We saw it only as a sketch on Sony patents before. But now we have it in real! This is the new Sony curved sensor and it comes in two variations: Full Frame (43mm) and for Mobile Phones and Tablets (11mm).
The Full Frame sensor is likely to find his way in the new RX2 because this is also what Sony patent were showing us: a FF curved sensor used along a 35mm f/1.8 lens.
As far as we know Sony is the only company offering such a sensor and Sony also said at the 2014 Symposia on VLSI Technology and Circuits event that they developed a special production technique to produce it in mass.
At the end what matters is that: With such sensors corners become 2x more sensitive and have a lot less of issues. And lenses can be designed in a more compact way.
5 Responses
Well, this is going to help optical design as less of Petzval correction (image plane flatness) will be necessary. It is one of the aberrations that are often not easy to correct, but I am curios what will be the impact on the lens design and performance. But one thing is sure – once you have a camera with curved sensor – you will only be able to use lenses designed for it.
It’s a pretty interesting development. Hope the new sensor wouldn’t require a new lens system.
But Sony don’t relax! Next step: sensor bending in real time to accommodate the curvature required by the lens!
I wonder if this type of sensor will be used for high end fixed lens cameras ,where the lens can be specifically designed to take advantage of the sensor curvature which will give better corner to corner results and enhanced resoloution
So…..Sony will make a new set of lenses for it, and stop development of their other systems, as usual.
…. did you even bother to read the article? or just quick or bash it?
if its going to be implemented in the RX2 it would be paired with a fixed lens camera