Tablets and 3D HDTVs have definitely hogged most of the spotlight in the gadget world throughout 2010. But a few other sectors have managed to do very well under dimmer limelight. E-readers and cameras have both had a big year, and with new classes of digital cameras hitting the market, Sony realizes that there's a giant opportunity to take the lead here. According to new reports from Japan, Sony will be investing a staggering $1.2 billion during the company's next financial year in order to double the output of image sensors and take advantage of the increasing demand for cameras and high-end smartphones with robust sensors in them.Over the past week, a deal between Sony and Toshiba was worked out where Sony will be buying back a semiconductor plant fro Toshiba. Plans are to convert part of the plant in Nagasaki for use in producing CMOS image sensors. You may not know it, but Sony is the world's second largest digicam maker behind Canon, and the company is obviously hoping to up their standings. Once the investment takes place and production starts to roll, the total production of image sensors (including CCD and CMOS) will hit 50,000 per month, with an estimated time frame of March 2012 on that.Sony has also been known to equip their Sony Ericsson phones with above-average sensors, and now that Nokia's N8 has outclassed just about everyone, it's clear that a response should be coming soon.