How about 250Mpixels?

[Jørgen Ramskov]

Canon have created a prototype chip with no less than 250Mpixels:

Canon has announced that its R&D team has developed a CMOS sensor of a similar size to that used in the EOS 1D Mark IV - and it houses 250 million pixels. The APS-H chip measures 29.2x20.2mm, slightly larger than the 27.9x18.6mm EOS 1D Mk IV sensor, and features a pixel layout of 19580x12600.

That's a lot of Mpixels, but a few years ago 50MPixels seemed entirely silly.

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/9255490800/canon-turbo-boosts-the-pixel-race-with-250-million-pixel-aps-h-sensor

[John Geerts]

Best quote:  "which sounds a bit like they don't know what to do with it now they've made it"    

[Frank Fremerey]

If you can collect more photons with a chip you have the chance to develop a more detailed tonality

If you install more photosites you have the chance to extract more spatial resolution

If you need a stabilizer with a weight of tons made from brick and mortar to utilize such a cam
usability might suffer though

[Frank Fremerey]

Best quote:  "which sounds a bit like they don't know what to do with it now they've made it"    

Art and engineering seem to profit. This is what I read here. Billions of pixels per second readout..
This could be useful in the real world too.

[Jørgen Ramskov]

Build it and someone will find a use case for it.

I do wonder about the lenses, will they not be a limiting factor?

[Frank Fremerey]

Bodycap pinhole will do. I recommend a precision cut. *ggg*

[mgagnonlv]

Having 19580x12600 in a 29.2x20.2mm, great! Considering the wavelength of visible light, that's about twice the minimum theoretical size of a photosite, assuming perfect optics, of course. It might have applications for research where they sometimes use electronic microscopes to "see" things too small for regular light waves.

But of course, such a limited niche market is too small, so let's sell these chips to masses. So in 5-10 years, we will sell 100 Mpixels cell phones and 150 MPixels DSLRs. Now, I'll be able to send only 8 photos per month without busting my cell plan and my brand new 2 TB disk will be good for only 13 000 photos. Besides, I won't be able to send any photo by email, so I'll have to send them via FTP through my own site or pitch them somewhere on the cloud.

[Akira]

This would be the world's most impossible camera to handhold... 

[pluton]

This would be the world's most impossible camera to handhold... 

Only if you wanted a 500X or 2000X enlargement that had no recorded motion.  If you were planning a 10x15 CM print, it'd be no different than a Nikon Df. 

[Gary]

Canon will be substituting the new sensor and cropping for long telephotos.

[Akira]

Only if you wanted a 500X or 2000X enlargement that had no recorded motion.  If you were planning a 10x15 CM print, it'd be no different than a Nikon Df.

Keith, I don't see any meaning to use a 250M pixel camera to make a 10x15cm print!

[Frank Fremerey]

Keith, I don't see any meaning to use a 250M pixel camera to make a 10x15cm print!

Right. You also do not use a hammer to produce nails...

LOL

[stenrasmussen]

This would be the world's most impossible camera to handhold... 

Not at all Akira. I can handhold a 6 gigapixel camera too.
...avoiding blur will be a major challenge though 

[Jørgen Ramskov]

Nah...just make sure the shutter is fast enough :p

[elsa hoffmann]

mgagnonlv :    +1 - and on internet speed in sa - even FTP will be impossible