Photographer and software developer Jarle Aasland recently discovered that Nikon has developed - and patented - interesting lens technology meant to enable the use of a single fisheye lens on cameras with different-size film or digital sensors, all the while retaining an angle of view of 170 degrees or more.

 

Aasland's summary of the contents of the Nikon patent, which was filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office in February 2004 (and about a year before that in Japan), is on his NikonWeb site. The U.S. patent filing itself is here.