It really, really does not matter which manufacturer is responsible for designing and producing a sensor because it is just one part of a much larger device. Sony Semiconductor provides sensors for a vast array of imaging devices across the market, from smartphones made by Apple to cameras made by Nikon. But for some reason, photography fans get particularly wrapped up in this debate when it comes to the sensor used by their favorite, or least favorite, camera company.
It doesn’t even matter that Nikon has been using Sony sensors for years and that the results we see from Nikon cameras versus Sony cameras have been consistently different. That’s great, but not even the issue. We shouldn’t be treating our buying decisions akin to relationships with our favorite sports teams.
Again, this news shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who’s been paying attention to Nikon hardware over the past decade or so. Since Sony Semiconductor (which has gone through a few name changes over the years) has been producing image sensors, other manufacturers have been purchasing their technology, including (but not limited to): Canon, Fujifilm, Hasselblad, Leica, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, Phase One, Samsung, Sigma and others. Still, it's nice to get confirmation of a detail that’s been suspected since launch.