How Much Does Size Matter In Image Sensors

By Greg Tarr -- TWICE, 8/21/2011

Part VI of TWICE's 2011 Digital Imaging Executives Roundtable focuses on the newly aligned PMA and 2012 International CES:

TWICE:  A lot has transpired in the past year in the area of image sensor technology. But as mirrorless compacts evolve along with advances in image processing technology is large sensor size still important?

David Lee, Nikon:  When you look at the market numbers it seems too.  Sony's got about 50 percent of the [mirrorless compact] marketplace.

TWICE:  I ask that question because I think all of your companies have chosen to go with smaller image sensors to get a smaller form factors, but you've also come up with extraordinary image processing technologies.

John Carlson, Pentax: We're optimistic about what's going to happen with our Q camera, but I think that the engineers took that size issue to the extreme. To make an interchangeable lens camera as small as that camera is took a smaller sensor, but they were still very cognizant of image quality. 

In the Q camera, we've been working out the design for five years.  It wasn't until the sensor for that camera was created that we felt there was a sensor good enough to match up with those lenses and that size body. So, I would narrow it down to size matters, but quality also matter.  We feel that we're able to maximize the quality in that compact size with a combination of the image processing, and the lenses.

Mark Sherengo, Pentax: We look at the category of mirrorless as more of style change.  A lot of people talk about it, so we are addressing the category with style meets picture performance to compete against the higher-end point and shoots. So, our whole approach to it is a small form factor for us. 

TWICE:  David in the d-SLR space, Nikon has full frame sensors in some professional and semi-professional models. Is that gaining enough traction to come down into consumer level models?

David Lee, Nikon:  I think that there are definitely two different approaches here. What we're seeing is that sensor performance continues to improve, but obviously there's really a need for bulk because with a full-size sensor there's a real low-light performance benefit, high speed performance, framing rates, and so on and so forth. So, I think you'll definitely continue to see the higher-end pro consumer continue to have that large format. It's definitely needed in the D3 and D700. You'll see that technology continue to improve and grow, but the DX sensor form factor is also important. The compactness of the D3100 and D5100 is very popular. I don't think one approach will ever overtake the other because of the overall image capabilities and the light performance capabilities.