Fujifilm is at it again. Never content with the Bayer layout of pixel design, they have always experimented with other layouts of RGB on their sensors. They have recently filed a patent for a design that has larger white pixels than their neighboring red and blue pixels. This, they say will diminish the luminance noise at the expense of color noise because the human eye is less sensitive to these colors.
Fujifilm's latest sensor patent
Their other designs in fugifilm’s past are the X-Trans CMOS fitted in their X-series camera uses a different pattern of color filter array design that’s built to reduce artefacts like aliasing and color moire. They also have the EXR-CMOS sensor in some of their recent compacts, which uses pairs of same colored pixels and can be employed in increasing the overall dynamics of the image.
The biggest plus point of the RGBW filter array assembled with a clear pixel alongside RGB pixels per block is that it becomes more sensitive to light and produce less noisy images in low light conditions. There is also talk of upgrades in the readout circuit that will give larger and more sensitive pixels. It would seem that the sensor will take its place in the small sensor compact cameras. Given that this design is only a patent there is no guarantee that it will see the light of day since its manufacture, due its alternative design, could be more difficult, not to mention more expensive. However having said that it shows fujifilm’s eyes are set on the future and continuous innovation while others are sitting complacently on the Bayer model.
Via - Dpreview
Image source -
From Fujifilm B&W patent application, laboriously hand-colored by Your News Ticker and xtranscolourfilter by LiamUK