Foveon today announced the release of its 14.1 megapixel X3 DSLR image sensor, which is included in Sigma's latest SD14 camera.


In addition to providing image quality suitable for professional photographers, the new X3 sensor incorporates design and process enhancements which improve performance at long exposures and high ISO speeds, and also provides a 40% increase in pixel count, compared to the previous X3 DSLR sensor.

Foveon's proprietary X3 technology is the only image sensor technology that stacks red, green and blue pixels vertically, increasing the information density of the recorded image, while simultaneously eliminating the color sampling artifacts found with other image sensors.

The new X3 sensor packs 14.1 million pixels, each 7.8µm in size, into a 3-dimensional array of 2652 x 1768 x 3 pixels with an active image area measuring 20.69 x 13.79 mm. The sensor can be read out at speeds up to 5 frames per second.

"We are pleased to have the new Foveon sensor for our latest DSLR camera, the unique ability of the X3 sensor to capture fine color details is the perfect match for our high performance Sigma lenses," said Kazuto Yamaki, COO of Sigma Corp.

"The new Foveon sensor not only provides a path for our existing camera owners to upgrade to a higher level of quality, but also increases the attractiveness of the camera to new owners", he added.

In addition to the SD14, a new class of compact camera that leverages the high-performance of the Foveon DSLR sensor will also be launched by Sigma. The compact camera, named the DP1, will offer the same unprecedented performance from the 14.1 megapixel sensor in a small and user-friendly form factor.

This latest X3 sensor design is being fabricated by Foveon's semiconductor foundry partner, Dongbu Electronics, headquartered in Seoul, South Korea.