Another tasty tidbit from my European AND Singapore Electronics Engineering Sources is about a recent executive shakeup at Sony headquarters after Apple threatened to take their imaging sensor business to ON Semiconductor OR Canon! Sony executives are VERY VERY CONCERNED that they could lose significant imaging chip business from Apple so they are now extending and exploring NEW partners to help reduce costs and Sony has just recently, during the month of March 2024, extended an outreach to Sigma about purchasing or licencing the Foveon Vertically Stacked RGB Sensor technology which will then be presented to Apple as an alternative Sony-branded high resolution imager for iPhones and iPads!
A Foveon Sensor has each RGB photosite vertically stacked upon each other allowing for VERY HIGH RESOLUTIONS to be given for the same given sensor size.
Instead of 3 or 4 separate photosites for each RGB Pixel, each photosite has all 3 colours stacked vertically on top of each other saving space AND increasing overall colour fidelity at the slight expense of noise as the light waves pass through multiple layers of photodiode sensor material. Sony has been looking at Sigma's Foveon sensor technology for at least five years now and after Apple's recent threat to goto ON Semiconductor or Canon for imagers due to pricing and technology issues, it looks like Sony is preparing a counter-attack against intrusion into Sony's image sensor marketplace!
Sony is ALSO exploring obtaining lighter weight and CHEAPER lenses for its consumer and prosumer camera bodies that will sit below their G-master line with 75 to 80% of the quality at half the price! Going with a PROVEN leader such as Sigma to supply OEM lenses makes a whole lot of sense for Sony. Sigma is better and faster at producing good quality lenses at much cheaper prices. Not everyone needs G-Master lenses! AND their current lineup of lower-quality lenses isn't all that great compared to what Sigma could offer as an OEM for Sony!
We MIGHT hear an announcement or further rumours about the Sigma deal SOMETIME AFTER the NAB 2024 Show (after April 22, 2024) which takes place in Las Vegas. The current rumour is that these talks are only exploratory but that Sony has already shaken up its C-suite in the area of Image Sensors by indicating that their staff must move forward in reducing sensor costs for major partners AND offering lighter-weight and CHEAPER lens products for consumer and prosumer camera gear! Whether this is going to be a simple OEM licencing deal or an OUTRIGHT PURCHASE of Sigma is right now up in the air as my sources have no idea which of the two routes Sony will take!
I did receive an update that Apple is MOVING AHEAD with further testing of the 64 megapixel image sensor products from ON Semiconductor AND Canon and may be ready to make a decision as soon at July 2024 as to what direction they will be taking with Sony image sensors! I am being told this is a DIRECT PRESSURE TACTIC by Apple upon Sony ....BUT.... that Apple IS ACTUALLY WILLING to change suppliers if Sony doesn't play ball on offering better sensors at better prices for iPhone and iPad products! How this will play out is anyone's guess!
You Heard It Here First!
V
A Foveon Sensor has each RGB photosite vertically stacked upon each other allowing for VERY HIGH RESOLUTIONS to be given for the same given sensor size.
Instead of 3 or 4 separate photosites for each RGB Pixel, each photosite has all 3 colours stacked vertically on top of each other saving space AND increasing overall colour fidelity at the slight expense of noise as the light waves pass through multiple layers of photodiode sensor material. Sony has been looking at Sigma's Foveon sensor technology for at least five years now and after Apple's recent threat to goto ON Semiconductor or Canon for imagers due to pricing and technology issues, it looks like Sony is preparing a counter-attack against intrusion into Sony's image sensor marketplace!
Sony is ALSO exploring obtaining lighter weight and CHEAPER lenses for its consumer and prosumer camera bodies that will sit below their G-master line with 75 to 80% of the quality at half the price! Going with a PROVEN leader such as Sigma to supply OEM lenses makes a whole lot of sense for Sony. Sigma is better and faster at producing good quality lenses at much cheaper prices. Not everyone needs G-Master lenses! AND their current lineup of lower-quality lenses isn't all that great compared to what Sigma could offer as an OEM for Sony!
We MIGHT hear an announcement or further rumours about the Sigma deal SOMETIME AFTER the NAB 2024 Show (after April 22, 2024) which takes place in Las Vegas. The current rumour is that these talks are only exploratory but that Sony has already shaken up its C-suite in the area of Image Sensors by indicating that their staff must move forward in reducing sensor costs for major partners AND offering lighter-weight and CHEAPER lens products for consumer and prosumer camera gear! Whether this is going to be a simple OEM licencing deal or an OUTRIGHT PURCHASE of Sigma is right now up in the air as my sources have no idea which of the two routes Sony will take!
I did receive an update that Apple is MOVING AHEAD with further testing of the 64 megapixel image sensor products from ON Semiconductor AND Canon and may be ready to make a decision as soon at July 2024 as to what direction they will be taking with Sony image sensors! I am being told this is a DIRECT PRESSURE TACTIC by Apple upon Sony ....BUT.... that Apple IS ACTUALLY WILLING to change suppliers if Sony doesn't play ball on offering better sensors at better prices for iPhone and iPad products! How this will play out is anyone's guess!
You Heard It Here First!
V
