Whether or not the megapixel race has cooled down, or at least reached a simmer, in point-and-shoot cameras remains to be seen, but it seems to be hotting up in mobile phones. Last autumn Sony unveiled a 16mp sensor; now it’s Samsung’s turn, with 8mp and 12mp imagers for use in a smartphone. Because we all obviously need that much resolution in a device with the photographic control of an earth-bound asteroid.
The catchily named S5K3H2 is the 8mp sensor. It has back side illuminated technology, which will go some way to helping get a picture that is actually of something, especially in low-light conditions, as well as the ability to capture 1080p full HD video images at up to 30fps.
The S5K3L1 (now I feel as if the Samsung engineers are misplaced megalomanic chemists with naming conventions like these) is the 12mp sensor, which improves on the 8mp sensor with an optional RGB-white colour filter and a video capability of 1080p HD video at 60fps and 720p at 90fps.
They’ll be rocking and rolling later this year. I think I can probably contain myself until then.