Sony’s new “Octa PD” doubles the AF phase detection points

OM Digital future cameras may one day use the new Sony’s “All Pixel Autofocus (AF)” technology also named “Octa PD”:

• “Octa PD” is a technology that multiplies “Dual PD” with sensors in the Quad Bayer array. This method is suitable for large sensors that can achieve the excellent AF performance of all-pixel AF while maintaining the “high sensitivity” and “HDR compatibility” that are the features of Quad Bayer.
• In particular, Octa PD is unique in that it can acquire phase differences in all pixels of long exposure, medium exposure, and short exposure during HDR operation, and realizes high-speed AF operation regardless of the brightness of the subject.

Octa PD is a structure that combines a quad Bayer sensor with Dual PD (Canon’s so-called dual pixel) technology, and can realize extremely high-level phase AF regardless of the brightness of the subject. Since the Octa PD has already been adopted by Sharp’s AQUOS R7 and has been put into practical use, it may be only a matter of time before this technology is adopted for larger sensors.