The digital 'film plane' or exposure chip is flat, the normal film lens sends a cone shaped beam of light to the back, or film plane. Digital lenses are ground so the 'beam of light' is sort of like a rolling pin, or straight back at perpendicular angles to the capture-chip. (or whatever it's called)
This is true.
However, there doesn't seem to be a significant problem with this. Think about it this way: all of the professional work being done with digital cameras, whether outside (Canon/Nikon/etc) or in the studio (various backs for MF equipment) is being done with lenses designed for film. On the other hand, all of the "digital" lenses are low end lenses from third party manufacturers. The design changes aren't adaptations for different film/sensor planes, they're generally improved flare etc characteristics. All that's happened is that lower grade lenses have been redesigned to be more like high quality lenses. It's called "marketing."
I spent a few hours talking to a lens designer at the gallery where I once worked. Yeah. They're different.
I'd like to know what camera lenses this person has designed and how they've made them different. Canon and Nikon don't do anything different (excluding the smaller image circle) - they're selling the same lenses they sold for film cameras.
Jeff Spirer
Photos: http://www.spirer.com
One People: http://www.onepeople.com/
Surfaces and Marks: http://www.withoutgrass.com
