Canon big-megapixel DSLR camera release date is nearing

Canon is once again rumored to announce a high-end DSLR camera that will feature a big-megapixel non-Bayer multilayer image sensor with a “total usable photo site count” of 75 megapixels.

The National Association of Broadcasters Show 2014 is starting in early April. Trusted sources have recently revealed that Canon is planning to unveil a couple of Cinema EOS cameras at the event, but failed to make any predictions.

A new rumor concerning Canon is now circling around the web, but it refers to a totally different camera. It seems like the company has finally decided that it is about time to launch a DSLR with a high megapixel count.

Canon big-megapixel DSLR camera release date possibly coming at NAB Show 2014

Canon 1D X is currently the company’s flagship DSLR camera. It may be replaced or it may be joined at the top by a new DSLR with an image sensor featuring a total usable photo site count of 75 megapixels.

People familiar with the matter are reporting that a Canon big-megapixel DSLR camera will be announced in the near future with the NAB Show 2014 in contention for its birth place.

The Japanese manufacturer’s new camera is allegedly packed with amazing features for videographers therefore the NAB event is the perfect opportunity to show off its skills.

Nevertheless, gossip talks are claiming that the device’s release date is bound to happen “soon”, while another rumor said that only the two Cinema EOS cameras are coming at the NAB Show 2014. This means that the high-megapixel shooter might be launched at a different moment in the near future.

A 75-megapixel non-Bayer multilayer sensor will power the new high-end Canon DSLR

The question about the specs of the Canon big-megapixel DSLR remains. It seems like the device will try to revolutionize the high-end market and will do so with a Sigma Foveon-like sensor.

One of the most popular versions of the non-Bayer multilayer sensors is the Foveon X3, which features three sheets of pixels. Each offers 15.3 megapixels in order to compile a total of 46 megapixels.

Sometime in mid 2013 it has been discovered that Canon has patented such a sensor, so this is the most likely candidate for the job. The sensor is also rumored to have a “total usable photo count” of 75 megapixels, so photographers should prepare to work with extremely large files.

Bayer vs Foveon X3

We have covered this aspect in the past, but it is always good to remind people that the most popular image sensor type in the world is the Bayer filter. It uses a single layer with multiple color arrays. Each pixel is sensitive to a certain color – red, green, or blue – while special algorithms fill up the missing colors.

On the other hand, a Foveon X3 sensor has three layers of pixels, stacked on top of one another. Each is sensitive to a specific color, with red being the most dominant, green in second place, and blue being the least influential.

In Bayer filters, the green array is the most dominant, while the red and blue arrays take the second spot with the same amount of influence. As time is passing by quickly, we are eager to see whether Canon is joining the sensor wars with its own version or not. Stay tuned!