Crazy Consumer Electronics World: Here's the first ever image taken with Sony's curved camera sensor

Curved TVs and phones already a fad so why not camera sensors?

Nikkei reports that Sony has released the first image ever taken with a curved CMOS sensor it has developed for compact and full-frame cameras. The new image sensor features a curvature similar to the human eye that helps to fix optical distortions normally created by flat sensors.

On top of this Sony hopes curved sensors will also feature greater light sensitivity, better image quality, and pave the way to simpler lenses.

Typically the problem of capturing an image with a curved sensor is light rays that pass the lens at an angle. This creates distortions, vignetting, and a host of other problems that have to be corrected with extra glass elements in lenses.

With a curved camera sensor, however, light rays would be able to enter the camera in a straight line and remove the need for bulky and heavy lenses.

A working, yet experimental, concept

Sony, Curved Sensors, compact cameras, full-frame cameras, compact cameras, Newstrack

The first image out of the sensor might not be a high-resolution sample but it's enough proof that to show Sony has something that actually works rather than a concept in early development.

Thus far, Sony has produced a 2/3-inch prototype sensor for use with compact cameras and a full-frame version.

Rumors picked up by The Phoblographer suggested this sensor might make its way into the next Sony RX1 fixed lens, full-frame compact. However, Sony informed DP Review that the sensor is nowhere close to a 24-million pixel resolution.

Sony also indicated that it would be difficult to design high-power zoom lenses to work with the curved sensor. So it may be some time before Sony figures out a way to sensor properly implement its new sensor with a consumer camera.