<p>While camera makers have now conceded the traditional point-and-shoot market to smartphones, they have taken solace in the fact that they still rule the more advanced spectrum of the market, with cameras like interchangeable lens DSLRs and compact system models. Well, not if smartphone technology continues to accelerate, like this new ultra-wide-angle lens developed by the University of California, San Diego.</p><p>As Pop Photo reports, the lens, created by researchers at UCSD's Jacobs School of Engineering, is small enough to fit inside a smartphone yet has the optical performance to rival traditional DSLR lenses. "The new imager achieves the optical performance of a full-size wide-angle lens in a device less than one-10th of the volume of a regular lens," according to the researchers. When you consider the size difference between a DSLR lens glass to components in a smartphone, that's a huge achievement.</p><p>According to researchers, "these images show the resolution of the conventional wide-angle lens (left) compared to that of the new fiber-coupled monocentric lens system (right), where both images were captured with identical 5Mpixel focal planes, looking 60 degrees off-axis."</p><p>Part of a newly developed camera system made in collaboration with DARPA for the Soldier-Centric Imaging with Computational Cameras (SCENICC) program, this wide-angle lens has a 12mm focal length connected to a 5-megapixel image sensor, and uses a "fiber-coupled" monocentric lens made from concentric glass shells, which are perfectly round like glass marbles, the researchers said. The symmetry from this design allows the lens to produce high-resolution wide-angle images without the geometrical distortions of typical fisheye lenses. Unlike previously developed monocentric lenses, the UCSD researchers said theirs can better convey the rich information collected by the lens to the sensors via an optical fiber connection, and the optical fibers allow for improved focusing. While the camera is designed with aerial drones in mind, it could also be implemented in smartphones.</p><p><a href="http://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/ucsd-miniature-wide-angle-lens-delivers-sharp-clarity-that-rivals-traditional-dslr-glass/">Keep reading...</a></p><p>Read also:</p><p><a href="http://www.gizmag.com/camera-lens-buying-guide/29141/">What lens do I need? A guide to buying your next camera lens</a> (Gizmag)</p><p><a href="http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2013/10/01/camera-deals-of-the-day-fuji-x-e1-kit-for-1000-canon-eos-m-kit-for-349-cano">Camera Deals of the Day: Fuji X-E1 kit for $ 1000, Canon EOS M kit for $ 349 ...</a> (imaging resource)</p><p>Explore: <a href="http://news.google.com/news/more?ncl=dxDShNJCU-p4PiMl0eucoPl9sVMlM&ned=us">4 additional articles.</a></p>