Foveon image sensor for DSLR..."superior" to CCD and CMOS??

[NFS4]

I was reading this interview with Nikon on Engadget when the question of the Foveon image sensor came up:

Steve, talk to me briefly about FoveOn, a 5-year-old technology coming out of Silicon Valley that sounds like one of the most promising, revolutionary developments in the history of cameras and optics. And yet, virtually nothing has been done in the camera industry. Why is that?

Steve Heiner: From what I understand, it does take a very precise manufacturing process to ensure high quality, and I know this technology has been out there for some time, and FoveOn has offered it to many companies. I can?t speak to our designers? technical reaction to it or to our business sense of it, but suffice to say our engineers are always looking at new technologies that come down the pike. I can?t really address why that particular type of sensor type hasn?t been widely adopted.

I was reading their site and the technology looks promising.

http://www.foveon.com/

Comments, opinions?

 

[NFS4]

Found some more stuff:

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0202/02021101foveonx3.asp
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0202/02021103foveonx3preview.asp
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0202/02021102foveonx3tech.asp

 

[0roo0roo]

bungled..theres the expensive sigma..and then the bungled kodac? or was it polaroid.. or whatever. bugs not worked out

 

[kami333]

Promising but too many limitations right now.

 

[jamesbond007]

I could see this being widely used in the very high-end series of cameras, considering they say the censor itself costs ~$3,000 alone.

Perhaps companies just don't see this as a very effective route to go, since most people want cheaper cameras with more functions, putting quality in the backseat when they consider their purchase. If Nikon/Canon started using this sensor in their highest cameras, they'd be offering it to such a small market that the increase in cost for the sensor might not be worth their R&D and production costs, since they would no longer be using their own sensors anymore.

 

[GTaudiophile]

Not cost-effective!

 

[ProviaFan]

The sensor is decent, but the camera that the average person would buy it in, the Sigma SD10, sucks (not to mention that you're stuck using Sigma mount lenses, so even Sigma lenses for a Nikon or Canon wouldn't transfer over, or vice versa). Some disillusioned diehards claim that the 3MP (it's not 10MP, despite their claims) SD10 beats the 12MP D2x and 16MP 1Ds MkII, but that's bulls***. Regardless, the "3MP" Foveon sensor does show higher resolution than a 3MP Bayer sensor, having been regarded by reasonable people up near the 6MP Bayer-sensor cameras. If they could only make a 6MP to 8MP Foveon sensor and put it in an EF and/or F mount body, then I feel that there would be much higher adoption.

 

[randomlinh]

it's been around for so long... i was very excited to read about it a couple years (or more..) back.. but today's sensors work so well anyway.

 

[Anubis]

yes its promising however it has issues with noise and cost, also its really only 3mp not 10, just like fujis super CCD is only 6mp not 12

also the deal they signed with sigma for use kinda hindered development

its basically just too new, just like Nikons LabCast sensor

 

[m2kewl]

i heard canon has similar patented technology for their sensors. i'm sure they bring it out when it's right.