Canon unveils 250-megapixel prototype DSLR camera sensor

Canon has created a 250-megapixel CMOS camera sensor. The sensor, which is APS-H size (29×20mm), packs a resolution of 19580×12600. By comparison, the highest-resolution commercial camera—the Canon 5DS and 5DS R—has an image sensor with "just" 50.6 megapixels, on a much larger full-frame (36×24mm) sensor.

It's important to note that Canon's 250MP sensor (actually 246.7 million pixels) is just a one-off, but it does actually work. Canon built a very basic-looking prototype camera (pictured below) around the sensor and whacked a lens on the front. During testing, the monster sensor (combined with optical and digital zooming), was able to "distinguish the lettering on the side of an airplane flying at a distance of approximately 18 km (11 mi) from the shooting location."

The only photo provided by Canon of the prototype 250MP camera. Yes, it is deeply ironic that they provided a 150x150 pixel image of a camera capable of shooting 250 million pixels.

Beyond sheer pixels, the new sensor is also capable of ultra-fast signal readout (i.e. getting the captured image data out of the sensor and onto the main system bus). Canon claims the sensor has a readout speed of 1.25 billion pixels per second, enough to shoot 250MP images at 5 frames per second. There will have been some very advanced digital signal processors (DSPs) involved in such a feat, but unfortunately Canon isn't giving any specific details at this point. By way of comparison, the 50MP 5DS is capable of shooting at 5 FPS, or a readout speed of around 250 million pixels per second.