Sony is set to release three new large format sensors designed to bring previously unheard-of capabilities to industrial imaging.
The IMX927, IMX928 and IMX929 sensors each boast 8K resolution and a Sony Pregius S global shutter sensor, which exposes all sensor pixels at once, as opposed to a rolling shutter sensor, where pixels activate line by line.
This technology enables extremely high-quality image capture at high speeds without distortion, which Sony has geared towards industrial applications such as traffic monitoring and infrastructure inspection.
Global shutter sensors are nothing new – Sony first released them for industrial use back in 2013 with 2.3MP IMX174 – but the new IMX trio takes a big leap forward in terms of resolution and speed.
The IMX927 offers the highest resolution (105MP); the IMX928 balances large format (68MP) with rapid speed; and the IMX929 brings blazing-fast frame rates (up to 225fps), although at the expense of resolution (50MP).
Commercial use only?
While you and I won’t be able to get our hands on any of these sensors, it may not stay that way forever. The word is that Sony is developing a 180MP medium format sensor and potentially a 107MP full-frame sensor.
We don't yet know if these sensors will be used in Sony’s own cameras, but we do know that the manufacturer has a history of treating its commercial consumers to its industrial sensor tech.
Back in 2023, the manufacturer released the Sony A9 III, the world's first full-frame commercial camera featuring a global shutter sensor. Individual photographers were finally bestowed with the power to capture super-fast action beyond what a rolling sensor can.
So, there’s good reason to believe that mega-powered 100 MP+ sensors are on the horizon for commercial Sony users.
A wider commercial roll-out of the new IMX972, IMX928 and IMX929 large format sensors, or the release of a 107MP full-frame sensor, would undoubtedly take specialties such as sports and wildlife photography to even greater heights. But is this even necessary?
The average photographer doesn't need anywhere near this level of firepower and existing flagship Sony models already boast crystal-clear resolution and fantastic maximum fps. In fact, the A9 III is the fastest of these, clocking a maximum 120fps.
That said, if Sony were to release a commercial model with a full-frame 107MP global shutter sensor and, dare I say, the lighting fps of the IMX972, then we would be entering a completely new age of full-frame capabilities.
For now though, it looks like big industry will continue to benefit from Sony’s IMX sensor developments before anyone else. But who knows, in the coming years, 100MP+ and 225fps may become the standard spec for Sony's top-tier cameras.
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