Sony introduces IMX586 smartphone camera with 48 MP Quad Bayer sensor

23 July 2018
The module has pixel size of 0.8 um and supports 4K videos at 90 fps.

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  • ?
  • Anonymous
  • nCa
  • 24 Jul 2018

This is just an exciting news ....see there are already phones with 40 MP's are available....now this is just an successor for those......
But in past 2011 MWC that unpredictable suprise came from Nokia like there is no any rumours before announcement.

Same way hoping similar kind of surprises..

Additional info: NOKIA 808 PUreview sensor from Toshiba

    Stan, 23 Jul 2018I'd have to disagree about ISOCELL. In all the tests i've s... moreWell I don't really try to say that ISOCELL sensors are bad, but they certainly have to come a long way to compete with Sony IMX sensors.
    Exmor RS sensors are simply referred to as IMX sensors, and you know that they are good, since something like Sony IMX200 to 300 series are still highly used by many OEMs.
    Samsung can catch up to Sony, but they decided to play safe again and just do what is already done in the past.

      Stan, 23 Jul 2018I'd take a 12mp 1/2" over a 48mp pixel-binned 1/2" any day.... moreExcept in this case, the pixels would have 2 different exposure times; 2 shorter and 2 longer exposure times.
      The reasoning for this high megapixel count is for better daylight image resolution, where 12MP is just average to good. Besides, Huawei has shown already with the P20 Pro that high megapixel count isn't bad if managed correctly, so I'm pretty sure that Sony also knows about this.

        • S
        • Stan
        • red
        • 24 Jul 2018

        Anonymous, 24 Jul 2018Lool, Sony copying Huawei Leica camera nowInteresting, what's your reasoning behind that statement?
        If anything, Huawei copied Nokia.
        Sony on the other hand has been doing pixel binning for ages in their professional grade ILC cameras.

          • ?
          • Anonymous
          • mx{
          • 24 Jul 2018

          Lool, Sony copying Huawei Leica camera now

            It's still nothing but talk, let's wait for the walk.

              • S
              • Stan
              • red
              • 23 Jul 2018

              H-1, 23 Jul 2018I still hate playing with numbers, saying a sensor is 48 wh... moreI'd take a 12mp 1/2" over a 48mp pixel-binned 1/2" any day.
              While in low light, pixel binning might produce similar results, pixel binning and debayering logic produces more artifacts than just a straight up debayering.

                • S
                • Stan
                • red
                • 23 Jul 2018

                Shanti Dope, 23 Jul 2018Yeah, ISOCELL sensors are the best! They are found in the ... moreI'd have to disagree about ISOCELL. In all the tests i've seen thus far, ISOCELL is inferior to the ExmorRX.
                Most phones, including some Samsungs (Except S8, S9 and Note 8), use Sony sensors. Latest Samsungs use in-house sensors primarily to save cost, while older ones were using Sony sensors. Pixels, HTCs, LGs, Motorolas, all use Sony sensors. Even quite a few major Chinese brands, like OnePlus, Huawei, Oppo, etc, use Sony sensors.

                Now to your comment about professional photographers - Sony makes ExmorRX sensors for Smartphones, Advanced P&S by Sony and by Canon and for Professional cameras by Sony and by Nikon. Sony is regarded as having the best sensors on the market.

                Now if only they themselves could utilize their awesome sensors properly in smartphones, the same way they do in their mirrorless range of ILCs. Xperia XZ2 and XZ3 are showing a very positive early promise. Hopefully they'll continue on the same path.

                  • H
                  • H-1
                  • aXK
                  • 23 Jul 2018

                  I still hate playing with numbers, saying a sensor is 48 when it produces a decent 12mp and bad 48. If I want a bad 40+ mp I'd go for Asus's super resolution instead - much cheaper.

                  What phones really need is a way to fit bigger sensors which means bigger pixels which in turn improves almost every aspect (noise, low light, stacking...etc.)

                  To make it simple: in dim room lighting, a 12mp cheap sensor produces a comparable image to a decent 23mp of the same diagonal size. There are other factors, but this is just to give a rough image (bad pun intended).

                    • H
                    • H-1
                    • aXK
                    • 23 Jul 2018

                    Shanti Dope, 23 Jul 2018Yeah, ISOCELL sensors are the best! They are found in the ... moreAfaik Sony had similar technology to reduce pixel crosstalk.

                    Isocell sure is good. But even Samsung utilized sony sensors on their flagships, if my memory serves me right, if you buy a S8 you might get one with sony sensor. If that says anything, it's the similarity between the two.

                      • D
                      • AnonD-454049
                      • f0H
                      • 23 Jul 2018

                      Shanti Dope, 23 Jul 2018It somewhat is, but this one now uses different exposure ti... moreOhhh I see. Thank you for the reply

                        Smart thing by Sony, since most of the other phones use Qualcomm's own ISP built into the SoCs, which aren't that capable of handling such resolution.
                        Pretty much only the AUBE™ Fusion ISP and Huawei's own custom ISP inside the Kirin 970 can support this level of megapixels.

                          Anonymous, 23 Jul 2018Majority of Samsung Galaxy phones use Superior ISOCELL len... moreYeah, ISOCELL sensors are the best!
                          They are found in the most recent smartphones and best camera phones, and professional photographers say that ISOCELL sensors are the best!

                            Anonymous, 23 Jul 2018Sony XZ2 camera and Samsung S9 camera quality can't be even... moreIdk about you but the S7's camera quality is quite the same as the S9's camera quality anyway, except the XZ2 can do a 960fps super slow motion video at 1080p.

                              r33fd, 23 Jul 2018I don't get it ! Why put 48 MP on a camera, if you are goi... more12MP is worthless in daylight. Trust me, it doesn't look good. You need a large sensor at least for it to look decent.
                              48MP in daylight will be fantastic and will open doors for great lossless zooming function.

                                AnonD-454049, 23 Jul 2018So it's similar to what nokia did with their 41 MP camera?It somewhat is, but this one now uses different exposure times instead of just combining pixels together. This sensor works much like the 40MP sensor of the P20 Pro if you read GSMArena's article about it.

                                  Maybe even 8K capable...

                                    • A
                                    • Andrewx8
                                    • kq1
                                    • 23 Jul 2018

                                    XZ3 Premium at IFA 2018?
                                    I hope so.

                                    Im happy with my Z5 Premium, but if this camera comes out, and its mixed in with the monochrome ultra sensitive camera on the XZ2P, Ill buy it in a heartbeat.

                                      • S
                                      • Stan
                                      • red
                                      • 23 Jul 2018

                                      r33fd, 23 Jul 2018I don't get it ! Why put 48 MP on a camera, if you are goi... moreIts 48mp in good light and 12mp in low light.
                                      Yes, a 12mp 1/2" sensor would have been an absolute beast on a smartphone, and would have been better vs a binned 12mp, but with this one you get more of an all-around module.
                                      Knowing Sony, they'll probably produce a 12mp IMX5xx version of the same 1/2" sensor.

                                        Finally innovation on the camera field has restarted!.

                                        Since Nokia 808 and 1020, all the fuzz was about software. Yes, DXomark rates most of new cameras over the 808/1020 duo, BUT in good light and 41 Megapixels… those were the most compared cameraphones against DSLR Cameras. I had an 808... and after that I felt shame taking pictures with my phone.

                                        Before the arrival of the Huawei P20 Pro and it's camera array sporting a 40Mpixels sensor, all news where "meh" for me. Now It's getting exciting again!