Learn About Digital Cameras

Digital cameras focus light through lenses onto an electronic sensor, which captures the image electronically. The electronic image is then processed and converted into digital binary data, then stored on the cameras memory or on the digital memory card. Once this is done, the memory card can then be read by other digital devices such as your computer.

The majority of digital cameras use as CCD (charged coupled device) as the image sensor. Some cameras use CMOS (complimentary metal oxide semiconductor) instead. Both types of these sensors convert light into electrical impulses, which are digitally transferred to the digital memory card.

These sensors also filter light into three primary colors and then merge them thus creating a full color spectrum. More expensive cameras, such as DSLR's use three sensors, a sensor for each of the three primary colors.

Two other functions of the camera that are used to control the amount of light reaching the sensor is aperture and shutter speed. Aperture settings are automatic in most digital cameras with the exception of high end DSLR cameras, which allow manual control. The shutter speeds can also be set manually in higher end cameras, but are automatic in most point and shoot cameras.

The four kinds of lenses used by digital cameras are: fixed zoom, fixed focus, optical zoom and digital zoom. Inexpensive cameras use fixed focus and fixed zoom lenses, while more expensive cameras use optical zoom lenses with wide and telephoto options. Digital zoom lenses gather pixels from the center part of the image and enlarge them to fill the frame, which sometimes results in fuzzy images.

Most digital cameras have an LCD screen on the back of the camera which allows you to view the pictures you've taken and control the cameras's settings, but you'll need to transfer the pictures to your computer to get larger viewing. The quality of the pictures you've taken depends on the resolution of your camera, which is measured in megapixels. Higher resolution (more megapixels) produces better image quality.

The camera's resolutino is important in determining the size of your printed pictures. For example, a 1 megapixel camera will produce images that are of quality good enough to post on a website or email to friends or family. Images produced at 2 megapixels are good enough to print 4X5 prints. Images produced at 4 megapixels are higher can produce 16X20 prints or larger.

Early digital cameras used to store the pictures on memory within the camera, which were then transferred to a computer via USB cable. Most cameras today allow for removable digital memory cards and sticks. Digital cameras have come a long way jsut in the past five years and will continue to get better and better as technology advances.


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Are you looking for the best small digital camera? Check out our Top 5 small digital cameras!