MOS vs CMOS vs CCD

[Brian Larson]

When i first read about the 3-MOS technology in the new AG-HPX300 camera, i was sure that there was a typographical error in the literature, then i started to do some digging.

here i what i learned:

Image sensors for video and still cameras have been traditionally of the CCD or CMOS variety.

the CCD offers high light sensitivity and little noise but has poor color reproduction which is why camera manufactures use 3 to image the RED, GREEN and BLUE respectively. the CCD uses more power than a CMOS sensor so a battery time can be shorter.

The CMOS sensor uses less power than the CCD sensor and is good at rendering color information, the CMOS sensor is cheap to make too, this makes the CMOS sensor ideal for consumer grade cameras. the major draw back to the CMOS sensor is the fact that because of the architecture, the sensor is not as sensitive to light as the CCD so you have to have a bigger CMOS sensor to equal the light sensitivity of the CCD type.
The CMOS sensor has a noisy background, this can preclude the use of this sensor in high end broadcast cameras.

so a very cool new sensor has been developed, one that is more sensitive to light and color than the CCD, has the same power consumption as the CMOS, and does not have the "noisyness" of the CMOS sensor. This image sensor has been developed in conjunction with Panasonic and is being utilized in the newest Panasonic broadcast and other manufacturer digital SLR cameras with the Live MOS Sensor.
Understanding the Live MOS Sensor | PhotographyBLOG

The Live MOS Sensor offers image quality comparable to an Full Frame Transfer (FFT) CCD sensor with the low power requirements of a CMOS sensor, and is noteworthy for its high-quality imaging capabilities over an extended period of time. Simplified circuitry that reduces the distance from each photodiode to its corresponding on-chip microlens, (making for a denser, higher resolution sensor) [this] assures excellent sensitivity and image quality even when light strikes it at a high angle of incidence.

the MOS sensor called the "νMAICOVICON" the New Matsushita Advanced Image Converter for Vision Construction was produced and Panasonic is using them in their new cameras.
Live MOS - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
?Maicovicon - Wikipedia
"3MOS Sensor" offers the high image quality of the CCD and the low power consumption of the CMOS : Cyber Showcase Blog

The new MOS sensor, has nearly doubled the light-absorbing surface of the CMOS with a lower power consumption of the CMOS. in theory, the new sensor can be more sensitive and "quieter" than the CCD allowing a MOS image sensor to be smaller than a CCD but still have a better light sensitivity and color rendering strengths.

So I have finally had a chance to use the new cameras and am completely blown away, the light sensitivity of the AG-HPX300 is simply astounding, making a dark twilight scene look as bright as a cloudy day.

This camera is the camera that I am planning on upgrading our studio cameras with.
I have also talked to some engineers at CNN and they have confirmed that they are replacing their news broadcast cameras with the AG-HPX300.

[Marcel D. Van Someren]

At least one user of the HPX300 doesn't agree that 3MOS is noisless:

Panasonic | AG-HPX300 P2HD Camcorder | AG-HPX300 | B&H Photo