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| Unlike a standard CCD sensor, the Foveon X3 stacks red, green and blue pixels onto separate vertical planes. |
Sigma's just-announced SD14 and DP1 digicams feature the just-announced Foveon 14.1 megapixel X3 DSLR image sensor, currently the highest resolution X3 sensor available. Foveon claims the new sensors have image quality suitable for professional photographers, with design and process enhancements which improve performance at long exposures and high ISO speeds, and also provides a 40% increase in pixel count compared to the previous X3 DSLR sensor.
Foveon's proprietary X3 technology is the only image sensor technology that stacks red, green and blue pixels vertically, increasing the information density of the recorded image while simultaneously eliminating the color sampling artifacts found with other image sensors. The new X3 sensor packs 14.1 million pixels, each 7.8µm in size, into a 3-dimensional array of 2652 x 1768 x 3 pixels with an active image area measuring 20.69 x 13.79 mm. The sensor can be read out at speeds up to 5 frames per second. The Foveon sensor technology differs from the Bayer-pattern sensor found in most other digicams. The Bayer-Pattern Sensor records only one color per pixel well.
Kazuto Yamaki, COO of Sigma Corp states: "We are pleased to have the new Foveon sensor for our latest DSLR camera -- the unique ability of the X3 sensor to capture fine color details is the perfect match for our high performance Sigma lenses. The new Foveon sensor not only provides a path for our existing camera owners to upgrade to a higher level of quality, but also increases the attractiveness of the camera to new owners."
In addition to the SD14, a new class of compact camera that leverages the high-performance of the Foveon DSLR sensor will also be launched by Sigma. The compact camera, named the DP1, will offer the same performance from the 14.1 megapixel sensor in a small and user-friendly form factor. "The ability to pack such high quality in a consumer point and shoot camera is another of the tremendous advantages of X3 technology," Yamaki said.
The new Foveon X3 image sensor will also be available through Alternative Vision Corp., Foveon's sales partner for scientific, instrumentation, and government markets.
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