Imaging Resource published an interview with Masahiro Suzuki, General Manager R&D, Nikon Imaging devoted to the announcement of the new interchangeable lens Nikon 1 camera system. A significant part of this interview is devoted to its 1-inch 10.1MP image sensor based on 3.4um pixels. The sensor has 24 digital outputs, while it's not clear what is the full resolution frame rate.
Few interesting quotes:
On the 10MP resolution in relatively high-end product: "Our message will be that image resolution is not everything. We offer you additional value. The image quality from 10 megapixel sensor is excellent, good enough for the kind of use that consumers make of their pictures, even for quite big enlargements."
"We [Nikon] developed it; we engineered and developed this sensor inside Nikon. But for the production side, that is done by our partner."
"The major difference from the others is that this camera's image sensor has embedded phase detection AF, so that achieves very fast focusing."
Imaging Resource clarifies: "Nikon V1 and J1 both have a hybrid autofocus system that combines both phase-detection and contrast-detection modes. The operating mode is chosen automatically as appropriate to the shooting conditions, and a generous array of 73 phase detection AF points are available. Since there's no way to hook a separate autofocus sensor into the optical path in a mirrorless camera, Nikon has adopted a similar strategy to that used by Fujifilm in certain of its compact camera models last year. The phase detection autofocus points are placed on the image sensor itself, although it isn't currently clear how the focus points are spaced with regards to the surrounding photodiodes."