Sony launches IMX908 4K security camera sensor with single-exposure HDR

Sony has introduced the IMX908, a new 4K CMOS image sensor for security cameras aimed at surveillance systems that need clearer imaging in high-contrast and low-light scenes. The company says the sensor uses the industry’s smallest 1.45 µm LOFIC pixels in this class while also supporting 96 dB dynamic range from a single exposure.

This is where it shines because security cameras often struggle when bright backlighting, deep shadows, and moving subjects appear in the same frame. Sony says the IMX908 is designed to reduce those trade-offs, with single-exposure HDR intended to avoid the artifacts that can appear when multiple exposures are combined.

Sony is targeting surveillance cameras rather than consumer devices

The IMX908 is not a smartphone or mirrorless camera sensor. Sony is releasing it for security cameras, where image quality increasingly affects both monitoring and AI-based recognition performance in public spaces, buildings, and other controlled environments.

Sony says the sensor uses STARVIS 3 technology and delivers nearly 20 times the saturated charge of the IMX778 sensor it references, along with roughly 27% better low-light performance. According to the company, this should help preserve detail in both bright and dark areas of a scene.

Single-exposure HDR

The most notable part of the announcement is not just the 4K resolution. Sony is placing more emphasis on the sensor’s ability to capture high dynamic range images from a single exposure, which it says can reduce motion-related artifacts compared with multi-exposure HDR methods. That is especially relevant for surveillance use, where moving people or vehicles can make those artifacts more noticeable and less useful for recognition.

Sony lists the IMX908 as a 1/2.8-type sensor with 8.4 effective megapixels and a maximum resolution of 3,856 x 2,180. The company also lists support for up to 90 fps at 10-bit and 60 fps at 12-bit.

Sample shipments are scheduled for late March

Sony identifies the part as the IMX908-AQR1 and says sample shipments are planned for the end of March 2026. Other listed specifications include MIPI D-PHY 2/4-lane output, 0.53 lx SNR1s, and support for multiple HDR modes, including Clear HDR, Clear HDR3, Hybrid HDR3, and DOL variants.

Sony is trying to improve recognition-focused image quality in compact 4K security cameras, especially in scenes that combine motion, strong lighting, and shadow.