OmniVision’s new OV50X is a 1-inch camera sensor with 8K HDR video recording

1-inch sensors have become rarer than in previous years, but they are still used in the top-of-the-line camera phones. For those, nothing but the best will do, so OmniVision has unveiled a new sensor with the highest dynamic range in the industry and “movie-grade” video capture.

The OmniVision OV50X is a 50MP sensor with a 1” optical format – it has massive 1.6µm pixels before binning. It does support 4-in-1 binning (12.5MP output resolution) at 180fps. It can also do three-channel HDR at 60fps.

Speaking of HDR, the sensor offers dynamic range “close to 110dB”, which is the maximum possible in a smartphone form factor, says OmniVision. This is credited to the TheiaCel design, which made its debut on an OmniVision sensor for the automotive industry (think of driving in or out of a dark tunnel on a sunny day).

8K video can be recorded with Dual Analog Gain (DAG) HDR. DAG is a one-frame HDR technology – it applies high gain to boost detail in the shadows and low gain to preserve detail in the highlights, then combines that into an HDR result. This approach reduces artifacts that can appear in multi-frame fusion HDR.

The OmniVision OV50X combines multiple HDR technologies

Note that Dual Conversion Gain (DCG) is a separate HDR method that the sensor can apply. LOFIC (lateral overflow integration capacitor) is part of TheiaCel, which helps with HDR and reduces the flicker of LED lights (including billboards, traffic lights, etc.).

The OV50X also supports in-sensor zoom to give the phone’s main camera extra flexibility. The sensor has 100% coverage Quad Phase Detection (QPD) autofocus that allows it to quickly and reliably get a focus lock.

The OmniVision OV50X is being evaluated by tech companies right now and is expected to go into mass production in Q3 2025, so we can see the first smartphones with it before the end of the year.

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