Canon revealed its new 250-megapixel APS-H CMOS sensor, which has the ability to read letters from up to 12 miles (18 km) away, according to the Daily Mail. The camera company claims that the sensor could make its way into the market of specialized surveillance and crime prevention tools, implying its benefit for spying. The 19,580 x 12,600-pixel sensor currents boasts the clearest known resolution for a unit of its size.
In addition to its ability to take clear photos from far distances, the sensor can also capture extremely high-resolution video at a speed of five frames per second. Furthermore, the footage that is captured is 30 times sharper than 4K (3,840 x 2,160 pixels) and 125 times sharper than Full HD video, according to BGR.
"Despite the exceptionally high pixel count, Canon applied its sensor technologies cultivated over many years to realize an architecture adapted for miniaturized pixels that delivers high-sensitivity, low-noise imaging performance," said Canon in a press release
Although the camera will likely be too expensive for the average shopper, Canon's plans to use it for surveillance and crime prevention suggests that they plan on marketing it to a more specialized customer base. It likely won't be available on the consumer market for quite some time, according to Clapway.