410-megapixel sensor and 600-euro teddy bear – the photo news of the week 4/2025
Canon sets a resolution record for 35-millimeter sensors, but probably not for system cameras, and Leica sells expensive fan merchandise for an anniversary.
(Image: Leica, Montage: Heise)
With some supposedly ground-breaking innovations, especially in the photography industry, it is important to take a closer look. This week, for example, the first full-frame sensor with a resolution of 410 megapixels. Surely its 35-millimeter format should also be suitable for a system camera? Yes, but...
In the very first paragraph of its press release on the impressive semiconductor, Canon makes it clear that the sensor is intended for surveillance, medical and industrial applications. No resolution record in an EOS, even more so than in some medium formats. If you look at the first field of application mentioned by the manufacturer alone, this makes a lot of sense: if only the fictitious technicians in some TV series have been able to zoom into a surveillance video seemingly indefinitely and still recognize the smallest details, this could move closer to reality. The as yet unnamed sensor offers a total of 24,592 Ă— 16,704 pixels.
A dozen times 8K resolution
That's just under 6.5 times the resolution of 4K and a tiny bit more than three times the resolution of 8K, both converted to the width of the image. And in terms of the total number of pixels, we are looking at a good twelve times that of an 8K TV picture in 16:9 (7680 × 4320 pixels). If the optics in front of the sensor can keep up, the level of detail should indeed be enormous. This could quickly become relevant not only for surveillance, but also for medical recordings: Just one shot – without devices that may be frightening for patients with skin contact and many scans – and even more precise images of the back of an eye are conceivable. Canon does not need to conquer a market here; the company already has an established medical division.
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Nevertheless, video also plays a role with the new CMOS sensor; at full 410-megapixel resolution, the module should be able to achieve 8 fps – important for surveillance. If four pixels are combined using pixel binning, a cinematic 24 fps is possible, then with 100 megapixels and increased brightness by combining the read-out values. But whether this will ever become a camera for artistic applications is still completely unclear. The only indication so far is that Canon is emphasizing the 35 millimetre form factor. The SPIE Photonics West conference in San Francisco, where Canon plans to present the sensor next week, could provide a little more clarity.
Leica's moustache teddy for well-heeled collectors
Of course, the price of the new sensor is not yet known, unlike Leica's new teddy bears, which cost 600 euros. Well, in addition to Leica, Steiff is the second luxury brand on it, and"Elsie" and"Ernst" are of course only intended as collector's items. There are only 500 of each. The special editions are of course celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Leica 1. The animals, which are not intended for cuddling, are named after Ernst Leitz II and his daughter Elsie KĂĽhn-Leitz. It was Ernst Leitz who led the Leitz company in 1925, when the Leica 1 was launched on the market. Both 28-centimeter teddy bears will only be available from Leica and Steiff stores in January 2025.
In the following May, there will be the slightly smaller"Cuddle", which you will probably want to give to your children for a comparatively low 125 euros. If you remove the fabric Leica first. Elsie and Ernst have put on more elaborate models of the Leica 1. Just for comparison: Steiff's 28-centimeter bear, which is designed purely for cuddling, is also available from the manufacturer itself from around 40 euros. Some of the numerous other memorabilia with the admittedly chic "100" lettering from Leica for the anniversary are also available for this price and less. These include writing instruments from Faber-Castell and other items that, even with the best will in the world, can only be described as fan merchandise. At least: the flattest merchandise such as T-shirts and coffee mugs are not included.
600 limited edition M11
The special edition of a camera is of course a must: The "Leica M11 100 Years of Leica". Price according to RRP 9,500 euros. It is available in six variants, named after Leica locations: Dubai, Milan, New York, Shanghai, Tokyo and, of course, Wetzlar. The city names are engraved on the cameras, the model numbers on the hot shoe, for example 001/100. 100 of the special M11s are available for each city, making a total of 600. This glossy black M11 is otherwise distinguished from other variants by its silver control elements. The camera will be available in Dubai first, and then in the countries of the other cities mentioned in the course of the year. And of course only in their Leica stores.
Canon has shrunk the wide angle
Canon's new 16-28 millimeter zoom is not limited, useful and yet more than standard. At 445 grams, the lens is very light for such an ultra-wide angle with f/2.8, and at only 91 millimeters in length when collapsed, it is also quite short. Many a 24-70 millimeter lens for a DSLR is longer and heavier. And the price is also reasonable in comparison: around 1300 euros are required, and the lens will be on sale in February. Find out more in our detailed report.
Samsung's risky bet called S25
The Samsung 25 is also only briefly mentioned here by virtue of the columnist's duty as a chronicler, because like all smartphone manufacturers, Samsung is fully committed to AI here –, no doubt primarily for marketing reasons. More important than the AI functions of the new phones is what they don't bring with them: major innovations in the hardware. As our colleague Steffen Herget describes in a commentary, Samsung wants to use the AI features primarily for operation. The sticking point: "Customers first have to accept this new way of operation that Samsung is striving for." Of course, Steffen's succinct opinion is a recommendation for a must-read at the weekend, and we'll have a proper long read next time.
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