The answer to our prayers?

Dynamic range has been the Achilles' heel of digital. This may be an answer to thos problem. Let's hope so.

Fujifilm and Panasonic have developed a new Organic CMOS Sensor Technology with very high sensitivity and dynamic range

In a joint press release, Fujifilm and Panasonic announced that they've developed a new imaging sensor technology using an organic photoelectric conversion layer that offers the industry's highest dynamic range.

Instead of a traditional silicon based layer that may be 3 microns thick, a very thin (approximately 0.5 microns thick) organic film layer has been developed to convert light, allowing a huge increase in saturation levels and dynamic range (up to 4 times what would be expected from traditional sensor technology), while decreasing noise levels at the same time.

Because the new sensor design offers a much higher incidence angle, this sensor design may lead to better lenses that take up less space in newer compact camera designs, too.

 This is very exciting news. It will make all our old lenses "digital ready."