Stunning: Sony officially announces a new generation of Global Shutter APS-C and MFT sensors!

This is really big news. The flyer we leaked months ago about a new APS-C Global Shutter was indeed real! Sony just updated their sensor page and included a whole bunch of new Global Shutter sensor in nearly all possible formats. This includes an exciting APS-C and MFT global shutter sensor.

The one interesting new sensor is this 31MP APS-C sensor that actually uses a 4:3 format! I am really not sure if that sensor will be used by a Sony APS-C E-mount camera as I cannot see the company using a 4:3 format on an E-mount camera. Still what matters is that Sony has officially announced an APS-C Global Shutter sensor and a variation of this can be used by a future E-mount camera!

So let’s take a look at the specs of this “IMX342LQA” APS-C sensor:

Description
The IMX342LQA is a diagonal 27.9 mm (APS-C) CMOS active pixel type solid-state image sensor with a square pixel
array and 31.49 M effective pixels. This chip features a global shutter with variable charge-integration time. This chip
operates with analog 3.3 V, digital 1.2 V, and interface 1.8 V triple power supply, and has low power consumption.
High sensitivity, low dark current and low PLS characteristics are achieved.
(Applications: FA cameras, ITS cameras)

Features
◆ CMOS active pixel type dots
◆ Built-in timing adjustment circuit, H/V driver and serial communication circuit
◆ Global shutter function
◆ Input frequency
37.125 MHz / 74.25 MHz / 54 MHz
◆ Number of recommended recording pixels: 6464 (H) × 4852 (V) approx. 31.36 M pixels
Readout mode
All-pixel scan mode
Vertical / Horizontal 1 / 2 Subsampling mode
ROI mode
Vertical / Horizontal‐Normal / Inverted readout mode
◆ Readout rate
Maximum frame rate in
All-pixel scan mode: 8 bit 35.4 frame/s, 10 bit: 35.4 frame/s, 12 bit: 25.8 frame/s
◆ 8-bit / 10-bit / 12-bit A/D converter
◆ CDS / PGA function
0 dB to 24 dB: Analog Gain (0.1 dB step)
24.1 dB to 48 dB: Analog Gain: 24 dB + Digital Gain: 0.1 dB to 24 dB (0.1 dB step)
◆ I/O interface
SLVS (2 ch / 4 ch / 8 ch switching) output (594 / 297 Mbps per ch)
SLVS – EC (1 Lane / 2 Lane / 4 Lane / 8 Lane) output (2.376 / 1.188 Gbps per Lane)
◆ Recommended lens F number: 2.8 or more (Close side)
◆ Recommended exit pupil distance: –100 mm to –∞

* Pregius is a trademark of Sony Corporation. The Pregius is global shutter pixel technology for active pixel-type CMOS image sensors that use
Sony’s low-noise CCD structure, and realizes high picture quality.

Sony reserves the right to change products and specifications without prior notice.
Sony logo is a registered trademark of Sony Corporation.

This is cutting edge tech folks! Give me a Global Shutter on the A7000 and A7sIII and people will forget Nikon and Canon’s mirrorless launch :)