As it is the same 16mp sensor as the Panasonic GH2
As it is the same 16mp sensor as the Panasonic GH2
It is basically the same as the Panny G3, not the GH2 as pointed out above.
Olympus marketing director Toshiyuki Terada stated they were not going to inform about the sensor provider.so said Nikon about Sony originated sensors
so said Nikon about Sony originated sensors
True, but the results were very different in the Sony and Nikon implementations so it was probably sensible not to call it a Sony sensor even if the substract was manufactured by Sony.
Likewise, Olympus has a few sensor-related patents.
and the D3X seems to have different ADC capabilities than the A900
Olympus does not have any patents related to the circuitry of the sensors... naturally as an optics company they have patents related to what you put on top of the sensors (like CFA or microlenses) - but you will not find any single patent about chip design itselfThat might well be true (I have not done a patent search!) One then gets in to the debate about what "sensor" should refer to, ranging from only the silicon chip to the other extreme of including the whole bundle that produces a digital signal, from multiple layers of filters and micro lenses through to circuitry for charge-to-voltage conversion, analog amplification, and analog-to-digital conversion.Or maybe an even more inclusive reference to the whole package that produces the digital output, including in-camera JPEG production. There is even more ambiguity now that some of those steps are done on the main chip with some sensors, off-board with others.
D3x has rather different sensor toppings, not different ADCs on chip.Do we really know one way or the other whether the on-chip ADC system is the same or different? The D3X has different raw output options than the A900, and I have read only speculation, not solid evidence or arguments, about whether this is done purely by different usage of the same on-board ADC system, or by modifying that ADC system.
Olympus marketing director Toshiyuki Terada stated they were not going to inform about the sensor provider. Which source of information has confirmed the sensor on this camera is the same as in the GH2, the G3, the GX1, or whatever? or this is just a guess?.
From looking at RAW histograms from some of the base ISO images, it appears they've done a much better job on the A/D converter than they have in the past. It's hard to calculate precisely since people just shoot pictures instead of black frames, but the read noise may be pushing 1 ADU. Here's hoping...Some E-M5 raw files are being sliced, diced and analyzed 16 million different ways over at DPReview:
Do we really know one way or the other whether the on-chip ADC system is the same or different?
at the time of 24mp sensor Nikon had 12mp sensor, right... so if Nikon was capable to design a sensor w/ on chip ADC like Sony did then why 12mp did not have 'em... the only logical answer is that Nikon at the time of 24mp sensor design by Sony simpy did not have the know how and so could not have any on chip ADC design on his ownThat evidence indicates that Nikon does not have the ability to design a sensor with column-parallel on-chip ADC all by itself, without help from Sony. It still leaves the possibility that when Sony and Nikon worked together on the D3X, that Nikon decided that it would like a modification of Sony's basic design to add the option of 14 bit ADC at lower frame rates, and either (a) Nikon designed just that part, and working with Sony for the rest of the sensor design, or (b) Nikon asked Sony to do a custom modification of the sensor's onboard ADC for use in the D3X, which Sony was happy to do for the right price. Either way, the difference could be more than toppings.
It's hard to calculate precisely since people just shoot pictures instead of black frames, but the read noise may be pushing 1 ADU. Here's hoping...Between this and the samples above... maybe it's finally the time to ditch my good'ol Rebel? :P