OmniVision releases OV50A 50MP sensor with 100 percent phase-detection coverage and 8K video support

Mobile camera maker OmniVision today released the OV50A, a new imaging sensor for premium and flagship smartphones.

OmniVision OV50A MLPD vs QPD

New flagship sensor with promising specs!

The company claimed that this new OV50A can provide Premium Still and 8K Video Captures for Wide and Ultrawide Main cameras.

It's a massive 50MP sensor with 1.0μm pixel size, 1/1.5-inch sensor size, quad phase detection autofocus technology, and on-chip remosaic.

OmniVision noted that the QPD enables 2x2 phase detection autofocus (PDAF) across the sensor's entire image array for 100 percent coverage unlike the microlens and half-shield PDAF technologies that only capture 3 to 6 percent of the phase-detection data.

This means that the sensor can provide an improved distance calculation, faster autofocus, and better low light performance.

Moreover, it has an on-chip remosaic for the QPD color filter array which promises premium image quality.

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.

OmniVision claimed that this sensor will provide the best low light performance in its class due to the combination of large 1.0-micron pixel size, selective conversion gain’s low-noise, high conversion gain mode, and 1/1.5-inch optical format.

This sensor also has 2- and 3-exposure staggered HDR timing as well as selective conversion gain for the optimum balance between low-light image quality and HDR.

The company boasts that this tech provide mobile designers with maximum flexibility to select the best HDR method for the contrasting light and dark areas in any scene.

The sensor is based on OmniVision's PureCel Plus-S stack die technology. It can shoot 50MP Bayer output or 8K video in real-time. It also has a near-pixel binning output of 12.4MP image for 4K2K video with 4x sensitivity and 2.0 micron-equivalent performance for preview nad video.

It also enables 2x digital crop zoom with 12.5MP resolution and a 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 60 fps, 4K2K video with QPD autofocus at 90 fps, 1080p at 240 fps, and 720p at 480 fps. All of these options can be output at up to 3.5 Gsps per trio, over the sensor's CPHY MIPI interface.

Omnivision said that OV50A samples are expected in Q2 2021.

Source: OmniVision