New sensor type promises 10-stop ISO improvement

Ade

A new sensor design made from graphene is 1,000 times more sensitive to light than current imaging sensors found in today's cameras. It also uses 10 times less energy as it operates at lower voltages. When mass produced, graphene sensors are estimated to cost at least five times cheaper.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130530094624.htm

TaoTeJared

Interesting but not for photography at least not any time in the near future. Scientific and surveillance would certainly welcome it. It would be fun to do astro-photography with it!

Golf007sd

Thanks for sharing Ade. Looks very cool. Lets see how long it take for it to become available for the consumer market.

spraynpray

From the text:

"We expect our innovation will have great impact not only on the consumer imaging industry, but also in satellite imaging and communication industries, as well as the mid-infrared applications,"

Maybe that explains the delay in launching the D400.....

TaoTeJared

D400 - ha! Nikon (and every other company) only wishes they could come up with something that ground breaking.

That stuff is years away from consumer production. What caught me is the sensitivity to various light wavelengths is much higher than what could be usable for a DSLR, for now (x-ray, inferred, UV, etc.). I had never heard of graphene sensors (literally sensors - sensors for gas detection, chemicals, etc. - they are not just image sensors, but a sensor that evidently can be made to sense anything) but they are quite interesting. Not much has made it to market as of yet from what I can tell but the potential seems huge.

Low power could also mean long exposure times as well.

Ade

Low power could also mean long exposure times as well.

No, exposure times is affected by ISO sensitivity and the lens aperture. The sensor's power consumption doesn't play into the calculation.

Also, all common sensors (CCD, CMOS) are sensitive to infra-red, UV, etc. That's why we have filters.

X-ray? If there's that much x-ray being radiated, maybe sensor sensitivity shouldn't be the main concern.

spraynpray

Tao probably meant low power may equal lower mutual heating which equals less noise so longer exposures may be better than with current technology.

Meinrad

I have a hard time taking this claim of 1000x sensitivity at face value. The D800 with its small photosites already requires less than 1000 photons to trigger a signal. It is therefore nonsense to claim that the sensitivity can be boosted by a factor of 1000; this would mean signal generation with "partial photons". However, this is akin to "plea bargaining with the laws of physics". Not possible....

PB_PM

Physics also says that bees can't fly... yet they do. :P

JJ_SO

bees? bumble-bees are too heavy to lift off, but bees?

Anyway, let's see what it is able to do, instead of guessing what can't be.

TaoTeJared

Low power could also mean long exposure times as well.

No, exposure times is affected by ISO sensitivity and the lens aperture. The sensor's power consumption doesn't play into the calculation.

Also, all common sensors (CCD, CMOS) are sensitive to infra-red, UV, etc. That's why we have filters

The limit on long exposures (30min + _ think star trails) is limited by the heat generated by the sensor and it's corresponding parts - hence the "glow" around the edges. That is what I was referring too not the elementary aspects to photography.

The current sensors are sensitive, but if you read more on it, you will find that this new design is very sensitive well beyond photography and was designed for the non viable wavelengths intended to be captured. If you knew your history, the same issue (although not as sensitive by today's standards) were overly sensitive to non-visible light and it took many years to get to the point filters could be used without major denigration of the image.

Ade

I don't know TTJ, recently you were raving about the Leica sensor gamut which extends beyond the human visual range as being a good thing.

According the the university's official press release, the new sensor design sensitivity is from visual to mid-infra red. Without seeing the data, that seems in-line with current sensors.

@Meinrad

You have a good point there, a 1000x improvement doesn't sound possible now that you've framed it that way. Something is probably lost in translation between the actual scientific paper and the Science Daily article. I'm just not about to spend $35 to download the paper to find out myself.

TaoTeJared

I don't know TTJ, recently you were raving about the Leica sensor gamut which extends beyond the human visual range as being a good thing.

Two completely different things Ade.