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Sony Pixel Shift on Sony A7R V: Notched “Pac Man” Bites on Edges of Objects

re: Sony pixel shift

What’s causing these “Pac Man” bits out of the edges of Sony pixel shift images?

I first noticed these notched “Pac Man” edges when a reader sent me some images he had taken, of similar black and white targets; he was testing pixel shift vs single shot. I am pretty sure they occur on all other Sony mirrorless cameras with pixel shift, though I have not gone back and checked.

This example compares against a 16-shot pixel shift image. However, I see the same effect with 4-shot images in some cases also, though it is harder to see. Repeatable, every time. And I’ve seen hints of this issue in outdoor images and with colored pixels (eg green).

The notched edges look like movement issues, but that makes no sense by any theory I can think of—how could any movement make a notch exactly every other pixel, and both horizontally and vertically? And why are color effects involved too (those yellow/purple tinges, see the “60” bars for example)?

Note that Adobe Camera Raw Enhance Details does a phenomenal job of delivers results nearly identical to 4-shot pixel shift, though it cannot do as well witih real-world image detail particularly textures. Still—kudos.

Lghting was held constant (indoors and at night) using a 24 X 12 inch 15500 lux LUXLI Taiko remote phosphor LED at 5800°K. The same findings are seen in natural daylight and shot on a concrete floor in garage—no possible vibration.

The 4-shot pixel shift and single shot frames have been enlarged 2X here for direct comparison.

Yes, 16-shot pixel shift does resolve a lot more detail than 4-shot—on resolution bars. On real images, it looks worse by loss of contrast. The resolution is so extreme that it can resolve the increasing diffraction blurring at f/5.6, f/8, f/11, etc; it looks like a widening double image effect (not shown here).

Sony pixel shift 16-shot compared: f5.6 @ 1/4 sec, ISO 50
Sony A7R V + Voigtlander FE Macro APO-Lanthar 65mm f/2 Aspherical

Below, same thing just shown 2X larger, linearly.

Alex Tutubalin of LibRaw writes:

It definitely looks like movement between frame artifacts (this may be caused by a wrong movement compensation or a wrong vibration reduction: camera is stable, but sensor moves to compensate wrong detected movement)

DIGLLOYD: I agree it looks like movement, but I am certain that it is not. But I can repeat the test in natural light on a concrete floor in my garage where there is no air movement and no traffic anywhere nearby. Not that my house had such things either.

IBIS was disabled (and shouldn’t the camera do the right thing anyway?), and the effect is repeatable every time and at f/4, f/5.6, f/8. Here the exposures were at 1/4 second but I see the same thing at 1/8 at f/4 and 1/2 at f/8.

Jason W writes:

This is the same nonsense seen on the Fujifilm GFX pixel shift we were talking about where it's never stable even under ideal circumstances.

We need to start talking about magnetic anomalies or external forces influencing movement on the sensor?

DIGLLOYD: Unstable seems most likely, I would agree; it looks like checkerboarding, which stems from lighting changes (none in this case) or subject motion (none in this case).

I cross checked the findings in my garage on a concrete floor and absolutely still air, diffuse light from a crystal clear blue sky, just no possibility of anything changing. Same findings.

I am hoping that Sony can tell me, but odds are low of getting a serious technical answer due to company culture with some parts of the company willing and others wary of saying anything anytime about nothin'.


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