# Interview With Kenji Tanaka, Head of Sony ILC Business



## Canon Rumors Guy (Mar 19, 2017)

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<p>An interview with Sony’s head of their ILC business that was originally posted on Imaging Resource has surfaced over at Sony Addict, as it appears Imaging Resource pulled it for whatever reason.</p>
<p>It’s an interesting interview, as it really gives you a good idea about Sony’s philosophy on growing the mirrorless camera space.</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://sonyaddict.com/2017/03/18/image-resource-interview-kenji-tanaka/">Sony Addict</a> broke down the major points of the interview:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Some sensors are reserved for Sony (Maybe this is why no one else is using their 42MP Full Frame sensor)</li>
<li>Sony invested billions in sensor technology and lenses</li>
<li>The Full Frame market is the most stable, but Sony wants to grow it slowly</li>
<li>“Before 42 megapixels… nobody needed such a resolution……but right now, people enjoy 42-megapixel cameras.”</li>
<li>“Now we are focused on three essential factors. One is of course the resolution, and another is the sensitivity, and third is the speed.”</li>
<li>Sports shooters target one millisecond in time so they might enjoy shooting 100-120fps</li>
<li>There is room for AF speed and intelligence improvement</li>
<li>Nikon/Canon use two systems for AF so their system can’t be intelligent. Our system can be intelligent because our sensor manages the AF.</li>
<li>AF and Exposure could benefit from Intelligence (AI)</li>
<li>The real advantage of mirrorless is direct information not the lack of a mirror.</li>
<li>An early problem with mirrorless was getting the data off the chip fast enough. Now the problem is interpreting all the data.</li>
<li>Sony a7RII mainly brought in customers form other systems, but Sony hopes to grow the ILC market beyond current DSLR/ILC users.</li>
<li>“I have said, too, that amateurs, people who don’t consider themselves photographers, like moms and dads, they need more advanced technology than the pros, because they’re the ones who more than anything need smart cameras and intelligent sensors. So maybe that will come.”</li>
<li>Full frame is their primary area</li>
<li>The price difference between Full Frame and APS-C could get closer together with time.</li>
<li>“I want to show our technology. The technology can change the future. Right now, I think American people still think the DSLR structure with mirror and shutter is best. But the technology can change that kind of way. And I think only Sony can do it.<strong> </strong>So I want to explain why the future is changing. And sensor is one aspect, and the lens is another one. Of course, intelligence is another aspect, but there are many technologies we have, so these things I want to tell your users. And of course [by combining] these technologies we create new cameras. So I want to show you the new camera…mirrorless can take a photo that the even professional DSLRs couldn’t capture.”</li>
</ul>
<p>You can head over the <a href="http://sonyaddict.com/2017/03/18/image-resource-interview-kenji-tanaka/">Sony Addict</a> for a cached version of the entire interview.</p>
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## Mt Spokane Photography (Mar 19, 2017)

Read between the lines:

"“I have said, too, that amateurs, people who don’t consider themselves photographers, like moms and dads, they need more advanced technology than the pros, because they’re the ones who more than anything need smart cameras and intelligent sensors. So maybe that will come.”"

1.They are trying to develop cameras for inexperienced photographers, sort of green box units.

2. Pros are not falling for the line and are not buying Sony cameras. (Video Cameras are a totally different story)

This falls back on the historical Sony goals, market to those who are traditionally Sony customers who buy the Sony name because they know nothing about what they are buying. Churn out amateur quality gear, discontinue it at the drop of a hat.

I'd like to think that buyers are a lot more informed today, with all the information at their fingertips, but I think I'm probably wrong, and not just about electronics.


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## IglooEater (Mar 19, 2017)

Canon Rumors said:


> <li>Nikon/Canon use two systems for AF so their system can’t be intelligent. Our system can be intelligent because our sensor manages the AF.</li>



It would seem he somehow missed one of Canon's key innovations...


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## 3kramd5 (Mar 19, 2017)

IglooEater said:


> Canon Rumors said:
> 
> 
> > <li>Nikon/Canon use two systems for AF so their system can’t be intelligent. Our system can be intelligent because our sensor manages the AF.</li>
> ...



He's clearly meaning the off sensor PDAF in canon/nikon, probsbly compared to their latest a99ii which uses off sensor and on sensor AF together.


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## Woody (Mar 20, 2017)

Canon Rumors said:


> Nikon/Canon use two systems for AF so their system can’t be intelligent. Our system can be intelligent because our sensor manages the AF.





IglooEater said:


> It would seem he somehow missed one of Canon's key innovations...



I'm scratching my head over this one too.

From http://www.canon.com.sg/personal/news/detail/breaks-new-ground-in-imaging-capabilities?languageCode=EN:

"EOS 77D encapsulates the latest of Canon's cutting-edge imaging technologies including Dual Pixel CMOS AF (DAF) and DIGIC 7 image processor. These are the advanced technologies which power the *world's fastest AF focusing speed* of 0.03 seconds* *during Live View*...

...* Among all the interchangeable lens digital cameras incorporating the APS-C size image sensors with *phase-difference detection AF on the image plane*
As of February 14th, 2017 (Researched by Canon).
Calculated based on the resulting AF speed measured according to the CIPA guidelines.
(Varies depending on the shooting conditions and the lenses used.) Internal measurement method.

[Measurement conditions]
Focusing brightness: EV 12 (room temperature, ISO 100)
Shooting mode: M
Lens used: EF-S18-55mm f/4-5.6 IS STM (at focal length of 55mm)
Live View shooting
AF method: Live 1-point AF (with Center AF point)
AF operation: One-Shot AF"


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## 3kramd5 (Mar 20, 2017)

^^
Given that Sony manufactured a DPAF sensor for a Samsung phone, it's unlikely he doesn't know about the Canon tech. Furthermore it's entirely implausible he doesn't know canon and Nikon cameras can focus in live view. Therefore he just mean something else. It's unclear what he means by "manage," but again I postulate he's referring to the a99ii, which uses off sensor and on sensor PDAF together (i.e. at the same time), which is something no canon or Nikon does.


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## Ah-Keong (Mar 20, 2017)

for bodies (Nikon, Olympus, etc) that uses sony sensors. They may want to reconsider.

:


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## Woody (Mar 20, 2017)

3kramd5 said:


> Given that Sony manufactured a DPAF sensor for a Samsung phone, it's unlikely he doesn't know about the Canon tech. Furthermore it's entirely implausible he doesn't know canon and Nikon cameras can focus in live view. Therefore he just mean something else. It's unclear what he means by "manage," but again I postulate he's referring to the a99ii, which uses off sensor and on sensor PDAF together (i.e. at the same time), which is something no canon or Nikon does.



I'm still inclined to believe he is referring to the antiquated off-sensor PDAF and on-sensor contrast based AF in classic DSLRs because (i) he talks about the Sony sensor alone managing AF (ii) the A-series cameras are totally ignored by Sony, have few fans and will just die a painful death soon like the Olympus four-thirds (not micro four-thirds) series while Sony MILCs (particularly full-frame) are doing OK.


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## 3kramd5 (Mar 20, 2017)

Maybe he does mean that, but the notion that a Sony exec has such a flawed understanding of his market that he thinks Sony has a monopoly on sensor based phase detect seems preposterous.

"Managing" is a perplexing term... he might be referring to what Sony deems "intelligent sensors," about which there is a vacuum of information.


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## romanr74 (Mar 20, 2017)

IglooEater said:


> Canon Rumors said:
> 
> 
> > <li>Nikon/Canon use two systems for AF so their system can’t be intelligent. Our system can be intelligent because our sensor manages the AF.</li>
> ...



It's certainly fair to assume that he isn't getting himself informed about competition...


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## kphoto99 (Mar 20, 2017)

3kramd5 said:


> Maybe he does mean that, but the notion that a Sony exec has such a flawed understanding of his market that he thinks Sony has a monopoly on sensor based phase detect seems preposterous.
> 
> "Managing" is a perplexing term... he might be referring to what Sony deems "intelligent sensors," about which there is a vacuum of information.



The "intelligent sensors" triggered an idea, what if the CPU is part of the sensor. On the back side of the silicon die. This would be an extension of the BSI concept. The CPU could address each half of DP element. You would need an A2D for every pixel and you would have to be able to deal with the heat generated by the CPU, but this would open a world of new possibilities. I wonder how far in the future this will be implemented.


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## 3kramd5 (Mar 20, 2017)

kphoto99 said:


> 3kramd5 said:
> 
> 
> > Maybe he does mean that, but the notion that a Sony exec has such a flawed understanding of his market that he thinks Sony has a monopoly on sensor based phase detect seems preposterous.
> ...



That's pretty much what I expect it means. It also satisfies the language (the sensor manages AF, as opposed to DIGIC or EXPEED).


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