On Sun, 08 Jul 2007 19:56:18 -0700, RichA wrote:

I agree. I think there are two things limiting full frame
prices: 1)no competition (Canon is it), and 2) cost of a wafer
run is still very high. I remember seeing a figure that a
12-inch wafer run costs about $10,000 (if someone knows a better
number, please let me know). So how many full-frame sensors fit
on a 12-diameter disk (not many). Thus cost per sensor remains high.
From one news report I saw, Canon refined the process to get
far fewer defects per wafer, thus increasing yield. That allowed
the 5D price to be so low.

I can believe this, because a really good FF sensor (few flaws) would
cost more than a 1DsMkII.

Then you'll believe anything, but we already know that.
Roger's $10,000 estimate is probably ball park accurate, as is
Allen's estimate of somewhat less than 50 FF sensors per 12" wafer.
If the final yield is only 40 FF sensors per wafer, the cost would
be $10,000 / 40, or $250 per sensor. even if you quadruple the cost
to take into account additional manufacturing costs and desired
profits, you're not going to come close to the cost of a 1DsMkII.
Or are you saying that the FF sensors that Canon puts into their
cameras are the cheaper ones that have many flaws and that they
really aren't very good?