Fuji Photo Film has released details of a fourth-generation of its Super CCD technology, which will be marketed in two versions – Super CCD HR and Super CCD SR.

 

February 2003: Fuji Photo Film has released details of a fourth-generation of its Super CCD technology, which will be marketed in two versions – Super CCD HR and Super CCD SR.

Both versions rely on a new structure which combines two photodiodes* in each photosite**. This is quite different from the normal CCD structure in which a single photodiode is used to capture the full range of light strengths at a single location on the sensor. Each photosite in the new Super CCD sensor, therefore, consists of a larger, primary photodiode adjusted for high sensitivity plus a smaller, secondary photodiode for lower sensitivity (see diagram below). When combined, Fujifilm claims they support a wider dynamic range than conventional photodiodes.

The overall layout of the photosites has the same “honeycomb” pattern as the all previous Super CCD sensors.

Both versions of the new Super CCD are based on a 1/1.7-inch chip (diagonal approx. 9.3 mm). The high resolution Super CCD HR version has a resolution of 6.63 million pixels*** and can output files with up to 12.3 million recorded pixels. The Super CCD SR (Super Dynamic Range) version has 6.7 million total pixels (3.35 million S-pixels and 3.35 million R-pixels) and produces images with a dynamic range that is approximately four times wider than third-generation Super CCD. It claims to deliver “a truer representation of the actual subject being photographed” and captures detail in both dark and highlighted areas of the subject.

It is expected to be particularly valuable to photographers who shoot with flash or work in bright ambient lighting. Core benefits of the technology include the ability to:
– combat the bleached-out effect that is so often the bane of flash photography;
– capture greater detail in highlight areas;
– shoot in very bright conditions;
– resolve detail in darker shadow areas.
The increased exposure latitude provided by the sensor also makes it more forgiving of incorrect exposure.

The first products featuring the new Super CCD sensors are likely to be unveiled at the PMA International Trade Show in Las Vegas in early March. We will update this information as details become available.

Glossary:

Fujifilm has provided specific definitions for the following words:

* Photodiode: A single, light-sensing element on a sensor.

** Photosite: The area on a sensor where the light from one point of the image is received. The light entering the photosite passes through one microlens and one colour filter. With a traditional sensor, there is one photodiode beneath the microlens, whereas with Double Honeycomb Super CCD, there are two photodiodes: a primary and a secondary photodiode.

*** Pixel: A final point of picture information in the output image. This normally equates to one printed ‘dot’, or a square block when the image is displayed on a monitor.