Sony's curved sensors - this could be the near future or even a present reality?

[pedro]

I really like that. But I guess we are lightyears away from such a device...Or Sony could take us by surprise by 2016?

http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/cameras/Canon_rumours.html

 

[Loswr]

A curved sensor to match the new Samsung curved uHDTVs?

 

[mackguyver]

Those curved TVs look pretty cool, at least on TV 8). This looks like a big cost saving / miniaturization move by Sony to eliminate lens elements that correct for field curvature. With 100M EOS lenses out there, not to mention Nikkor and many others, I don't see flat sensors going anywhere.

 

[Arkarch]

Curved so its easier to roll up your shots and send them to processing.



Actually, see a bunch of curved panels. Curved sensors for correction... hmm,, it would seem hard to make that accurate.

 

[mackguyver]

Those curved TVs look pretty cool, at least on TV 8). This looks like a big cost saving / miniaturization move by Sony to eliminate lens elements that correct for field curvature. With 100M EOS lenses out there, not to mention Nikkor and many others, I don't see flat sensors going anywhere.

I hate to say it but those 100M EOS lenses would all work better on a DSLR with a curved sensor than one with a flat sensor.

Maybe or maybe not because they have different levels of field curvature and most macro lenses would really suck on a curved sensor. On the other hand. the Sony sensor will no doubt have lenses that are all designed to have very similar levels of field curvature.

 

[bainsybike]

So what happens when you print the image? Do you need curved paper?

 

[Neutral]

I think this technology could make it possible to create affordable compact mirrorless medium format camera using optimized pancake lenses which would require less optical elements in design (e.g. 3-4) elements instead of typical 10 -17 elements). So lens could be much smaller and cheaper which would result in significant cost reduction of overall medium format system. This could be breakthrough in medium format cameras design and could allow MF to take more market share from FF DSLRs

 

[brad-man]

Those curved TVs look pretty cool, at least on TV 8). This looks like a big cost saving / miniaturization move by Sony to eliminate lens elements that correct for field curvature. With 100M EOS lenses out there, not to mention Nikkor and many others, I don't see flat sensors going anywhere.

I hate to say it but those 100M EOS lenses would all work better on a DSLR with a curved sensor than one with a flat sensor.

Maybe or maybe not because they have different levels of field curvature and most macro lenses would really suck on a curved sensor. On the other hand. the Sony sensor will no doubt have lenses that are all designed to have very similar levels of field curvature.

Field curvature has nothing to do with illumination levels.

I believe they were trying to say that not only will the new sensor allow for smaller sized lenses relating to field of view, focal length, etc., but they will also allow for larger apertures, thereby allowing more light.

 

[pedro]

Those curved TVs look pretty cool, at least on TV 8). This looks like a big cost saving / miniaturization move by Sony to eliminate lens elements that correct for field curvature. With 100M EOS lenses out there, not to mention Nikkor and many others, I don't see flat sensors going anywhere.

I hate to say it but those 100M EOS lenses would all work better on a DSLR with a curved sensor than one with a flat sensor.

Maybe or maybe not because they have different levels of field curvature and most macro lenses would really suck on a curved sensor. On the other hand. the Sony sensor will no doubt have lenses that are all designed to have very similar levels of field curvature.

Field curvature has nothing to do with illumination levels.

I believe they were trying to say that not only will the new sensor allow for smaller sized lenses relating to field of view, focal length, etc., but they will also allow for larger apertures, thereby allowing more light.

Lens construction requirements aside for a moment, if this sensor type makes it into any type of FF gear in the near future, more light would stand for better current high ISOs. Hope, the wait won't take too long. Any plans by Canon in this field? I guess we won't see anyting near to mass production within less than 5 to 10 years time...

 

[tron]

Those curved TVs look pretty cool, at least on TV 8). This looks like a big cost saving / miniaturization move by Sony to eliminate lens elements that correct for field curvature. With 100M EOS lenses out there, not to mention Nikkor and many others, I don't see flat sensors going anywhere.

I hate to say it but those 100M EOS lenses would all work better on a DSLR with a curved sensor than one with a flat sensor.

Maybe or maybe not because they have different levels of field curvature and most macro lenses would really suck on a curved sensor. On the other hand. the Sony sensor will no doubt have lenses that are all designed to have very similar levels of field curvature.

Field curvature has nothing to do with illumination levels.

I believe they were trying to say that not only will the new sensor allow for smaller sized lenses relating to field of view, focal length, etc., but they will also allow for larger apertures, thereby allowing more light.

I won't allow for smaller lenses as the image circle still needs to be the same size.

What it will also do is put the entire sensor in the same focal plane, so that if you're using a 50/1.2, if the middle is in focus then the edge will be too (providing it is in the same focal plane in front of the lens.) Well in theory, but that would require the sensor to have the same curvature as the lens and that might not be possible.

It is just aiming the bucket (pixel) in the direction of the rain drops (photons).

Exactly, plus, different lenses, different curvature. I do not think it is practical.

 

[brad-man]

If practical means cheap, then definitely not. But if their claim that the redirecting of those photons takes substantially less glass to accomplish is true, then it would mean smaller and sharper lenses. I certainly don't know enough about lens design to know if that's true/possible, but I like the idea of a sharp f/1.2 85mm the size of a couple of shorty forties.

 

[Jay H]

My retina is curved. My eyeballs do not contain multiple elements. IF flat sensors were "simpler" to design for, I am quite disappointed that we have not evolved that superior level yet!

 

[mackguyver]

Those curved TVs look pretty cool, at least on TV 8). This looks like a big cost saving / miniaturization move by Sony to eliminate lens elements that correct for field curvature. With 100M EOS lenses out there, not to mention Nikkor and many others, I don't see flat sensors going anywhere.

I hate to say it but those 100M EOS lenses would all work better on a DSLR with a curved sensor than one with a flat sensor.

Maybe or maybe not because they have different levels of field curvature and most macro lenses would really suck on a curved sensor. On the other hand. the Sony sensor will no doubt have lenses that are all designed to have very similar levels of field curvature.

Field curvature has nothing to do with illumination levels.

When did I mention illumination levels?

 

[Khufu]

My retina is curved. My eyeballs do not contain multiple elements. IF flat sensors were "simpler" to design for, I am quite disappointed that we have not evolved that superior level yet!

Dude, you only ever use the central focus point and never pay enough attention to the detail in the outer edges of your focal plane to even comprehend its IQ anyways - always recomposing to focus better, you humans! That and our eyes are lame compared to many others in the Animal Kingdom... Diddums

 

[MLfan3]

it is only practically useful for fixed lens cameras such as phones and RX1 type of cameras. it requires a new set of lenses. and considering Sony's current financial status , it cannot afford doing it. unless Samsung or Fuji or some more rich company do it , it is kind of meaningless tech.

 

[AvTvM]

I won't allow for smaller lenses as the image circle still needs to be the same size.

of course it would. Even in TWO ways:
1) If the claims about increased sensitivity by factors 1.4 in the center and factor 2.0 at the edges are true, front elements would be considerably smaller at to get the same transmission -> smaller diameter
2) a LOT less correcting glass eleements required in lenses -> shorter lenses
Tiny f/1.2 FF PANCAKE lenses all over. 8)

Canon might be ready to switch obver their current sensor fab and introduce a new lineup by 2099 already.
But Sony could easily jettison their just-started FE lens lineup and replace it with something new, starting tomorrow. As long as the new lenses are Zeiss-labeled ...

 

[expatinasia]

Seems that the rumour is that the curved sensor would come out in the RX 2.

On a curved sensor light rays will hit the corner pixels straight on instead of obliquely. The lens doesn’t have to use extra lenses to correct for distortions, vignetting, aberrations in corners and other issues. Therefore you can pair the sensor with flatter and larger aperture lenses. Curved sensors are 1.4 times more sensitive in the center and 2 times more sensitive in the corners.

http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/first-image-of-the-full-frame-curved-sensor-made-for-the-rx2/

 

[rpt]

My retina is curved. My eyeballs do not contain multiple elements. IF flat sensors were "simpler" to design for, I am quite disappointed that we have not evolved that superior level yet!

+1

I guess it is time to begin R&D on printing silicon wafers

 

[dgatwood]

Microlenses were invented and put on your DSLR sensors because they couldn't make curved sensors.

AFAIK, the purpose of microlenses is actually to work around the fact that the sensors aren't flat, but rather recessed down into pockets in the silicon. Light rays near the edge of the sensor would otherwise fall way off unless you use a huge image circle. Changing the angle of those pockets might provide an advantage over the microlenses, but doing so doesn't inherently require curving the actual face of the sensor.

On the other hand, using a curved sensor brings with it a lot of other problems. For starters, the screen you show the image on isn't curved, and neither is the photo paper. So the image would have to be warped to fit the medium. Even ignoring all the aliasing problems that will likely cause (which I'd expect to be considerable), unless I'm mis-thinking this, the resolution on the photo will probably be lower near the edges of the sensor—built-in corner softness, if you will—unless the pixel density changes as you get closer to the edge of the sensor, in which case the SNR will be worse near the center of the photo. Neither approach seems particularly desirable. Or maybe I'm missing something.

 

[privatebydesign]

Another Sony implementation that would render their current lenses useless, when will they learn that people buy into a camera system and they want longevity in that system, sure new tech is nice, as are MkII lenses etc, but to render everything previously as unusable can only be done once every twenty or so years, not every other electronics season.