Are you just not happy with the detail you're getting from your new 50-megapixel camera? Wish you could resolve your client's eyelashes from across town? This is the sensor for you.
Recently, Canon announced that they are developing a 250-megapixel APS-H (1.3x crop factor) sensor, with applications in law enforcement and surveillance, industrial imaging, and "visual expression." A video has emerged from Canon Expo Italy that shows a demonstration of the sensor, but also seems to showcase a new "Turbulence Removal" technology. One of the images shows the sensor's ability to resolve the signage on buildings from 15 kilometers away, using a EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM lens. At these distances, though, spatial temperature fluctuations cause differing air densities, which refract and scatter the light, an effect that is magnified across such large lengths. The video shows a "Turbulence Removal" feature that restores the image. While details on the technology are not clear, this could be a great tool for people who frequently use telephoto lenses outdoors, particularly in hot environments (safari photographers would love this).
Even at 3 kilometers, one can clearly make out an individual person on one of the observation decks of the Eiffel Tower. For perspective, this level of resolution is over 30 times higher than 4K. With the Nikon D810, Canon 5DS and Sony a7R II currently rounding out the high megapixel wars at 36-50 MP, a five-fold increase is utterly astounding and holds unforeseen potential for photographers for whom the utmost level of detail is crucial. What would you do with 250 MP?
[via Photo Rumors]
With that, you can go to a wedding, shoot everything at 14mm and then ask your assistant to crop in post. They should buy the Lytro technology and then no need to be a photographer anymore, everything will be done on a computer :P
More seriously, it's interesting to see the technical evolution of it. But I don't think a 250MP sensor would benefit a photographer's workflow, at least not yet. It would be such a pain to edit/retouch!
Curious mind here...Wouldn't editing be no different than what we do now? The pain would be file size. But the "Turbulence Remival" would be awesome to have. Just think about it on closer subjects, than the example, that are close but still past that distance that atmosphere starts effecting sharpness. (Wildlife photographer here)
The size of the file would be annoying and slow our current workflow down. But having so much details too… that would mean more retouching if the client want to print very large super razor sharp images.
Other downsides I see, is that you better have extra clean lenses and shoot on a tripod. Cameras such as 5Dsr already show the limits of some of the current lenses and also can be slightly soft if you're not very stable or shooting at a high shutter speed.
But I cannot wait to see how Canon is going to use that in a couple of years (or more) into its consumers cameras.
Yeah, I need to look into why a High MP have sharpness issues with certain shutter speeds.
We learned the limits of resolution back in film days when Tech Pan film gave us grain free images at enormous magnification. What we learned was that we were really revealing the shortcomings of the lenses and our technique.
Our technique got better but the glass was limiting. Today, my 5DmkIIIs are able to resolve far better than my old 10D but there is no way I would think that severe crops would normally be deliverable to clients.
A severe crop is an emergency tool, not a strategy
Meanwhile, the majority of photos taken are still shared on the internet...
I'm amazed to see everything Canon is showing: 250MP, 300000 ISO, etc.
Yet they still have one of the worse sensor of all. Go figure.
Yep, Canon is still fighting the MegaPixel Wars... XD XD XD
Dynamic range in their sensors may make the photography community happy, but these high resolution sensors are what will make them the most $ thanks to government contracts!
Good point!
"What would you do with 250 MP?" Aside from the camera's primary function of taking photos, I would mount it on a nice tripod (such as a Manfrotto-- What do you recommend?) and use it as my spotting scope on the rifle range, to include shooting 1,000-yard matches. Kill 2 birds with 1 stone! Good quality spotting scopes are expensive! ;)