A tentative new sensor design from Sony shows that the giants still see a future in MFT (Micro Four Thirds) sensor designs, and that smaller-sized sensors can still offer benefits in a full frame world. It’s getting hard to remember the last time I saw a big, internet-wide kerfuffle about a camera that wasn’t full frame. Perhaps the Panasonic GH6 will manage to excite the public once more but, even if it does, the venerable line can’t sustain MFT sensors all on its own. The financial fate of Olympus has led many to conclude that it’s full frame or death, even gazing into their crystal ball and seeing a future where Panasonic gets out of the camera game altogether. Panasonic LUMIX GH5M2 with MFT sensor. Image Credit: CineD Well, now details on a new 21.46-megapixel MFT sensor design, and its impressive abilities show that Sony, at least, doesn’t share this point of view. Though it doesn’t make any MFT-sensor cameras itself, Sony has long built the sensors themselves and sold them to companies like Olympus. Some have speculated that Panasonic may even use this sensor in the GH6 – the stats are that impressive. Modern video and the need for speed “Stacked” sensor technology allows incredibly fast readout, and lets even full frame sensors read out at 120p and beyond without having to crop in. But MFT sensors are smaller and, thus, even faster at reading out when using that same stacked architecture. According to Sony’s press material, the new...
Published By: CineD - Wednesday, 21 July, 2021