Bring Back Super CCD Technology!

Tom Schum wrote:

3Percent wrote:

I think a modern version of the Super CCD would do it much better with even higher quality images. And of course it would be CMOS, not CCD, so it would apply just as well for video as it does stills.

If the sensor is CMOS, you get the advantages of ten years of CMOS camera sensor development. To make it as nice as a CCD, one would have to replace the modern color filter array with the filters that were used on CCD sensors. This would lose you at least a stop of sensitivity, but you would get back to the image quality that CCDs are known for.

One poster mentioned the Leica M11. Maybe Leica did this.

I have a Sigma fp L, which uses the same sensor as the Leica M11, but with standard color filters and micro-lenses (if there are any). Sigma applies their own color science or color technology to the data and gets great results, in my opinion. To get this I have to use their free raw developer, Sigma Photo Professional. It is very computation-intensive and you would want a modern high speed computer to run it on.

Most everything points to Leica using a Panasonic sensor in the M11. They traditionally used CMOSIS and later Panasonic. The real question is not who makes them but who designs them. Sony is a foundry. Sensors are designed by Leica, Nikon, Sigma with all the design specifications developed and then they are farmed out to a foundry. No different than Apple designing its own processor, Apple Silicon, and farming it out to TSMC to fabricate it in their 5 nm process. QualComm - one of the largest suppliers of mobile phone chips - does not have foundry - they design the products and farm out the production. The M11 sensor does not have PDAF points (no need). The SL2 nor SL2 S do not use PDAF and their sensor are fabricated by Nuvoton. Nuvoton image sensors is the former Panasonic. So given Lecia's relationship with Panasonic and the fact Nuvoton fabricates the SL2 sensor (and Q2/Q2M sensor) it seems a bit strange given the just announced L^2 alliance, they would turn to Sony. If it is a Sony, then it is a custom run with the PDAF layer removed and a specialized layer for antireflection added along with custom micro lenses since the unique flange distance of the Leica M.

One of the big questions on the Leica rumors site and the Leica boards is "who makes the M11 sensor." Interesting fact Sony does not fabricate all the sensors they have contracts to fab. The sub some out to TSMC.

https://www.gizchina.com/2020/07/06/tsmc-expand-its-cooperation-with-sony-cmos-image-sensor-foundry/

In fact rumors have it - TSMC is going to fab iPhone 14 image sensors for Sony.

But the key - which is not recognized is there are semi-conductor companies that are fabless.  Examples, well most of them actually.  QualComm, Apple, Nikon.  Not a foundry between them.  But Nikon seems to design sensors fabricated by Sony that out perform sensors designed by Sony fabricated by Sony.  Then there are fabrication facilities that take the specification from the designers (large S/W files) and lay out the silicone. I fully expect Sigma fp L is a Sony fabricated sensor since it does have PDAF.  On the other hand nobody quite knows about the M11. My guess Panasonic or today Nuvoton.