But wait, there is more. If that is not fast enough for you, it will operate at 300 frames a second with a very high megapixel count.

Plainly for this to work you have to have a very fast way to get the images from the sensor to some place of storage and so there is a 12 bit parallel LVDS giving you 432MHz data transfer, which is fast enough.

You can switch from single shot mode to very, very high speed mode instantly. So what Sony has is an excellent still camera and a video camera with an output which is at least four times higher than current standards and possibly much higher. And it will fit in your pocket.

To get the full techie detail go to http://www.sony.net/Products/SC-HP/cx_news/vol47/pdf/imx01 7cqe.pdf.

Behold the one-person TV crew this new sensor will totally revolutionise the world of video. Now take what
is currently on sale. It is possible in Australia to buy a Sony camcorder (Canon has one as well) which operates at the 1080 standard - four times better than what you get from DVD - for a nuance over $2000. It's small, fits in your cabin baggage
and can record, if you like, to tape.

If you use a wireless microphone, you can do all of the filming and shooting yourself and then edit it on a computer with relative ease.

The day of major television crews - sound, camera, talent (the silly sod who talks) and sometimes a producer - is now all over. All you need is one person who knows how to press a button and talk to camera.

Within a year the standards at which this will be done will be so much higher than anything currently available. It will transform the video industry with the same impact that colour had on black and white. - Gareth Powell