Apple is investigating new image sensor technology that promises up to 20 stops of dynamic range.That’s a level that surpasses the ARRI ALEXA 35, and gets really close to matching the dynamic range of the average human eye.Here’s what that actually means.
1,048,576:1 A newly published patent, “Image Sensor With Stacked Pixels Having High Dynamic Range And Low Noise,” first spotted by , reveals Apple’s plans for a next-generation sensor that rivals the dynamic range of current professional cinema cameras.The patent details a stacked sensor design promising up to 20 stops of dynamic range, which his the ratio between the largest and smallest values of light that can be captured simultaneously without loss of detail.It is measured in “stops”, where each stop represents a doubling or halving of light.
So, a 20-stop dynamic range would essentially mean a 1,048,576:1 contrast ratio with no lost light or shadow in the same picture.A complicated thing to measure For reference, while there is no official dynamic range specification published for the iPhone 16 Pro Max sensor, here’s CineD’s compreheNsive estimation of the iPhone 15 Pro Max 24mm camera, which they measured using three different techniques: waveform test (“how many stops can be identified above the noise floor”), IMATEST (“signal to noise ratio for each stop”) and latitude test (“the capability of a camera to retain colors and detail when over- or underexposed”).The results: And And Meanwhile, most estimates seem to put the human eye’s instantaneous dynamic range averages around 10-14 stops, reaching 20-30 stops after pupil and retinal adjustments.
A two-layered approach that could spawn new product categories While Apple has long relied on Sony for its camera sensors, this patent suggests the company might be cooking up something far more ambitious in-house, from the silicon up.According to the patent, Apple’s architecture combines two layers: A sensor die, where light is captured via photodiodes and custom analog circuitry A logic die, where processing happens, including built-in noise suppression As notes, this stacked layout is not entirely new in the industry.Sony reportedly uses something similar.
But Apple’s approach brings a couple of twists: First, it includes a mechanism called LOFIC (Lateral Overflow Integration Capacitor), which allows each pixel to store light across three distinct charge levels depending on the brightness of the scene.Second, each pixel includes its own current memory circuit, which measures and cancels out thermal noise in real time, eliminating the need for post-processing cleanup tricks.And interestingly, Apple is achieving this with a three-transistor (3T) pixel structure, rather than the more complex and less noise-prone 4T.
As this discussion helps understand, by stacking the sensor on top of a chip, Apple basically adds a discrete shutter for each pixel, and processes the image for noise reduction before it even leaves the die.What does all of this mean, product-wise? If this sensor ever makes it into a shipping product, it could enable Apple to leapfrog not just its smartphone competitors, but pro camera makers like Sony, Canon, or RED in certain key metrics.Throw the Neural Engine, and other tricks enabled by Apple’s tight hardware-software integration in the mix, and it wouldn’t be a huge stretch to imagine Apple taking this beyond the iPhone and building its own full-blown proper cameras beyond the hacked gizmo it schlepped together for the “F1 The Movie“.
Here’s what thinks of what this may bring: and As always, take patents with a grain of salt While this is exciting stuff, a patent is just a patent.We’ve seen time and time again Apple register patents for tech and products that never panned out, so don’t expect anything like this to come out any time soon.And judging from the comments in the original story and , many valid technical questions remain unanswered, some of which seem to border on what is scientifically possible.
Camera aficionados are one of the most engaged and detail-oriented people out there, so the skepticism is not surprising, but rather welcome to help bring some extra perspective.Still, it is interesting to see Apple looking at its in-house chip-making chops, and scoping out where else they can be put to work.Do you think Apple might be able to pull this off? Do you care? Let us know in the comments.
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