The Future: Round Sensors?

[2WheelPhoto]

Is this thread at the point it really starts "going places"

 

[EchoingWhisper]

By the time a round sensor is developed (if it really happen) memory cards would already be cheap.

 

[Big Mike]

Someone brought it up, but part of the practicality of the issue is how sensors are manufactured. As far as I know, they are made in larger sheets, and cut up into proper sizes for camera sensors. These sensor sheets are rather expensive...which is one big (if not thee) reason that APS-C sized sensors were used instead of just going to full frame sensors for all DSLR cameras.

So, as they are so expensive, they probably wouldn't want to to have any more waste than possible...so it's just easier/better to cut rectangles than circles.

But yes, it is a good question to ask why that haven't gone to square sensors in DSLR or P&S cameras. Probably because people have come to expect rectangular images. Heck, most TVs don't have the old standard 4:3 ratio anymore, in favor of a more rectangular ratio.

 

[480sparky44 44]

An advantage to a round sensor would be correcting tilted images in post..... with no loss of data.

 

[erotavlas]

A spherical camera would go great with the round sensor. What shape would the lens take on, it would no longer need to be contained in a cylinder....

 

[usayit]

- 6x6 square negative (Hasselblad) wasnt universally liked.
- I believe the human natural vision is naturally horizontal. Our firld of vision is wider in the horizontal than virtical. We scan our field horizontally.
- sensor chips are manufactered similarly to that of silicon chips for computers. They are manufactured out of silicon wafers which happen to be circular cut from cylinders. The wafers are made from silicon crystalline that are grown structures... this thenwafers shape is a by product ofmthis process.
- i believe sensor chips a rectangular or square for readout simplicity.. same rows and columns across the entire chip. This one is speculation on my part. But it fits memory design and logic chips.
- The micro 43 cameras have a larger sensor to accomodate three true aspect ratios. If a round image is what you want I am sure some thing similar is far easier than designand manufacture a round sensor.
- imo circular imaging would make composition very odd... everything would gravitate towards the center. Anything not center would look off balance. We would probably end up cropping everything back to rectangular format. Circular frames are rarely used for anything but a portrait.

 

[tevo]

WITCH!!!

 

[Derrel]

George Eastman's early Kodak cameras made...ROUND images...the idea was abandoned...over 100 years ago...

here is the man that invented the Kodak, George Eastman, aboard a ship , holding an early Kodak...

http://www.photomuse.org/media/database/00254.jpg

 

[EchoingWhisper]

A round sensor will use at least 2 times more area compared to a square sensor given that the wasted sensor sheet is not recycled. But what I mean is that I didn't want a round image as an end product, but a sensor that can have several aspect ratio without worrying about cropping too much. And I think they could produce sensor using cylinders instead of cutting them.

 

[Big Mike]

I didn't want a round image as an end product, but a sensor that can have several aspect ratio without worrying about cropping too much.

I still think that the issue of 'worrying about cropping' would still exist. That won't go away with any size/shape of sensor or image. Unless everyone gets brainwashed into believing that square images are the only option.

 

[EchoingWhisper]

Yes, but the RAW file would be round. Anyway, you HAVE to crop or else your picture will be funny. It's just a matter of what aspect ratio to crop, or where to crop. Squares will have the largest pixel count while rectangulars will contain less. On average sensors, choosing a different aspect ratio would further reduce the size of sensor used. Example: A 36mm x 24mm sensor cropped to 4:3 will become 32mm x 24mm (768mm²), while on a round sensor, the image would be 36mm x 27mm (972mm²) which makes round sensors benefit by 204mm² or 25%. The benefit increases as you use a more panaromic crop.

 

[Big Mike]

Yes, you have to crop...but if the RAW file was round...there would probably be more 'waste' than there is now with rectangular aspect ratios. It would frustrate people to no end because they want to keep something that is close to the edge of the circular RAW image, but they can't find a nice rectangular crop that allows them to keep the parts they want.

In other words, a round image would be like teasing people, because it would show them bits of the photo (around the edge) that they could never really have in their final photo, unless they make the print round as well.

The more I think about it, the less I like the idea of round images (for the general public).

 

[EchoingWhisper]

True, but the concave idea is great. Hope someday it will be implemented.

 

[spacefuzz]

A round sensor will use at least 2 times more area compared to a square sensor given that the wasted sensor sheet is not recycled. But what I mean is that I didn't want a round image as an end product, but a sensor that can have several aspect ratio without worrying about cropping too much. And I think they could produce sensor using cylinders instead of cutting them.

Ive grown single crystal products in manufacturing. And you wouldnt want to grow columns the size of your sensor. Economies of scale since the equipment is expensive, the larger sheets are just more efficient.

 

[christian.rudman]

And the square sensor idea is a waste with the portrait/landscape orientation idea. It sounds nifty, but all 4 corners would never see the light of day (metaphorically speaking. The round light source would still hit them, but they would not be processed into a final image) A cross-shaped sensor would be more viable, but equally as useless. One of the things I love about my RB67 is the rotating back. All I do to change the orientation of the frame is rotate the back, not the whole camera. Could be a useful design feature in future cameras. A rotating sensor....