>From my point of view...
Only so many photons are captured by a sensor element (pixel, if you will)
of a given size and that to a certain efficiency. There is an upper limit.
Further, everything that has a temperature generates noise in proportion to
that temperature. There is a lower limit.
The upper limit can only be expanded by increasing the element size to
capture more photons per element. Maintaining the effective resolution then
means increasing the overall sensor size (to full frame?) The lower limit
can only be pushed further down by operating the sensor at a lower
temperature. Currently, the K10D shows noise beginning on the side where
most of the hotter the electronics is located. Red pixels light up first,
then green, then blue. Noise temperature can be further reduced by active
cooling. I suspect that this is not likely to happen with digital cameras
any time soon, sensors for astrophotography and other scientific purposes
excepted. Everybody knows this, and ultimately the larger sensors will
prevail. When this happens, lenses with APS size image circles will become
as useless, practically speaking, as 8 tracks.
Have you noticed that the upper ISO limits for digital sensors and film are
about the same, 1600 and sometimes 3200? Tere is a reason for this and
ultimately it is the physics of noise that produce thes limits.
Noise power, N = k*T*B*Nf, where:
k = Boltzmann's constant;
T = Absolute temperature;
B = Noise Bandwidth of the sensor or film;
Nf = Noise figure, a measure of sensor efficiency.
Bottom line... there are rules and nature enforces them.
So... where's my effecient full frame sensor?
Regards,
Bob...
--------------------------------------------------------
"Art is not a reflection of reality. it is the reality of a reflection."
-Jean Luc Godard
----- Original Message -----
From: "Joseph Tainter" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, October 14, 2007 10:49 AM
Subject: Re: Next move from Pentax: anyone in the know (even under NDA) ?
> P. J. Alling wrote:
>
> Sony has been slow up to now because they are feeling things out, they
> are probably still integrating the K/M engineers and project managers
> into Sony's culture. Sony sales managers insist on the cameras being
> profitable, and they are milking the old K/M system as much as possible.
> However they know to maintain and increase their market share they will
> have to match the big boys, and that means a FF body, (as far as I know
> they don't even make any reduced frame lenses), so look for a FF body
> soon.
>
> That means that Pentax will have to get a FF body to keep from becoming
> locked in a contest for 4th place with Olympus and the 4:3 system.. Hoya
> will probably not like the odds at that point. They too are interested
> in the camera line being profitable. If it isn't, and shows no signs of
> becoming so, that's all there will be.
>
> -----
>
> This analysis is spot on. Higher-sounding specs drive the marketing,
> which drives camera development. Pentax may be in a real bind here. They
> are having terrible problems with the Hanoi plant, and for some time now
> have been unable to produce the DA and DA* lenses in sufficient
> quantities to meet demand. This is part of what is delaying the
> introduction of the telephoto lenses that so many people want. Imagine
> the problems if they also have to produce full-frame lenses again while
> continuing the DA line.
>
> If Pentax brings out cameras based on a 24 x 36 sensor, perhaps they can
> resurrect some of the FA and FA* lens designs. But I'll bet that the
> bodies of those lenses will need to be redesigned for more economical
> manufacturing. And both wide angle and wide-to-tele zooms will need to
> have redesigned optics. I understand that there is a shortage of optical
> engineers, and that Pentax cannot simply go out to college fairs and
> hire more. The other manufacturers are also facing this problem.
>
> So if the market shifts to affordable cameras with 24 x 36 sensors,
> Pentax will have a dilemma. They can ignore that market and lose, or
> they can enter that market and lose anyway because they don't have
> lenses. I am told that Pentax regrets closing their lens production
> plants in Japan.
>
> Joe
>
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