Full frame global shutters on the horizon: According to recent news the first full frame sensors with global shutters are already in the pipelines. I would expect them to appear in new...

JPL

According to recent news the first full frame sensors with global shutters are already in the pipelines. I would expect them to appear in new cameras later this year. Maybe even in the mirrorless camera expected from Nikon soon.

turp77 Loc: Connecticut, Plainfield

This could be a major step for photography. The shutter count issue could be history. Look at the cameras in use at the new electronic tolls on the turnpikes taking thousands of shots daily. They have the size, speed and quality issue already developed and been in use for a long time. Just how well they will work in a small portable body. I feel sport photographers will gain the most.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

JPL wrote:

According to recent news the first full frame sensors with global shutters are already in the pipelines. I would expect them to appear in new cameras later this year. Maybe even in the mirrorless camera expected from Nikon soon.

Do we know anything about Nikon's plans???

Steve Perry Loc: Sylvania, Ohio

Well, not quite. Sony announced a 1.4MP (that's not a typo) backlit global shutter sensor so it's a pretty far cry from replacing the 46MP sensor in the D850 - or even a 12MP sensor in a D3. What's of more interest is Panasonic's 8K (36MP) global sensor, but I don't believe it's full frame.

TowerJazz, which may make the sensor in the D850, says they are "working" on global electronic shutters as well and have something cool coming, but I seriously doubt we'll see any of this in any Nikon this year. They simply can't grab a new sensor, toss it in a body, and sell it. Development takes more time than that, so I wouldn't hold my breath on seeing it in the first generation Nikon mirrorless (although, I'd LOVE to be wrong on this one).

Still, I think in 3-5 years we'll start seeing some these sensors come to mainstream cameras and I can't wait. IMO global shutters are a "must have" for mirrorless to ever really take over for DSLRs (although, I think I'll be shooting DSLRs until they don't make them anymore LOL).

Rich1939 Loc: Pike County Penna.

Steve Perry wrote:

Well, not quite. Sony announced a 1.4MP (that's no... (show quote)

The TowerJazz article was both interesting and a bit disappointing in that it seemed to imply that their global shutter work wasn't aimed at still photography. That could just be economics. During development of such a sensor large production runs wouldn't be available. Proto's would be expensive and the broadcast/entertainment industries can be approached to help defray those costs.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

Right now it may be difficult to provide global shutter that isn't 'noisy', because a lot of extra electronics would be involved.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

JPL wrote:

According to recent news the first full frame sensors with global shutters are already in the pipelines. I would expect them to appear in new cameras later this year. Maybe even in the mirrorless camera expected from Nikon soon.

Those sensors might never make it into cameras!

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

Not holding my breath...

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

rehess wrote:

Do we know anything about Nikon's plans???

Yes, they will release new versions of their camera's about every two or three years AND, they are developing a mirror less camera that will be released sometime in the future.

dkguill Loc: Elkhart, IN

JPL wrote:

According to recent news the first full frame sensors with global shutters are already in the pipelines. I would expect them to appear in new cameras later this year. Maybe even in the mirrorless camera expected from Nikon soon.

You'll have to pardon my ignorance, but what would the advantages of a global shutter be and how is it mechanically/physically different than conventional shutters?

JPL

dkguill wrote:

You'll have to pardon my ignorance, but what would the advantages of a global shutter be and how is it mechanically/physically different than conventional shutters?

A global electronic shutter will capture the whole frame at the same moment. And that will eliminate the rolling shutter effect that current electronic shutters have. And when this rolling shutter effect has been eliminated, the need for a mechanical shutter is mostly eliminated as well.

A global electronic shutter is basically just a different way to capture and read the picture from the sensor than is used today.

So the benefit of global electronic shutter is less mechanical stuff in the camera, in this case a mechanical shutter, which is in many cameras the part of it that is most prone to failures. In the long run this will probably also lower the cost of cameras, help increase fps and probably there are some other benefits as well.

Rich1939 Loc: Pike County Penna.

JPL wrote:

A global electronic shutter will capture the whole... (show quote)

Equally important for many photographers an electronic shutter can be much quieter and in a mirror-less camera, totally silent

JPL

Rich1939 wrote:

Equally important for many photographers an electronic shutter can be much quieter and in a mirror-less camera, totally silent

You are right about that, I forgot the silence of the electronic shutters.

dkguill Loc: Elkhart, IN

Thanks for your reply.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

JPL wrote:

According to recent news the first full frame sensors with global shutters are already in the pipelines. I would expect them to appear in new cameras later this year. Maybe even in the mirrorless camera expected from Nikon soon.

Canon has been making global shutters on sensors for a while now.