Canon unveils CMOS sensor capable of 60fps video in near darkness

Canon has announced a new CMOS sensor that may not have the 120MP rating that the sensor it unveiled last week offers, but the new sensor is better at video in low light conditions. The new CMOS sensor is geared towards shooting video in low light conditions with fast and fluid frame rates.

Canon reports that the new sensor is the world's largest CMOS image sensors with a chip measuring 202 x 205mm. That larger size allows the sensor to gather more light when it is crammed inside a pro level DSLR camera. In fact, that sensor is 40 times larger than the next largest CMOS sensor in the Canon arsenal.

The sensor is the largest that can be produced form a typical 300mm wafer. The thing will have to be expensive considering you can only get one per wafer too. The big benefit of all that light gathering capability is that the sensor can capture images with only on one-hundredth of the light required by a 35mm full frame CMOS sensor. That means that it can shoot video at 60 fps with only 0.3 lux, which is basically a moon lit night. Canon says the sensor will be perfect for recording stars and nocturnal animals. I say we may finally see Bigfoot on camera with this thing.