Kodak Introduces 50-Megapixel CCD

Professional photographers will soon be able to take shots at an astounding 8176 x 6132 resolution with Kodak's record-breaking image sensor.

Consumers may still be reeling from the gratuitous resolutions available in even the cheapest digital cameras these days, but for the professional photographer, no resolution is ever really “enough.” Kodak made that point rather dramatically on Tuesday with the introduction of the world’s first 50-megapixel CCD for professional cameras, the KAF-50100, which takes photos in a staggering 8176 x 6132 resolution.

To put that in perspective, Kodak claims that if an aerial photograph of a field 1.5 miles across were taken with the sensor, viewers would be able to pick out an object just one foot square, like a small notebook computer. That makes it the most pixel-dense sensor in the 48 mm x 36 mm optical format, with pixels sized at just 6.0 microns.

Besides its record-breaking resolution, the KAF-50100 has been optimized for a number of other important photographic factors as well, such as increased data throughput for faster frame rate, a reduced “click-to-capture” time for improved camera response, lower power consumption, and improved color fidelity.

Although buyers won’t be able to pick up a camera with the KAF-50100 inside immediately, Kodak plans to begin volume production in the fourth quarter of 2008.