FlyingPete
10th of February 2004 (Tue), 17:48
With the imminent arrival of the 8MP PowerShot Pro-1 there is a lot of discussion about CCD vs CMOS.
My understanding was that the main reason that CMOS based EOS300D/10D takes cleaner images than the CCD based G series is the actual size of the pixels. Smaller pixels = more noise, hence why the G5 is nosier than a G3, as they have the same size sensor, but the G5 obviously has smaller pixels to fit in the same area.
Here are some numbers I have worked out based on the pixel count and size of sensors:
G3 4MP 7.18x5.32mm (4/3) - Pixel Size 3.1µm
G5 5MP 7.18x5.32mm (4/3) - Pixel Size 2.8µm
Pro1 8MP 8.8x6.6mm (4/3) - Pixel Size 2.7µm
EOS10D 6MP 22.7x15.1mm (2/3) - Pixel Size 7.6µm
EOS1Ds 11MP 35.8x23.8 (3/2) - Pixel Size 8.8µm
I have read somewhere there is a practical limit to how small you can make a pixel, before it is too small for the wavelength of light.
My understanding was that the main reason that CMOS based EOS300D/10D takes cleaner images than the CCD based G series is the actual size of the pixels. Smaller pixels = more noise, hence why the G5 is nosier than a G3, as they have the same size sensor, but the G5 obviously has smaller pixels to fit in the same area.
Here are some numbers I have worked out based on the pixel count and size of sensors:
G3 4MP 7.18x5.32mm (4/3) - Pixel Size 3.1µm
G5 5MP 7.18x5.32mm (4/3) - Pixel Size 2.8µm
Pro1 8MP 8.8x6.6mm (4/3) - Pixel Size 2.7µm
EOS10D 6MP 22.7x15.1mm (2/3) - Pixel Size 7.6µm
EOS1Ds 11MP 35.8x23.8 (3/2) - Pixel Size 8.8µm
I have read somewhere there is a practical limit to how small you can make a pixel, before it is too small for the wavelength of light.