Sensor size of Sony HDR-HC7e

The nomenclature that describes todays imaging chips as to their size was established in the 1950’s before the advent of digital imaging chips. This information is just a footnote in history however we still use this sizing method. In the era of the 1950’s TV stations with their TV cameras were popping up all over the world. These TV cameras used an imaging tube that had a short lifespan. This vacuum tube was called a Vidicon. Various size camera’s meant that the shelfs were stocked with various size Vidicon Tubes. These were sold by their diameter. This value was most commonly expressed in inches as most were manufactured in the USA. While the Vidicon Tube had a round active image surface, the camera masked this to a rectangle so that its aspect ratio fit the size of TV sets. This nomenclature, now obsolete remains as the way imaging chips are titled. The size of a 2/2.9 inch digital imaging chip, if a Vidicon, would fit a camera that accepted a tube 2.9 inches in diameter.