Canon PowerShot New Sensor Rumor: Smaller, More Advanced Chip Incoming – But Is It Smart?

I regularly review the latest rumors, and someone passed me this one (thanks!). Today, a new rumor was published examining whether Canon will equip its anticipated new PowerShot cameras with a fresh image sensor.

According to the rumor,  an entirely new sensor will be equipped and will not reuse the 1.4-type sensor equipped in the V1. It will be smaller than the 1.4-type but will be a “more advanced” one. It is speculated that this sensor will be adopted in multiple PowerShot models.

It should be noted that information beyond the “entirely new” sensor is quite limited.   Any announcement is unlikely before late August at the earliest, and the exact form of the new PowerShot(s) remains unclear, as the possibilities range from a G7 X–style refresh to something more unconventional, akin to the V10.

While the prospect of fresh technology in the PowerShot lineup is intriguing, a degree of skepticism is warranted on economic and strategic grounds.

The Economics

Developing a completely new image sensor involves significant research and development costs, fabrication expenses, and yield optimization challenges. Canon, like most major manufacturers, typically seeks to amortize these investments by deploying a sensor across multiple camera bodies and generations where feasible. I lost count of how many times Canon used the DPAF 24MP APS-C sensor. 

Deliberately sidelining the relatively recent 1.4-inch sensor from the PowerShot V1, rendering it a one-off design, while creating an entirely new, smaller yet “more advanced” sensor for broader use in the lineup, appears counterintuitive from a cost-efficiency perspective.  Especially when you consider that the V1 delivered some of the best image quality of any compact-style camera.

We can see this in Canon's latest cameras, where they have avoided putting stacked sensors into their more "economical" cameras - if you can consider an R6 Mark III economical.

There are good reasons, though, for a new 1" Sensor

Now there are reasons why Canon may want to develop a new and smaller 1" sensor for a new line of Compact cameras, and that has to do with keeping the zoom range on new compact cameras as long as possible while maintaining a compact size and weight. 

But would this be Canon-made?  A stacked 1" sensor is a complex process for Canon, especially considering I'm not entirely convinced that Canon manufactures the entire stacked sensor, including all the substrates and packaging.  In the past, Canon went to Sony for small stacked sensors for its PowerShot lineup, because it was simply more cost-effective.

Notably, Canon has started to use with a high degree of frequency, describing their more advanced sensors as "Canon developed" and not "Canon manufactured".  A very important distinction.

Closing Thoughts

I have long been a vocal proponent of Canon getting its act together with the Powershot lineup, or whatever they call it in the future.  So a new sensor, or at least a new development versus reusing old components, and delivering mixed bag results, is always a good thing.

We will continue monitoring developments and provide balanced coverage as more details emerge in the coming months.

• asobinet