Canon Built An Image Sensor That Sees In The Dark


The one thing we always wish our cameras did better is take better pictures in low light. It looks like Canon is attacking the problem guns a’blazing, because its new 35mm image sensor spits in the face of darkness.

Before we say more, you should know that this technology isn’t likely to turn up in your DSLR or camcorder anytime soon. It looks like it is geared towards industrial devices like security cams and crazy astronomical imaging rigs. Why? Well, details are slim, but it seems like the main reason is that the CMOS sensor relies on really big pixels — 7.5x the surface area of the pixels on the Canon 1DX sensor. These pixels are super light-sensitive, but they make for lower resolution output. That is probably why Canon is touting the sensor for video applications only, as video frames are only a fraction of the resolution of most modern digital photographs.

So that part sucks. But the seed has been sown, and it could mean that a few years from now a revolution in consumer cameras could take place. Just take a look at Canon’s test video at the top of the post. Imagine pointing a camera at the sky and seeing a full spectrum of star-studded glory that you can’t even see with the naked eye. A glorious future, and one that will be here before you know it. [Canon via CanonRumors]


The Cheapest NBN 50 Plans

It’s the most popular NBN speed in Australia for a reason. Here are the cheapest plans available.

At Gizmodo, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.