Canon unveils 410MP full-frame camera sensor with optional pixel binning and 100MP video support

As of today, the Sony A7R V (from $3,498 on Amazon) still holds the title for the highest-resolution full-frame sensor on the market at 61 megapixels. However, Canon has developed a new 410MP CMOS 35mm sensor that is capable of capturing images with a remarkable resolution of 24,592 by 16,704 pixels. This sensor offers twelve times more pixels than 8K video, which allows for cropping images without sacrificing a high resolution.

Although high-resolution medium format sensors already exist, this smaller sensor format can fit into a more compact overall camera, as lenses for the 35mm format are generally much smaller than those for medium format. The stacked sensor packs the image processing directly behind the light-sensitive surface and is capable of a readout speed of up to 3,280 megapixels per second. In practice, this means that full-resolution videos can be recorded at up to 8 frames per second.

Canon’s camera sensor further supports pixel binning in order to record 100MP videos at 24 frames per second. According to Canon, this results in higher light sensitivity, meaning less image noise in low-light conditions. That said, the new sensor is not designed for traditional cameras but for industrial applications, medical devices, surveillance cameras and other devices which should be able to detect as many details as possible. Nevertheless, this is a first step towards full-frame cameras with higher resolutions.