New Kodak Sensors See Well in Dark

Upgraded sensor technologies will mean sharper pictures, even in low-light environments.

Shooting in low light situations can be a source of frustration. Eastman Kodak aims to mitigate that with its new image sensor technology, expected to be available in products in 2008.

The company describes the technology as a "groundbreaking achievement," and if it works as described, that might not be hyperbole: The new technology makes CCD and CMOS image sensors more sensitive to light. That means sharp pictures, even in low-light environments.

The newly introduced technology could transform digital photography for both professional and casual shooters alike.

"We have a new technology for how to manufacture image sensors in a way that increases the sensitivity of the device to light by two to four times what's available today," says Mike DeLuca, Eastman Kodak market segment manager for professional and applied imaging.

That translates to one or two photographic aperture stops, meaning photographers can expect better performance and reduced motion blur when taking pictures in low lighting.

The company is first developing CMOS sensors--common in digital still cameras and camera phones--but this technology is expected to be applied to CCD sensors as well.

"Our first sensor with this technology will be available for sampling to camera manufacturers in the first quarter of 2008," says DeLuca.

With current technology, photos taken in challenging lighting are "either noisy, or you have to leave the shutter open for a long period of time," DeLuca says.

This "can result in a blurry image if you shoot a picture indoors at a school play or a basketball game, or outdoors at night," he says. While a flash can sometimes be used to add light to the scene that may not always be available or appropriate. One flash cannot light an entire gymnasium, for example."

Increasing the sensitivity of the light sensor mitigates that problem, he adds.

Kodak's new approach builds on the image sensor technology widely in use today, which is based on the "Bayer Pattern," an arrangement of red, green, and blue pixels introduced by Kodak scientist Dr. Bryce Bayer in 1976. The pixels work together with the image sensor to collect light.