Previous global shutter cameras were the Digital Bolex (by virtue of its Kodak CCD) and the Sony F55. Now the technology is on the cusp of a breakthrough with the Sony a9 III, thanks to the new manufacturing process of stacked CMOS chips. Could global shutter now become mainstream even on smartphones, and is this the end of the humble mechanical shutter? My initial thoughts are all positive on the Sony a9 III, but as an a1 owner I am not rushing into a switch. I don’t need to. That’s because, a fast rolling shutter stacked sensor does everything I need it to, whereas a global shutter caters for a small niche of shots. With the a9 III, I could capture lightning and camera flashes without banding, and very fast moving objects like propeller blades without distortion. Impressive though this is, it only accounts for a very small usage case in terms of overall shooting. Also, some cameras now have such a fast rolling shutter (2ms for example) that problematic shots are even less of an issue and even less of a reason to get a global shutter camera. Explainer – why did it take so long? Global shutter technology requires extra circuitry on the sensor, usually in a space normally reserved for collecting light. With Sony’s stacked CMOS technology however, this circuitry is in a 3D arrangement sitting behind the light collecting photodiode layer of the chip. This means, in theory that low light performance and dynamic range...
Published By: EOSHD.com blog - Tuesday, 7 November, 2023