Sony releases the Holy Grail of sensors

[pierces]

After 20-odd years, the camera industry has finally delivered the holy Grail of digital imaging, a full-frame global-shutter sensor. Sony has just released their A9 Mark III which can shoot 120 fps with full AF conducting calculations between each shot. It can take 192 shots of raw 14 bit imaging before the buffer pills up. That sounds pretty fantastic until you figure out that it's really only about a second and a half. Still, that is impressive. The global shutter is different than a regular CMOS sensor in that instead of offloading the exposure one line at a time (granted unloading very quickly one line at a time), a global shutter unloads the entire image in a single operation. This means the rolling video distortion while panning is eliminated. Global shutter sensors have been around for a while but have either been very small or suffered from limited dynamic range. The new sensor from Sony has the same dynamic range performance as its other sensors. The other benefit of the global shutter outside of video is that a completely eliminates the need need for a mechanical shutter. It also allows the camera to synchronize with a flash at a speed up to 1/80,000 of a second. This is very interesting to me on a technical level, but I have no need for a camera that shoots 120 frames per second. My A7rV covers all the bases for me and it won't be endangering my marriage by asking for another camera right now. I just thought I would post this because it is really cool technology.

 

Now, the 300mm f/2.8 GM lens they introduced alongside it might be another story...

 

Dave

[KYBOB]

Yes, that 300mm /f2.8 looks mighty interesting. Has me thinking do I really need it? I already have the 200-600, 100-400 and 600mm /f4. But I was already thinking about the 400 f2.8 and it is half the cost so ……just maybe….

Edited November 10, 2023 by KYBOB