Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation Launches 4K Image Sensor with Advanced LOFIC Pixel Technology
New semiconductor sensor delivers high dynamic range and improved low-light performance for security applications.
Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation (Sony) today announced the upcoming launch of the IMX908, a 4K CMOS image sensor for security cameras featuring the industry's smallest 1.45 µm LOFIC pixels. *
The new sensor utilises newly developed LOFIC pixels to achieve 96dB high dynamic range images with a single exposure at 4K resolution. This results in improved low-light performance, delivering high-quality images with less highlight overexposure, shadow detail loss, and noise in both high-contrast and dark environments, compared to conventional products.
The new sensor will expand SSS's product range with high resolution and high dynamic range for security camera applications that require precise image recognition across a wide range of indoor and outdoor environments, thereby contributing to a safer society.
Main features
■ Compact design and 4K resolution thanks to the industry's smallest 1.45µm LOFIC pixels* 1
The new sensor is equipped with newly developed LOFIC pixels. The LOFIC structure enables more efficient charge accumulation and voltage conversion than conventional products, resulting in higher saturation charge and improved low-light performance. This structure also enables the use of the industry's smallest individual pixels* ¹ at 1.45 µm, delivering 4K resolution images on a compact 1/2.8-type sensor.
■ High image quality in high-contrast environments and dark locations is possible thanks to a high dynamic range of 96 dB
By increasing the amount of saturated charge to nearly 20 times that of conventional products* 4, the new sensor can accumulate more charge, reducing highlight overexposure when shooting with bright light sources. It can also convert lower light voltage, improving low-light performance by approximately 27%* 5 compared to conventional products,* 4 reducing shadow detail loss and suppressing noise when shooting in dark environments. These improvements extend the single-exposure dynamic range to 96 dB, enabling high-quality, high-sensitivity images even in dark, high-contrast environments.
■ High-definition images with fewer artefacts thanks to the single exposure method
The new sensor achieves a high dynamic range with its single-exposure method. Unlike multi-exposure methods, which combine several images captured with different exposure settings, single-exposure reduces artifacts and enable high-speed output. This results in stable, high-definition images with less distortion and colour shift, which often hinder image recognition by AI, contributing to greater recognition accuracy, even for moving subjects. This product also supports output image data generated with varying levels of conversion efficiency, offering more flexible options in camera design.
