This particular sensor is itself made up of smaller arrays, from what I understand.
>Probably means they had some kind of production glitch and little or no >useable yield on the initial runs. And now with Pentax jumping ship they >may >not be able to continue for cost reasons. >35mm size CCD arrays are also the preferred size for medium format digital >backs, which up till now I think are made by using multiple smaller arrays. >Kent Gittings > >-----Original Message----- >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Mark Roberts >Sent: Friday, October 26, 2001 9:32 AM >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: RE: Pentax digital info > > >I considered that but my sources tell me it's not the case: Philips simply >isn't making this part at all at this time for anyone; their fabs are >producing >just parts they can sell in big quantities. > > >>Don't forget that the bigger the chip die size the lower the initial yield. >>Possibly they have found that they can't produce enough good chips to meet >>their contract requirements for both Contax and Pentax so Pentax may have >>bowed out because they could not get guaranteed enough chips to have the >>required number of cameras for sale at introduction. >>Lots of possible scenarios. Maybe a low yield on the contract allows them >>to >>charge more per chip and Pentax didn't want the camera to get even more >>expensive while maybe Contax didn't care because their target consumer >tends >>to be more affluent than Pentax's. >>Kent Gittings >> >>-----Original Message----- >>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Mark Roberts >>Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2001 9:07 PM >>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>Subject: Re: Pentax digital info >> >> >>From what little more I've been able to dig up I'm pretty sure the reason >>Philips is not making the CCD is for financial reasons rather than >>technical: >>The semiconductor business was in a big slump *before* the Sept 11 >terrorist >>attacks and is doing even more poorly now. They just aren't in a position >>to >>produce anything that isn't going to sell in big numbers (and a 6 megapixel >>CCD >>falls squarely into that category). >> >>I suspect they're hoping to produce this part when the economy picks up >at >>a >>later date (they insist it's an active part in their catalog even though >>they >>won't give me pricing or availability). This would explain why Pentax was >>so >>diplomatic in their announcement, not saying "Philips has bailed out and >>left us >>holding the bag". They want to be on friendly terms so they can use this >>part >>when it finally does become available. (A little company like Pentax is >in >>no >>position to upset a multinational behemoth like Philips even slightly.) >> >> >>"lbparis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >>>Mark, >>> >>>I'm personally pretty sure you are right. I expect to see a >>>Pentax digital SLR body in the 5MP range for no more than >>>$2KUS (maybe less). In which case, I'll be right in line with >>>an order. >>> >>>Len >>>--- >>> >>>----- Original Message ----- >>>From: "Mark Roberts" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>>To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>>Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2001 1:40 PM >>>Subject: Pentax digital info >>> >>> >>>> Philips is almost certainly having some *major* problems with >>>the production >>>> of the 6 megapixel CCD. >>>> >>>> Since I'm the Components Engineer responsible for >>>semiconductors (mostly >>>> discretes but including all optoelectronic devices) at my >>>company I've been >>>> doing some investigating. I've been going back and forth with >>>their North >>>> American distributors for over a week and they still won't >>>cough up pricing >>>> *or* availability information. The latest voice mail I got >>>from the local >>>> rep tried to steer me toward looking for alternative devices. >>>It seems that >>>> no one at, or associated with, Philips even wants to *talk* >>>about this device. >>>> >>>> Considering that they've just lost one significant customer >>>for this part >>>> with the cancellation of the Pentax 6MP digital SLR, >>>unavailibility of this >>>> part is more than suspicious, IMO, and indicates they're >>>having major problems >>>> of some kind. Perhaps yield issues, perhaps the soft >>>semiconductor market >>>> has forced them to cut back in general and this part was one >>>that got the >>>> axe. Who knows. >>>> >>>> Don't know if this the same CCD that was to be used in the >>>Contax digital >>>> SLR. The Philips press release only mentioned Pentax >>>(http://www.semiconductors.philips.com/publications/content/file >>>_735.html) >>>> >>>> I'll post more information when/if I get it but I think I'm >>>getting about >>>> as much as I'm going to find out without a personal spy inside >>>Philips! >>>> We'll see. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> Mark Roberts >>>> www.robertstech.com >>>> - >>>> This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To >>>unsubscribe, >>>> go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't >>>forget to >>>> visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org . >>>- >>>This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, >>>go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to >>>visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org . >> >>-- >>Mark Roberts >>www.robertstech.com >>- >>This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, >>go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to >>visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org . >> >> >> >>********************************************************************** >>This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and >>intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they >>are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify >>the system manager. >> >>This footnote also confirms that this email message has been swept by >>MIMEsweeper for the presence of computer viruses. >> >>www.mimesweeper.com >>********************************************************************** >>- >>This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, >>go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to >>visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org . >> >> > >-- >Mark Roberts >www.robertstech.com >- >This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, >go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to >visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org . > > > >********************************************************************** >This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and >intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they >are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify >the system manager. > >This footnote also confirms that this email message has been swept by >MIMEsweeper for the presence of computer viruses. > >www.mimesweeper.com >********************************************************************** >- >This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, >go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to >visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org . > > -- Mark Roberts www.robertstech.com - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
