One more thing about the Fuji F31fd sensor

In addition to being impressive for a 1/1.7", if they increased the
die size by 3x its width and height, it would roughly match an APS-C
sensor and it would have 38 megapixels. Now, could anyone make a lens
to support that resolution? According to Olympus, their pro lenses
will support 22 meg in a 4/3rds size, so the best Nikon and Canon
lenses should support 38 megs in an APS-C. It might not produce the
kind of results that a big pixel DSLR sensor would, but it would be
very interesting to try it. Here's the F31fd against the D50 Nikon at
800 ISO.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/fujifilmf31fd/page15.asp

 

Even if the Olympus "pro" lenses were up to the task, they are so damned
expensive that Olympus is on a hiding to nowhere when one lens costs
more than other manufacturers entire systems - when those systems will
produce significantly better image quality, particularly at higher ISO.
A 22mp 4/3 camera, a 38mp aps-c, and a 75mp 35mm sensor are stupid ideas
for which there will be a ready and willing market.

 

Lets say the Fuji (noisewise) is comparable at 800 ISO to the Nikon
D50. Which it is. That makes it superior to the Nikon D80 with it's
10 megapixels and higher noise. The only drawback would appear to be
DR, which is narrower than a DSLR. But, in scenes where DR is
moderate (some landscapes, overcast days) then the huge megapixel
count and low noise would "work." You could literally have a camera
the size of a small DSLR capable of 38 megapixel images, IF you have
the lenses to support it. It would be a fascinating experiment.

 

The same company that released the F21FD also just released their
flagship S5 - a 6mp aps-c dslr - with a sensor designed specifically to
increase DR rather than increase resolution. Perhaps they are clueless?

 

No, they targeted a specific area, wedding photogs who seem to have
liked using Fuji's in the past because of the characteristics of their
sensors. I never claimed the F21fd had wide dynamic range, just low
noise. I think a Fuji S5 with two sensors (modular backs) with the 6
meg high DR sensor and a 38 meg high resolution sensor would be
amazing. Like I said before, under conditions where dynamic range
capability isn't being tested to it's limits, it could produce very
good images.

 

Such an extrapolation is meaningless. Unless the fabrication process was
vastly improved, a sensor of nine times the area would cost a fortune -- if
they could make one at all.