Panasonic develops a next-generation robust image sensor

This is indeed a breakthrough, no less.

Usual CCD technology, which uses organic dye filter molecules, are prone to destructive exposure to direct sunlight, even more so when light passes through the lens.

Organic dye filtration fades in direct sunlight: first the yellows, than the reds, than the blues, as can be evident from colour prints, exposed to direct sunlight.

The result in conventional CCD, is a permanent blind-spot in the grave cases, or permanent distorted colour patches, in the lighter incidents, both, very bas news for the camera.

This new robust sensor, is made of a micro-lens pattern etched to the surface (utilising a ten-years old British invention), in their words: "...pattering of an array of digital-microlenses made of an inorganic material in subwavelength dimensions...", very likely, with a new chip-etching technology acquired.

Then, at the heart of the invention, quoted: "...A digital-microlens can be formed by patterning digitally the inorganic material in concentric rings, which works out as a conventional onchip microlens to gather more light onto the photo diode area. The light path of each digital-microlens can therefore readily be designed according to its relative position on the image area. As a result, a uniform sensitivity can be achieved across the image area in any camera module in use...."

To the effect of: "...photonic color filters made of inorganic materials have been implemented for the first time by the photonic crystal technology, which allows the photonic color filters to select any colors form UV to infrared spectral regions. The photonic color filters can also provide a variety of camera modules with lightfastness that is essential for an increasing number of tough end uses such as security cameras and automotive cameras...", according to Panasonic.

I must say I admire these people.

They were the first to adopt digital audio recording and editing to the professional studio market in the late eighties, then in the nineties, they boldly enhanced their video transcription technology, into professional standards (At the same years Sony did), and head-to-head with Sony, embarked on a new arms-race, to produce the best available stills and DV machines, both for the amateur and the pro markets.

Sony took to Carl Zeiss, they took to Leitz Wetzlar lenses. Names a real pro can appreciate, and judge for expected results.

"...Sony took to Carl Zeiss, they took to Leitz Wetzlar..."

Should read:

"...Sony took to Carl Zeiss, they took to Ernst Leitz..."