Dezeen Magazine

Digital camera concept by Jared Mankelow

This concept for a digital camera would let users look through a hole right in the middle of the ring of sensors, rather than framing their shot on a screen or through a viewfinder (+ movie).

Digital camera concept by Jared Mankelow

The design was a response to a challenge set by technology and science website BBC Future, who asked Jared Mankelow, senior product designer at Conran & Partners, to re-imagine an everyday item.

He came up with a Post-it note-sized camera that would have a hole in it for users to look through when they're taking a picture.

Traditionally a camera's viewfinder would be above its sensor, but in Mankelov's design the hole itself acts as the viewfinder, with multiple sensors forming a ring around the eye.

"The ultimate goal is to take a photo of what you see. What we've done is punch a big aperture through the camera's centre to connect the photographer with what's in front of them," explained Mankelow.

Digital camera concept by Jared Mankelow

Inspired by an old SLR camera, he also decided to do without a digital screen and instead control the device manually with buttons and wheels. A ring flash around the hole would also make it suitable for close-up photography.

Digital camera concept by Jared Mankelow

We previously featured an eye-tracking camera controlled by blinking and squinting and a wearable camera that decides which moments of your life are worth photographing – see all cameras.

Digital camera concept by Jared Mankelow

Other technology we've published lately includes headsets that allow their wearer to adjust their sight and hearing as they would with a TV and a cuckoo clock that announces new Twitter messages – see all technology on Dezeen.

Digital camera concept by Jared Mankelow