As explained a million times already, the reason why the GS sensor has not been used in photographic applications by P1 is because the dynamic range is significantly reduced. There is no myth about it. It’s very clear. In industrial inspection light conditions are controlled and what matters is quick readout so you can photograph products zipping past the camera array below on an assembly line and check them against a quality standard.
All current top of the line sensors used today across 35mm, crop MF and full frame MF are based on the same pixel pitch and BSI tech as the original IMX411. 60 megapixels on 35mm in Sony and Leica cameras, 100 megapixels on crop MF as used by Hasselblad and Fuji.
The trade off between dynamic range and readout speed has not been resolved and is unlikely to be resolved anytime soon.
P1 will take any next gen sensor with high DR which has a smaller pixel pitch and stuff it into a new body. That’s very certain and most likely a 2025 event in the form of an IQ5. I have often discussed the IQ5 with their sales manager and the answer was always as soon as there is a new sensor generation from Sony. They, as many others, are dependent on Sony going down to the next pixel pitch level. The 811 platform does that.
275 for full frame, 249 in crop. Historically Sony’s high DR industrial chip was cut to different sizes and then sold across brands in high end cameras.
All systems, to progress to the next sales cycle, will want to sport even higher res for marketing and feature reasons. This new chip gen opens up the door for 100 megapixel 35mm systems, 180 megapixel crop MF systems and 250/275 systems.
If history is an indication, we will see the 54x36 sensor in the IQ5 - ie 250 megapixels.
It will sell well as always when a new ultra high end equipment comes out. The classic forum user base here likes to joke about the need for more megapixels etc, as is often the case on forums, but the reality is that the megapixel discussion has existed since many, many years and whenever the new stuff comes people still want it.
Higher resolution is very useful amongst other aspects for aerial inspection purposes so there is little doubt that P1 will implement Sony’s next gen tech in its B2B and therefore also consumer systems as soon as they can. Unfortunately, given the times we live in, higher resolution aerial inspection - as well as military reconnaissance - is more sought after than ever which is why there is a clear business case for Sony to drive the development of even higher res large imaging sensors. The demand comes from industrial and military applications and photography is the lucky beneficiary of new tech on the side.
There is enough demand globally for a few thousand units of that - so it’s going to be exiting to see it in action once it is commercialised.
Given their solid B2B business, P1 will just price it as always on the very high end to make a profit on a per unit basis and sell the next gen back to those willing to pay the price of admission to have the highest res available sensor in little black box to make photos. It’s P1’s business model forever and it’s unlikely to change.
In fact, the release of their own lens line coupled with new products this year as well as renewed marketing activities from bespoke - I am on their emailing list and they seem to have awoken this year - is a clear sign that the photodivision has a new growth target and that they are seeking ways of selling XT, XC cameras. There is still the 90 SB tilt to come out, a new body, new XC stuff and down the line the new back.
It looks bright on the P1 side for new products!
The poll in the other thread was also instructive as it showed that high res, high DR are the foremost concern of the core P1 clientele - P1 stands a very clearly delineated value proposition and the take up globally as a result of that specific product type - ie highest end available chip for 50k USD - will be still high. The forum user base here is only a small subset of the real clients of P1, it seems that the XC for example hasn’t been sold too badly in the US and Asia.
