The source stated it is a totally new technology that Canon is employing on their upcoming 120MP sensor. We are not talking Foveon or other stuff here. To be more clear: according to the source, with this sensor Canon will introduce a new sensor technology to the world.

Update: after the post has been published, the source contacted me saying it may be “a technology similar to Foveon”. We have a long row of Canon patents pointing to Foveon/Multi-Layer sensors.

The 120MP sensor was announced as a development project back in September 2015. Since then, we didn’t hear much about the sensor, except that it could go to market in 2018.

So, now the big question is: what sensor technology does Canon employ on their full-frame 120MP sensor?

After the rumor of a few days ago, suggesting Canon may give up their sensor labs and factories, I got a new, yet similar rumor.

This time a slightly more plausible scenario is suggested. I would like to reproduce the original text:

There is an internal Canon strategy paper which says that under the current market trends the company ought to lower its total ownership cost of its sensor fabs by selling off its small-sensor manufacturing business, by small it means anything smaller than APS-C. Sensor manufacturing capability for sizes equal or larger than APS-C will be retained. There is no executive approval yet for this plan, but it’s likely to go ahead if the current market trends continue for a year or so.

Whatever you might think of this rumor, it is less unlikely than it might appear. If you have a look at Canon’s latest financial results, you’ll see what we all know since a while: smartphone photography is eating away the profits made with small sensor cameras (i.e. compact cameras). Hence, there might well be a scenario where Canon decides that manufacturing sensors smaller than APS-C has a total cost that’s too high. Canon is already featuring Sony sensors on some of their 1″ sensor Powershot cameras.

So, if the assumptions we made above have some plausibility, then Canon might give up producing small sensors, and start to purchase such sensors from Sony (given how well they perform). It will likely depend by how pragmatic Canon is as a company.

What do you think…?