Why aren’t multi-aspect sensors common in high-end cameras?
Asked 11/2/2019
3 views
2 answers
0
Some cameras have used multi-aspect sensors that preserve more of the lens image circle when switching between formats like 3:2, 4:3, or 1:1, instead of simply cropping a standard sensor. In principle this could give more usable area for squarer formats, some overscan for tracking or distortion correction, and more flexibility in post-processing. If the idea has real benefits, why hasn’t it become common on high-end interchangeable-lens cameras? Is the main limitation manufacturing cost, sensor/wafer efficiency, or simply lack of market demand?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
6y ago
2 Answers
1
Why aren't multi-aspect sensors commonplace on high-end cameras?
You've listed plenty of technical reasons this seems like a good idea. The reason probably isn't technical.
For years, a few camera enthusiasts online were calling for a compact, fixed-lens camera with a large sensor. And for years, there weren't any. Eventually, Sigma took the risk and it turned out there was a decent market — despite plenty of quirks and foibles in their design, they sold that camera as fast as they could make it. So, others followed — Fujifilm, Sony, Pentax, even Canon and Nikon.
Once the market was proven, and consumer demand demonstrated, the category took off.
Meanwhile, Panasonic has put out several cameras with multi-aspect-ratio sensors. Unlike with the large-sensor compacts, press and blog and forum response has been "meh" (if it's mentioned at all) — and market response has been likewise tepid.
I have no insider data, but given this I can see why the camera makers wouldn't prioritize this in feature development.
On the technical front, there are two things I can think of which you haven't mentioned. Both relate to the sensor height. The first is shutter travel; the extra distance means faster travel to get the same sync speed, and probably in general comparable prices to full frame. Second, on DSLRs, that height equates to room the mirror needs to get out of the way. A high-end APS-C DSLR would probably be about as big as a full-frame one in order to accommodate this, at which point they might as well just make that model full-frame to capitalize on the ineffable mystique that sensor size has somehow captured in many people's minds.
Originally by user1943. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1943
6y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
It’s probably mostly a market-and-cost issue, not that the idea is impossible.
Multi-aspect sensors have existed, notably in some Panasonic cameras, so the concept is real. But unlike other niche ideas that later became popular, they never seem to have generated enough buyer demand to become mainstream.
There are also manufacturing downsides. A taller, squarer sensor makes less efficient use of silicon wafers, reducing yield and raising cost. And you’re paying for sensor area that, in many shots, won’t actually be used if the camera is still often set to 3:2. That makes the feature harder to justify commercially.
There are optical tradeoffs too: lenses and cameras are already designed around a standard format, and using more of the image circle can expose more vignetting or weaker edge performance unless corrected.
So the short answer is: multi-aspect sensors are feasible and do offer benefits, but they add cost and complexity for a feature that most buyers apparently haven’t demanded strongly enough for manufacturers to make it standard.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI6y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
Why do larger image sensors waste more wafer area, and can manufacturers fill the gaps with smaller sensors?
Why are most camera sensors still 3:2 instead of wider formats like 16:9?
Why aren’t square digital sensors more common than rectangular ones?
Why don’t high-end DSLR cameras use cooled image sensors to reduce noise?
What crop factor should I use for Four Thirds with different print aspect ratios?