Canon Files 2 Curved Sensor Patents, One You Can Control

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Curved sensor mania first took over the blogosphere back in 2014 thanks to Sony and their curved creation. But while that sensor never really came to anything worthwhile—although it was used in a “camera”—two Canon patents are sparking interest in this technology once again.

It seems Canon is looking to bend some sensors of their own, although they haven’t decided exactly how. One patent published last month shows a sensor just bent at the edges; this sensor would reportedly reduce light falloff at the edge of the image, eliminating vignetting:

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This is a unique take on the curved sensor, but it’s not Canon’s most interesting curved sensor patent.

Another patent, published a week after the previous one, shows a sensor that could be curved electronically. Details are unclear, but we assume this means you could control how much or how little your sensor is bent in-camera, allowing you a whole new way to control your final image.

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Option two strikes us as the truly revolutionary one. Although attacking vignetting at the edges has its advantages, the ability to adjust the curvature of your focal plane in-camera would be very interesting—you could set different curvatures depending on the lens you’re using, shooting scenario you’re in, or effect you’re trying to generate.

Granted, this is just a patent for now, but Canon’s clearly interested in curved sensor technology. Maybe they’ll put it in something more exciting than a perfume bottle…

(via Canon Rumors)