In order to really combine this tiny size with enough resolution to appeal to the spec hounds of 2019, Samsung took advantage of its Tetracell technology that makes the Slim GH1 two-sensors-in-one by using a quad-bayer filter to group squares of four pixels together.
In good light, a “remosaicing” algorithm lets for this image sensor to shoot full 43.7MP images; when the light drops and those tiny 0.7µm pixels would cause significant problems with noise, the quad-bayer design enables the sensor to produce better, 10.9MP images with “higher light sensitivity the same as that of a 1.4µm-pixel image sensor.” Best of both worlds.
And since this scaled down Tetracell resolution remains plenty to cover 4K, the ISOCELL Slim GH1 promises “more detailed backgrounds when recording high-resolution videos or selfies at 60T frames per second (fps).”
This is an extra impressive achievement for Samsung, who has been making some major strides in the smartphone image sensor game with its ultra-high resolution 64MP and 108MP ISOCELL Bright image sensors that take advantage of the same Tetracell technology. For the ISOCELL Slim, Samsung simply flipped the script, using the same technology to load up more resolution and performance into a smaller chip.
The hope is that this sensor “will enable sleeker and more streamlined designs as well as excellent imaging experiences in tomorrow’s smartphones.” Oh, and if you are pondering whether this tech will soon make it into “real” cameras, the answer seems to be yes: Sony has already developed a full-frame Quad-Bayer version of the 61MP in the Sony a7R IV, which could bring the same “best of both worlds” approach to much larger, more capable cameras.
