Sony selling the new SWIR sensor IMX990

[dabateman]

The new Sony SWIR sensor looks really interesting. Capable from at least 400nm to 1700nm.

For only about $9000 USD, you can buy one.

 

First saw it here:

http://image-sensors-world.blogspot.com/2020/05/sony-unveils-swir-sensors-for.html?m=1

 

 

Here is the Sony data and prices:

https://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Press/202005/20-036E/

 

[colinbm]

Why only settle for one....

[Stefano]

Nice, they also showed black sugar. Andy imaged it with his (now obsolete since he has a TriWave camera) upconversion phosphor system.

 

https://www.ultravioletphotography.com/content/index.php/topic/2127-salt-vs-sugar-in-the-swir

[dabateman]

I have a feeling this Sony sensor is a triwave. That quantum efficiency of 80% at 400nm, I highly doubt drops to zero at 399nm.

Based on the scale you could probably push it out to at least 350nm. It bothers me when they don't include scales down to 200nm. That would be the next unit tick down. But its probably not good at or below 250nm, which people consider UV today. Which is silly. At lot of useful information is gained imaging at 320nm into UVB.

[Andy Perrin]

Dabateman, it’s not a TriWave but the technology looks similar. The TriWave used Germanium on silicon, while this one uses InP and InGaAs on silicon in a similar way. The TriWave people also did not advertise UV capability but my testing of the camera shows it works fine in UVA.

[dabateman]

Yes sorry Andy, thank you for the clarification.

I was loosely using the term triwave, to mean that this sensor should work for UV/vis/SWIR.

 

The QE of the Sony looks amazing.

[dabateman]

Imx990 is back in the news again:

http://image-sensors-world.blogspot.com/2021/05/sony-senswir-reverse-engineering.html?m=1

 

Seems to be commercially available.

[Andy Perrin]

Great, when can I buy one? For how much? Until it's at that point, big *shrug* from me. (So many of these things never seem to make it into any kind of affordable product, definitely including the TriWave.) Sometimes the best that can be said for new sensors is that they make the previous generation that much more affordable.

[dabateman]

You will have to request a quote

https://axiomoptics.com/low-light-cameras/goldeye-g-130-swir-camera-sony-imx990/

 

https://www.ehd.de/products/InGaAscameras/InGaAs_VIS-SWIR_IMX990_IMX991_Infrared_Cameras_USB3.html

 

https://www.seiwasingapore.com/product-information/machine-vision/1-3mp-swir-camera-sensor-imx990/

 

http://aval-global.com/?p=5566

 

Even QHY the Astrophotography company has them for sale:

https://www.qhyccd.com/index.php?m=content&c=index&a=show&catid=138&id=63

[Stefano]

Price is the greatest obstacle in these cases. I bet it costs thousands of dollars. One day, we could find one on eBay at an affordable price.

[dabateman]

Back in April someone here got an estimate from QHY that it might be $25000

http://www.astrosurf.com/topic/145184-cameras-et-observations-dans-linfrarouge/

 

The sensor cost is $4000.

[Andy Perrin]

Yes, this is what I mean. If it's $15,000 I don't care because I will never have that kind of money. I mean, there are plenty of cameras now with specs that are fantastic, but I can't afford them, so...

 

Pretty much the upper limit for what I'm willing to spend for a camera is $4000. Beyond that it's all fantasy.

[dabateman]

Ok here the quotes were 1100 Euro

https://m.facebook.com/QHYCCD/posts/3233368753433052?locale2=ne_NP

 

I may have to request a quote myself

[Andy Perrin]

That's not a camera, that's a piece of a camera...

[Stefano]

Is the sensor compatible with some cameras? Can you mount it in a camera body?

[dabateman]

Quotes are coming in the cost is $20000 to $25000.

So still out of reach.

[dabateman]

QHY looks to be officially released now.

Too bad its 2 orders of magnitude more than I can afford.

 

https://www.qhyccd.com/qhy990-991/