MW

When you see a diagram of how the CMOS layers are built up, they sometimes show a micro (nano) lens structure as the top layer. I'm just speculating but there may have been an improvement to the nano-lens such that they can now collect light from a greater angle than a decade ago.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

As a professional with decades of experience in tech marketing I have a nose for smelling marketing BS. I sometimes even claim that I have a BS in Marketing - I don't. My original paper qualifications are in math and education. However, evidence almost always defeats unsupported marketing BS. In this instance, the preponderance of physics evidence supports the arguments that digital optics are different from film-based optics.

I have and use modified film era lenses (manual focus, pre-autofocus era) but they are not the same as modern lenses designed for digital photography. I like them, and what they do, but it is not the same, and certainly has no association with marketing BS. They are not a direct substitute. I think of them as "Art Glass'.

selmslie Loc: Fernandina Beach, FL, USA

It's a tempting notion but not geometrically feasible.

Light cannot be collimated by an ordinary lens to make it impinge in a more perpendicular fashion on a digital sensor. The light that strikes an individual photo site must come from the rear element of the lens as defined by the selected aperture. All you need to see this is to look at the rear element of the lens with the aperture wide open.

The only way to make this more perpendicular is to move the aperture further from the surface of the sensor which reduces the amount of light reaching the sensor.

The fact that there are digital wells is not the issue, they are not deep enough to cause an issue. Neither is the fact that a percentage of the sensor's surface is between the discrete sensor photo sites so that some small percentage of the light falls into the cracks and does not get recorded.

The surface of a modern sensor is covered by microlenses to help reduce the gaps and deal with the light that arrives from different angles.

There is no such thing as a "digitally designed" lens unless you are referring to the fact that a digital (binary) computer was used to do the calculations as opposed to a slide rule and a drawing board which are analog.

picturesofdogs Loc: Dallas, Texas.

Sony has just released three new lenses and two converters. They say these lenses were designed with both their current and future sensors in mind . They claim they are using lenses cut to shapes never before used. Since they also make a large part of the sensors used today this may soon be something every camera manufacturer will have to take into account.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

This is somewhat academic, but there are both digitally designed lenses and lenses that are designed for digital cameras.

In the first instance, it goes way beyond replacing drafting boards and slide rules. It includes all of the computer-based modelling and simulation that can be done that could not be done so easily in an analogue world.

Secondly, if digital cameras have any characteristics that differ from film cameras then the optimization choices also make a difference in the eventual product design specifications.

These are relatively simple engineering concepts, yet frequently complex to implement successfully.

dmsM43

There are numerous articles discussing this on the internet. Spending some time with "google" will answer most of your questions.
I will say this, however, film camera lenses were designed for film and film doesn't care about the angle the light from the lens hits it. Digital sensors, on the other hand, work best if the light hitting it is at or near right angles to the sensor. And the thickness of the "filter stack" also has an effect on this, too. Modern lenses for digital cameras are designed for this situation. Now it is possible to use old film camera lenses on digital cameras with good results, but don't expect them to outperform modern lenses, especially on the corners and edges of the image.

lev29 Loc: Born and living in MA.

Sorry, f8lee, I missed your point when I skimmed through. At the time, all I noticed was a discussion regarding the front end of the lens. My "bad."

the f/stops here Loc: New Mexico

Good question. Many photographers like one or more old film lenses for one reason or another. I don't, but that is just my humble opinion. Film's emulsion side is a flat surface that absorbs light and lenses designed for film were designed from the outside in. A sensor is like a mirror and reflects light (the opposite of film) and lenses designed for digital camera use are designed from the inside out. This is a very simple and basic, but accurate, description between the lenses. Best, J. Goffe

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

I believe this is so. Canon seems to be replacing even the EF lenses that were film lenses with the same lens with a mark II designation. They are noticeably better on the current digital crop of high MP cameras. I would bet that Nikon and other manufacturers are doing the same conversion. Just an observation with no data to back it up.

CHOLLY Loc: THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE!

So... it would SEEM that your question has been suitably answered. ;)

carl hervol Loc: jacksonville florida

The so called glass over the sensor is a filter to cut out uv light some cameras do not have this filter,there is no difference between so called pre digital lens other than improvements like VR AF AE.

picturesofdogs Loc: Dallas, Texas.

Read Sony's press release on their new lenses, or watch the B+H video on them.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Thus Spake Zarathustra, and we didn't believe him either. You may believe what wish to believe, but that doesn't necessarily make it so.

Not sure how tall you are, but a six foot tall man can only see the horizon at a little less than 4 miles away. If I were you, I wouldn't travel 4 miles from home, you might fall off the edge!

jct842

The only valid argument I can see for a digital lens is multicoating the rear element. All lenses are designed for a given image circle and as long is it can cover the film or sensor and focus it will work. john

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

There are plenty of people that fail to see information that is clearly in front of them. That doesn't mean that the information is not there. The discussion here covers many areas, not least the optical design and modern materials science, in addition to the differing optical characteristics of digital sensors and film.

A truck and a horse are both mechanisms of transport. Pouring a few gallons of oats into your fuel tank may not help your truck, and the horse might not appreciate being fed a few gallons of diesel.