Camera
OmniVision’s new 50MP OV50A smartphone sensor promises ‘DSLR level’ phase detection autofocus performance

Sensor manufacturer OmniVision has announced the specifications for the OV50A, a new 50MP 1/1.5″ smartphone camera sensor that offers 100% phase detection autofocus (PDAF) coverage.
The OV50A is built using OmniVision’s PureCel Plus-S stacked die technology and offers 50MP resolution with one micron pixel size, selective conversion gain, on-chip remosaic and quad phase detection (QPD) autofocus. OmniVision explains in its press release the benefits of its QPD autofocus technology, which it claims offers ‘DSLR level’ autofocus performance:
‘QPD enables 2×2 phase detection autofocus (PDAF) across the sensor’s entire image array, for 100% coverage. Unlike the microlens and half-shield PDAF technologies, which only capture 3–6% of the phase detection data, QPD uniquely captures 100% of this data for improved distance calculation, faster autofocus and better low-light performance.’
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The QPD autofocus technology works not unlike Canon’s Dual Pixel AF technology. However, whereas Canon’s only has two pixels split left and right underneath a single micro lens, OmniVision splits each micro lens with four pixels, paired diagonally, to achieve focus. The advantage of this design is that unlike Canon’s Dual Pixel AF, the four diagonally-paired pixels provides cross-type (horizontal and vertical) sensitivity for consistent performance regardless of camera and subject orientation.
OmniVision also touts the sensor’s low-light performance as ‘the best in its class via the unique combination of a large 1.0 micron pixel size, selective conversion gain’s low-noise, high conversion gain mode, and […] the large 1/1.5” optical format.’ The sensor offers 2- and 3-exposure HDR blending, which works with the selective conversion gain to capture the most dynamic range possible.
The sensor can output 8K video at 30 frames per second (fps) as well as 4K video at 90 fps and 1080p at 240 fps. The 4K video can use near-pixel-binning for improved low-light performance when light is at a premium. Video output maxes out at 3.5Gbps via the sensor’s CPHY MIPI interface.
OmniVision suggests this sensor is destined for the standard and ultra-wide-angle cameras inside flagship smartphones. The sensor is said to be available in the second quarter of 2021, but no specific smartphone manufacturers were mentioned as customers.
Press release:
OmniVision Debuts Its First Image Sensor With 100% Phase Detection Coverage for Superior Autofocus in Flagship and High End Smartphones
Combination of 1.0 Micron Pixel and 1/1.5” Optical Format With Selective Conversion Gain, 50MP Resolution and QPD Provides Premium Still and 8K Video Captures for Wide and Ultrawide Main Cameras
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Feb. 16, 2021 – OmniVision Technologies, Inc., a leading developer of advanced digital imaging solutions, today announced in advance of Mobile World Congress Shanghai the OV50A image sensor, combining 50MP resolution, 1.0 micron pixel size, selective conversion gain and a 1/1.5”optical format with quad phase detection (QPD) autofocus technology and on-chip remosaic. QPD enables 2×2 phase detection autofocus (PDAF) across the sensor’s entire image array, for 100% coverage. Unlike the microlens and half-shield PDAF technologies, which only capture 3-6% of the phase detection data, QPD uniquely captures 100% of this data for improved distance calculation, faster autofocus and better low-light performance. In combination with on-chip remosaic for the QPD color filter array, the result is premium image quality for the wide and ultrawide main cameras in flagship and high end smartphones.
“One of the biggest selling points for mobile phones is camera performance, and they have been steadily closing the gap with DSLR cameras for years,” said Arun Jayaseelan, staff marketing manager at OmniVision. “Our QPD autofocus technology now makes that gap even smaller, by bringing DSLR level autofocus performance to smartphone cameras.”
The OV50A image sensor also provides the best low-light performance in its class, via the unique combination of a large 1.0 micron pixel size, selective conversion gain’s low-noise, high conversion gain mode, and its distinction as OmniVision’s first high end mobile sensor to be offered in the large 1/1.5”optical format. Additionally, this sensor offers excellent HDR through 2- and 3-exposure staggered HDR timing, along with selective conversion gain for the optimum balance between low-light image quality and HDR. These features provide mobile designers with maximum flexibility to select the best HDR method for the contrasting light and dark areas in any scene.
Built on OmniVision’s PureCel® Plus-S stacked die technology, the OV50A integrates an on-chip, QPD color filter array and hardware remosaic, which provides significantly improved autofocus performance along with high quality, 50MP Bayer output, or 8K video, in real time. This sensor can also use near-pixel binning to output a 12.5MP image for 4K2K video with four times the sensitivity, yielding 2.0 micron-equivalent performance for preview and video. In either case, the OV50A can consistently capture the highest quality images, as well as enabling 2x digital crop zoom with 12.5MP resolution and fast mode switch.
Output formats include 50MP, or 8K video, with QPD autofocus at 30 frames per second (fps), 12.5MP with QPD autofocus at 60fps, 4K2K video with QPD autofocus at 90fps, 1080p at 240fps and 720p at 480fps. All of these options can be output at up to 3.5 Gsps per trio, over the sensor’s CPHY MIPI interface.
OV50A samples are expected in Q2 2021. Contact your OmniVision sales representative for more information: www.ovt.com/contact-sales.
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Camera
This new SmallRig accessory helps keep your Canon R5 cool

Image: SmallRig |
When Canon released the R5, a common talking point was the camera’s tendency to overheat when recording video. Canon improved those problems with the R5 Mark II, but all cameras overheat at some point, especially when recording long takes in high resolutions. To help cool things down, SmallRig has adapted its Cooling Fan, originally designed for Sony cameras, to work with the Canon R5 Mark II and R5.
The SmallRig Cooling Fan is more than just a basic fan. It features multiple layers to efficiently pull heat away from the camera body, including a silicone thermal conductive gel, a thermoelectric cooling (TEC) component and an aluminum alloy heat sink. The fan blades sit on top of those layers to blow away the camera’s heat. The fan offers two levels: A Cool Mode with a 4500 RPM fan speed for quieter operation and an Ice-Cold Mode with a stronger 7000 RPM fan speed.
SmallRig claims that at 40°C (104°F), the fan can increase shooting time by 30% for 8K 30p recording. It also claims that when shooting 4K 60p at 25°C (77°F), the fan can completely prevent shutdowns from overheating.
The Cooling Fan is easy to use with quick snap-on installation. No tools are required, so users can pop it on or take it off as needed. There are some potential downsides, though. First, it attaches where the screen folds, so you have to operate the camera with the screen folded out. Additionally, it lacks a built-in battery, requiring an external power source via a 5V USB input. It is compatible with the SmallRig V-mount battery ecosystem, though, making it a convenient option for those already invested in SmallRig products.
While SmallRig made this version specifically for the Canon R5 and R5 Mark II, it is compatible with Sony cameras as well. SmallRig designed the fan’s bracket to be removable so it can be switched back and forth if needed. It is available for purchase today for $60 through SmallRig’s website.
Buy now:
Camera
Shades of gray: did Ricoh just hint at a Monochrome GR?

Ricoh’s Mayumi Ueda, Kazunobu Saiki, Shigeru and Ryutaro Aratama |
“We don’t just want to focus on the results of photography: we want people to enjoy the photography process,” says Kazunobu Saiki, general manager of the Ricoh Camera Business Division.
We spoke at the recent CP+ trade show in Yokohama, Japan, where he told us about the challenges of DSLRs, the reaction to reviving film, the future of the GR series and why they’re not particularly focused on video.
“We have to put our resources into making sure supply catches up with that demand. That’s the first priority as a brand”
“The total number of compact cameras has largely decreased over the years,” Saiki says, “but for unique products, which can attract the creative people, especially from the younger generation, I believe the market trend is to increase.” He’s referring to the prospects for models such as the WG waterproof series and the GR APS-C compact: “GR users, globally, are increasing.”
In fact demand for GR is so high that the company has found it difficult to build enough.
“Thanks to increased demand for the GR series, there’s a slight shortage of supply on a worldwide basis. So we have to put our resources into making sure supply catches up with that demand. That’s the first priority as a brand, we believe.”
The market for DSLRs
The DSLR market is rather more challenging, Saiki says: “New product sales [of DSLRs] are still in rapid decline in comparison to the huge emerging market of mirrorless. But we do believe there is a still a certain group of DSLR lovers.”
“A lot of DSLR users still exist, but they’re use their existing DSLR, which they bought a long time ago. Also the second-hand market of DSLRs is really booming.”
“If we only count new product sales numbers it looks like the user is rapidly disappearing, but we don’t assume in that way. We believe there’s a group of DSLR lovers who still want to see real light, right through their lenses. And also want to enjoy the handling of the DSLR shooting experience.”
“We believe there’s a group of DSLR lovers who still want to see real light, right through their lenses”
“We know the second-hand marker for Pentax interchangeable lenses. But one of the reasons is that some people have sold their DSLR systems and moved to mirrorless. This has happened with all the brands.”
“But we have a lot of very specialized lenses, such as the Limited and Star series lenses, and we appreciate that a lot of users still like to purchase these as a new products.”
“We will carefully research the market and then listen to our users and DSLR fans,” says Saiki. “Then we’ll draw our business roadmap.”
The revival of film
Saiki says it’s too early to say what lessons can be learned from the Pentax 17 film camera. “I think there’s two ways to evaluate it,” says Saiki: “In terms of brand value, I think it was good sense to release the Pentax 17, as the first new film camera fifteen or twenty years after the industry discontinued them.”
“We wanted to show to smartphone users what the basis of photography is. In that sense, the Pentax 17 played a very good role in saying what Pentax stands for.”
“On the business side the contribution of film cameras has been smaller than the GR business. It’s not the same size as GR.”
This doesn’t automatically rule out future film models, Saiki suggests: “If we can generate more interest in film photography, we can consider how we could make a product group. Now is not the time to consider that, though because we have only just released the first film camera in fifteen years. We need time to communicate with our users and find out what they appreciate or were disappointed by. We need sufficient time to evaluate the usage of Pentax 17.”
The future of the GR series
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The Ricoh GR III was launched back in 2018 but a revival in interest in compact cameras has seen demand outstrip supply.
Photo: Barnaby Britton |
However, Saiki says, sometimes user feedback can be hard to respond to; something they’re finding in the process of planning a future GR model.
“Compactness, high image quality and responsiveness are the core of the GR brand, along with evolution, so everyone looks for improvements in these three areas. So we have to think about how to evolve from here.”
‘We have conducted a lot of research in many countries. A lot of research tells us many users request built-in flash and that they are using small flashes, including 3rd party products, because we dropped the flash feature between GR II and GR III. So we know that a lot of people want flash, if it can be packed into the very small size of the GR III.”
“These things are in conflict, though. Because people want improvements in all three areas, plus flash. If we want to make the image quality better, the body might become bigger, or if we use a more powerful processor to improve the speed and responsiveness, that would require a bigger battery, but the battery endurance should also be longer. ”
“But we know the requests from the users,” he says.
The demand for a GR Mono
We ask whether he believes there’s any potential interest in a monochrome GR model.
“The K-3 Mark III Monochrome got a nice reaction from users. To be frank, more than our expectations. We knew from the Leica M9 or M11 that there were certain photographers who love real monochrome cameras, and the K-3 Mark III has maybe caught some of this demand.”
“We know that a lot of GR users are already using the monochrome filter modes on that camera. And one of the symbolic photographers who uses GR is Daido Moriyama, who’s famous for monochrome photography.”
“Our research says a lot of GR users are waiting for the release of a monochrome compact camera”
“I’ve visited local GR fan events all over the world and I’ve observed many times people using Leica monochrome cameras or the K-3 Mark III Monochrome alongside their GR.”
“Our research says a lot of GR users are waiting for the release of a monochrome compact camera. Of course that dedicated number is smaller than for other products. But at the moment there’s only Leica, which is extremely expensive. If we released such a camera, I think we can appeal to them.”
On photography
Finally, we asked about the future of photography, in a time when it’s the industry’s video features that have been advancing most obviously.
“The speed of evolution in video has been very quick, and the part of the industry dedicated to still imaging is maybe smaller now,” Saiki says: “Sony, Canon and even Nikon are following that technology as well.”
“We value not only the results of photography… we want to provide an enjoyable process”
“But among our brands, both Ricoh and Pentax, we value not only the results of photography or the result of recording: we want to provide an enjoyable process for photo taking. That’s why we don’t want to get heavily involved in video features.”
“Of course we don’t ignore it, but taking for example, GR. The user, if they just walk around the city they become sensitive to what’s going on. They focus on capturing the real moment of something that stands out to them, rather than recording all the time. We want to cultivate that street photography culture, that’s why we’re not so much concerned about video or recording technology.”
Camera
Water: Our March Editors' photo challenge is open for submissions

Illuminated water fountains light up the night on the Magic Water Circuit at Parque de la Reserva in Lima, Peru. The Magic Water Circuit features a variety of fountains, some featuring animated shows, that stretch across the park.
Photo: Dale Baskin |
The theme for our March Editors’ challenge is ‘Water’.
Show us the essence of water in its many forms, from the roaring power of the ocean to a gentle rain, reflections on a lake, smooth waterfalls, frozen ice, or even fine art. The possibilities are endless, so let your creativity flow and show us your best photos that revolve around water. Our favorites will be featured on the DPReview homepage later this month.
This challenge is open to photos taken at any time.
Photos can be submitted between Sunday, March 16, and Saturday, March 22 (GMT).
Important: Images MUST include a title and a caption of at least 25 words to be eligible. Viewers want to know the story behind your photo. We will consider both photos and captions when selecting our winners, so make sure to tell us that story!
Visit the challenge page to submit your photo.
Visit the challenge page to submit your photo
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