It's more complicated than that. Read for example
http://www.jazzsemi.com/cmos-image-sensor.html
TowerJazz provides a
sensor platform, where a customer (like Leica) can not only pick cover layers, micro lens architectures, etc., but even modify the underlying sensor/pixel architecture, for example by specifying target base ISO or DR. Why does Leica not tell you what they did ? Because it's IP. And patenting is only one way to protect it (not always the smartest due to necessary publication).
Roland.
You may have found their source
🙂 Yes, I agree they are making careful choices, as they have from the beginning. Their careful choice with the M9 means at base ISO it is completely competitive today, and still preferred by some. Their choice of the high performance S8612 coverglass meant great performance but eventual corrosion for some cameras. You can bet that choice has changed.
🙂
As to hiding the changes to protect the IP, it's a bit rich. The new choices could be easily described without specifics. IE We have a new IR coverglass which has just become available and results in.....etc.
More likely there is nothing brand new, though the mix could be different, and maybe there was room for better ISO than SL in one of those choices, as you suggest. Or Puts idea that the alogrithuim is improved accounting for the ISO improvement over SL is completely plausible. Software is advancing as fast or faster than hardware, as is implementation, hopefully. Certainly a significant part of the new look of the files is camera software.
Anyway: The ISO performance and the totally new look of the OOC files mean that in practical terms it IS a new sensor, for sure. That is huge and beyond my own expectation. Full credit to Leica.
The details of how these improvements came about are murky, and not many people really know. Puts is certainly not proven wrong. "Leica says..." this is meaningless.
The M10 does.....is what matters, we can all agree, even Puts
😉
and the M10 appears to DO very well....best yet for M.
🙂
that is plenty sweet for me. No additional sugarcoat or reverence required, if fact it's a distraction.
