Summer usually means sun, sand and palm trees for a vast number of people. But for an experienced photographer, it means more light, longer days and more vivid subject colors. The point-and-shoot person wouldn’t really care about factors like that for the only concern is capturing the smiles of friends and family. The professional photographer takes in a lot of details like foreground and background, line of sight, leading lines and composition. And the amount of light is huge factor in all these details.
But not everyone is a professional photographer. If you are planning to buy the best digital camera, purchase one that suits your lifestyle and goals. Don’t lug around a camera with features you can’t understand but you had to get because it is the best digital camera used by professional photographers. Don’t bite off more than you can chew, so to speak. If you are a beginner, start at the beginning and don’t go straight to the finish line.
So to get the best digital camera, think about what you hope to achieve, your lifestyle and your budget. As for the technicalities, check the image quality, megapixels and zoom capability. Digital cameras are usually categorized under the following:
· Ultra Compact – This kind of camera is easy to carry around for they could fit into your pocket or bag. But the viewfinder and controls leave much to be desired. They are often too small to be suitable for get-your-camera-quick moments.
· Compact – Now, this variety is what most people buy for it is relatively easy to bring and the controls are not difficult to operate. They also have bigger sensors than the ultra compact camera. The images are better even if there is very minimum light. It is the best digital camera for travel and other random outings.
· Creative Compact – This camera isn’t larger than the compact one but the advantage of having a creative compact camera is that it allows you to have more control. It also has more features for you to play with.
· Professional-like – With this kind of camera, you are paving a way for the big leagues. It is big and bulky and has heavy lenses that are high in quality. It is a camera wherein the viewfinder and sensor operate within the same lens. Professional-like cameras do away with the optical viewfinder that is often found on compact cameras. With professional-like, you get a screen and electronic viewfinder. This is the best digital camera for you if you want to practice professional photography.
· Professional – Now this is the best digital camera if you want to go on an excursion to only take pictures. Though it is large and difficult to carry, it offers the best image quality and low-light performance. You can even attach special lenses to customize your picture.
Taking pictures is all about capturing that perfect moment. For nature often changes in a matter of seconds. Take for example, the sunset; as the sun goes down, the streaks of colors shift every second. If you have the best digital camera, you would be able to get every last detail.
http://www.articlecube.com/Article/Choosing-The-Best-Digital-Camera-For-Your-Lifestyle/131432
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
The Criteria To Look For In A Good Digital Camera Review
Potential buyers use a digital camera review because they want to be able to make an informed choice about their purchase. They are created by a team of people made up of experts and general users, and tested over a period of time to give an informed opinion. Therefore, any review of it should be thorough and clear, with the buyer`s best interests in mind.
For simplicity, the digital camera review is usually in a summarized table format, with stars or numbered ratings beside each make. The reason for this is that this format makes it very clear for the reader to understand. However, the criteria assessed are not always made clear and may leave the reader wondering what exactly the ratings for the product was based on and whether it is reliable.
A good digital camera review should have a wide reaching outlook and consider as many aspects as possible. It should have the requirements of a variety of buyer`s covered, considering the possible uses and realistic price ranges that may be required.
The good digital camera review should also offer insightful opinions in terms of features, portability, performance and cost. It should be easy to follow but also informative, with a balanced argument and also a more in depth description available for any interested buyer. It should compare one product to another, to provide the consumer with the best possible choice. The good digital camera review should also be honest; to make sure the consumer truly gets what suits their needs and expectations.
Firstly, the cost should be considered and clearly stated. This is a necessity as all potential buyers have a budget in mind when purchasing a digital camera. The review should explain whether the product is good value for the price bracket that it covers, and if so, in what way. There should be reviews of several types or make of digital camera for each price range so that the consumer can understand what is fully available. The review should also try and alert any buyers of possible available discounts and deals that are realistically obtainable.
Performance is central to any review. The digital camera is bought for a reason, and potential buyers want to know whether what they are purchasing will meet their specific requirements.
Performance includes the lens and sensor quality, the range of zoom, additional special features, compactness, weight, picture quality and reliability. These are all factors which will affect the quality of the image taken and also the type of photography that the digital camera is designed for.
Clear reasons behind why each feature is considered to be of high or low quality needs to be backed up with clear and justifiable arguments. There should be comparisons made between digital cameras, and a range of makes covered.
An excellent review will also go one step further and investigate the product a little further to give the reader the best possible service. This may include testing out any available accessories, or assessing the level of support from the manufacturers or the time taken to deal with repairs. These added extras can make the choice much more informed, and help the potential buyer from making possible mistakes.
Most importantly, the best digital camera review should be user friendly, with technical information either explained in layman terms or kept to a minimum unless it is a review specifically aimed at professional photographers. It should appeal to its market and provide the information required.
This article is under GNU FDL license and can be distributed without any previous authorization from the author. However the author's name and all the URLs (links) mentioned in the article and biography must be kept.
http://www.articlecube.com/Article/The-Criteria-To-Look-For-In-A-Good-Digital-Camera-Review/123330
For simplicity, the digital camera review is usually in a summarized table format, with stars or numbered ratings beside each make. The reason for this is that this format makes it very clear for the reader to understand. However, the criteria assessed are not always made clear and may leave the reader wondering what exactly the ratings for the product was based on and whether it is reliable.
A good digital camera review should have a wide reaching outlook and consider as many aspects as possible. It should have the requirements of a variety of buyer`s covered, considering the possible uses and realistic price ranges that may be required.
The good digital camera review should also offer insightful opinions in terms of features, portability, performance and cost. It should be easy to follow but also informative, with a balanced argument and also a more in depth description available for any interested buyer. It should compare one product to another, to provide the consumer with the best possible choice. The good digital camera review should also be honest; to make sure the consumer truly gets what suits their needs and expectations.
Firstly, the cost should be considered and clearly stated. This is a necessity as all potential buyers have a budget in mind when purchasing a digital camera. The review should explain whether the product is good value for the price bracket that it covers, and if so, in what way. There should be reviews of several types or make of digital camera for each price range so that the consumer can understand what is fully available. The review should also try and alert any buyers of possible available discounts and deals that are realistically obtainable.
Performance is central to any review. The digital camera is bought for a reason, and potential buyers want to know whether what they are purchasing will meet their specific requirements.
Performance includes the lens and sensor quality, the range of zoom, additional special features, compactness, weight, picture quality and reliability. These are all factors which will affect the quality of the image taken and also the type of photography that the digital camera is designed for.
Clear reasons behind why each feature is considered to be of high or low quality needs to be backed up with clear and justifiable arguments. There should be comparisons made between digital cameras, and a range of makes covered.
An excellent review will also go one step further and investigate the product a little further to give the reader the best possible service. This may include testing out any available accessories, or assessing the level of support from the manufacturers or the time taken to deal with repairs. These added extras can make the choice much more informed, and help the potential buyer from making possible mistakes.
Most importantly, the best digital camera review should be user friendly, with technical information either explained in layman terms or kept to a minimum unless it is a review specifically aimed at professional photographers. It should appeal to its market and provide the information required.
This article is under GNU FDL license and can be distributed without any previous authorization from the author. However the author's name and all the URLs (links) mentioned in the article and biography must be kept.
http://www.articlecube.com/Article/The-Criteria-To-Look-For-In-A-Good-Digital-Camera-Review/123330
Few Facts Of Digital Cameras
A digital camera captures images in a digital format, unlike a conventional camera, which captures images using a photographic film.
History:
Using a mosaic photosensor, Eugene F. Lally of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory first showed how still photos could be produced in a digital domain. An engineer at Eastman Kodak, Steve Sasson, used solid-state CCD chips to build a prototype digital camera having a resolution of 0.01 megapixel, and recorded black and white digital images to a magnetic cassette tape. With this prototype model, Steve took the first image in December of 1975 taking 23 seconds to capture it.
In 1988, Fuji DS-1P became the first digital camera that captured images as a computerized file. However, the camera never entered the U.S. market. In 1991, Kodak DCS-100 was the first commercially available digital camera, which used a 1.3 megapixel sensor. With the advancement of technology, modern digital cameras have become multifunctional and are now capable of capturing audio/video and still photographs.
Benefits:
1 - You get superior image quality. Digital cameras can offer good to excellent image resolution.
2 - You get a fair price. A digital camera is reasonably priced and is affordable.
3 - You can transfer the pictures to your laptop. You can easily connect the digital camera to your laptop and transfer the pictures in your hard disk.
4 - You can print in large sizes. Due to its high resolution, pictures can be printed in large sizes by any plotter.
5 - You can email the pictures to your friends. You can send the pictures by email to your loved ones.
6 - You can store the images in CDs or hard disk. Once the pictures are transferred from digital camera to the computer, permanent storage on a CD or hard disk is possible.
7 - You can take the camera in your pocket while you travel. The small size of the digital camera makes traveling with it easy and a pleasure.
8 - You can move in close to your subject. Zoom lenses offer close-ups of your subject with sharp focus. You can take very good close-ups of flowers, bugs, stamps, coins, etc.
9 - You can rework the image in a computer. Any photo editing software can rework the images taken.
10 - You can take good pictures even in low-light situations. Due to flexible over sensitivity or ISO equivalents, digital cameras can easily take detailed pictures even in low-light conditions.
11 - You can take quality still photos of moving objects. Sports and fashion photography can be easily accomplished due to the fast burst rate of digital cameras.
12 - You save money. There is no need of buying photographic films, developing them into negatives and positives. Moreover, the batteries are usually rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, which last a long time.
13 - You can choose as per your needs and fancy. Many models are available like standard digital camera, underwater digital camera, waterproof digital camera, compact digital camera, and the professional digital camera.
Storage Media:
Digital cameras use memory to capture and store images. Some of the storages media used are onboard flash memory, 3.5" floppy disks, video floppy disk, PCMCIA hard drives, CD or DVD, CompactFlash memory cards, Microdrives, Memory Stick, SD/MMC, MiniSD Card, MicroSD Card, XD-Picture Card, SmartMedia, and FP Memory.
Power:
Digital cameras consume a lot of power, which is supplied by powerful, small in size batteries. Batteries are broadly divided into two groups, namely, off-the-shelf and proprietary. Off-the-shelf batteries are like AA, CR2, CR-V3, AAA, and RCR-V3. They are lithium-ion (Li-Ion) or Nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries. Standard AA non-rechargeable alkaline batteries either do not work or work for only a very short time in most cameras.
Proprietary batteries are built as per the manufacturer`s custom specifications and are usually available as aftermarket replacement parts. Generally, lithium ion batteries are widely used as proprietary batteries for digital cameras.
This article is under GNU FDL license and can be distributed without any previous authorization from the author. However the author´s name and all the URL´s (links) mentioned in the article and biography must be kept.
http://www.articlecube.com/Article/Few-Facts-Of-Digital-Cameras/114761
History:
Using a mosaic photosensor, Eugene F. Lally of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory first showed how still photos could be produced in a digital domain. An engineer at Eastman Kodak, Steve Sasson, used solid-state CCD chips to build a prototype digital camera having a resolution of 0.01 megapixel, and recorded black and white digital images to a magnetic cassette tape. With this prototype model, Steve took the first image in December of 1975 taking 23 seconds to capture it.
In 1988, Fuji DS-1P became the first digital camera that captured images as a computerized file. However, the camera never entered the U.S. market. In 1991, Kodak DCS-100 was the first commercially available digital camera, which used a 1.3 megapixel sensor. With the advancement of technology, modern digital cameras have become multifunctional and are now capable of capturing audio/video and still photographs.
Benefits:
1 - You get superior image quality. Digital cameras can offer good to excellent image resolution.
2 - You get a fair price. A digital camera is reasonably priced and is affordable.
3 - You can transfer the pictures to your laptop. You can easily connect the digital camera to your laptop and transfer the pictures in your hard disk.
4 - You can print in large sizes. Due to its high resolution, pictures can be printed in large sizes by any plotter.
5 - You can email the pictures to your friends. You can send the pictures by email to your loved ones.
6 - You can store the images in CDs or hard disk. Once the pictures are transferred from digital camera to the computer, permanent storage on a CD or hard disk is possible.
7 - You can take the camera in your pocket while you travel. The small size of the digital camera makes traveling with it easy and a pleasure.
8 - You can move in close to your subject. Zoom lenses offer close-ups of your subject with sharp focus. You can take very good close-ups of flowers, bugs, stamps, coins, etc.
9 - You can rework the image in a computer. Any photo editing software can rework the images taken.
10 - You can take good pictures even in low-light situations. Due to flexible over sensitivity or ISO equivalents, digital cameras can easily take detailed pictures even in low-light conditions.
11 - You can take quality still photos of moving objects. Sports and fashion photography can be easily accomplished due to the fast burst rate of digital cameras.
12 - You save money. There is no need of buying photographic films, developing them into negatives and positives. Moreover, the batteries are usually rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, which last a long time.
13 - You can choose as per your needs and fancy. Many models are available like standard digital camera, underwater digital camera, waterproof digital camera, compact digital camera, and the professional digital camera.
Storage Media:
Digital cameras use memory to capture and store images. Some of the storages media used are onboard flash memory, 3.5" floppy disks, video floppy disk, PCMCIA hard drives, CD or DVD, CompactFlash memory cards, Microdrives, Memory Stick, SD/MMC, MiniSD Card, MicroSD Card, XD-Picture Card, SmartMedia, and FP Memory.
Power:
Digital cameras consume a lot of power, which is supplied by powerful, small in size batteries. Batteries are broadly divided into two groups, namely, off-the-shelf and proprietary. Off-the-shelf batteries are like AA, CR2, CR-V3, AAA, and RCR-V3. They are lithium-ion (Li-Ion) or Nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries. Standard AA non-rechargeable alkaline batteries either do not work or work for only a very short time in most cameras.
Proprietary batteries are built as per the manufacturer`s custom specifications and are usually available as aftermarket replacement parts. Generally, lithium ion batteries are widely used as proprietary batteries for digital cameras.
This article is under GNU FDL license and can be distributed without any previous authorization from the author. However the author´s name and all the URL´s (links) mentioned in the article and biography must be kept.
http://www.articlecube.com/Article/Few-Facts-Of-Digital-Cameras/114761
Top Players In Digital Camera Market
Selecting a digital camera is definitely not an easy task with hundreds of brands available in the market. Before you decide to buy, you should take a look at the many features like optical quality, zoom, storage media and etc. These are only a few features among the many digital camera models to be compared. In terms of image quality, the amount of mega pixel resolution and the quality of the lens are the main factors that determine the sharpness of the pictures. And one of the best ways to know the quality and crispness of pictures is to see a printed picture.
As for image storage, there are many different kinds of storage media or flash memory cards available for digital cameras, which are rewritable chips that do not require power in order to retain the content. This makes it possible to take many photos without the fear of losing them before they are stored in CD-ROM or hard disk of the computer.
Surely, choosing a digital camera is not an easy task with so many models and range of mega pixels, features and different prices. Some of major brands available in the market are Argus, BenQ, Canon, Casio, Disney, Epson, Fujifilm, HP, JVC America, Kodak, Konica Minolta, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, Polaroid, Ricoh, Samsung, Sanyo, Sony and Toshiba. However the most popular among them are Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus, and Kodak.
Sony`s digital cameras are among the most innovative and popular in the industry. The cameras range from tiny 2 mega pixel point & shoots to bulky 8+ mega pixel units. Some of Sony digital cameras that are selling fast are Cybershot N2, Cybershot S700, and Cybershot T20.
Canon is also ruling the market with its amazing array of models. They receive high ratings from consumers because of their impressive construction and top quality images. Canon produces a wide variety of cameras, ranging from small point and shoot ELPH series to the professional range of SLRs. The most popular ones are Canon PowerShot A460, PowerShot A710 IS and PowerShot A640.
Nikon is not far behind in the consumer digital market where it is one of the major players.The Coolpix line of cameras with its impressive D-series SLRs has made a splash in the camera scene. Take a look at the fast selling ones: Nikon D40, Coolpix S50 and Coolpix L12.
Kodak digital cameras are known for their simplicity and quality. The easiest to operate when compared to its competitors. The one-touch image downloading, emailing, and printing features have made this brand even more popular in the market. Take a look at few of the models in the market: Kodak EasyShare V1003, EasyShare V803 and Easyshare C653.
Among the other major brands is the Olympus that offers innovative features like the 10x optical zoom on the Ultra Zoom models and the weather-proof body of the Stylus series. Some of the popular ones are Olympus Stylus 550UZ, Stylus 760 and Stylus 770 SW.
Before you start shopping for a digital camera, it will be helpful to know the lingo. Understand what the salespeople are talking about when they drop these digital camera terms - Borderless, CCD, Compact Flash, Digital Zoom, DPI, Firmware, F-stop, Image Format, Grayscale, LCD Screen, Mega pixel, Memory Card, Memory Stick, Optical Zoom, Secure Digital, SLR and xD Picture Card. So, to be on the safer side, it is better to have the knowledge of these terms so that you don`t get cheated.
There is so much that goes into buying a digital camera. Wrestle all the details under control with the various brochures provided by the manufacturers before deciding to buy one for yourself.
This article is under GNU FDL license and can be distributed without any previous authorization from the author. However the author´s name and all the URL´s (links) mentioned in the article and biography must be kept.
http://www.articlecube.com/Article/Top-Players-In-Digital-Camera-Market/114756
As for image storage, there are many different kinds of storage media or flash memory cards available for digital cameras, which are rewritable chips that do not require power in order to retain the content. This makes it possible to take many photos without the fear of losing them before they are stored in CD-ROM or hard disk of the computer.
Surely, choosing a digital camera is not an easy task with so many models and range of mega pixels, features and different prices. Some of major brands available in the market are Argus, BenQ, Canon, Casio, Disney, Epson, Fujifilm, HP, JVC America, Kodak, Konica Minolta, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, Polaroid, Ricoh, Samsung, Sanyo, Sony and Toshiba. However the most popular among them are Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus, and Kodak.
Sony`s digital cameras are among the most innovative and popular in the industry. The cameras range from tiny 2 mega pixel point & shoots to bulky 8+ mega pixel units. Some of Sony digital cameras that are selling fast are Cybershot N2, Cybershot S700, and Cybershot T20.
Canon is also ruling the market with its amazing array of models. They receive high ratings from consumers because of their impressive construction and top quality images. Canon produces a wide variety of cameras, ranging from small point and shoot ELPH series to the professional range of SLRs. The most popular ones are Canon PowerShot A460, PowerShot A710 IS and PowerShot A640.
Nikon is not far behind in the consumer digital market where it is one of the major players.The Coolpix line of cameras with its impressive D-series SLRs has made a splash in the camera scene. Take a look at the fast selling ones: Nikon D40, Coolpix S50 and Coolpix L12.
Kodak digital cameras are known for their simplicity and quality. The easiest to operate when compared to its competitors. The one-touch image downloading, emailing, and printing features have made this brand even more popular in the market. Take a look at few of the models in the market: Kodak EasyShare V1003, EasyShare V803 and Easyshare C653.
Among the other major brands is the Olympus that offers innovative features like the 10x optical zoom on the Ultra Zoom models and the weather-proof body of the Stylus series. Some of the popular ones are Olympus Stylus 550UZ, Stylus 760 and Stylus 770 SW.
Before you start shopping for a digital camera, it will be helpful to know the lingo. Understand what the salespeople are talking about when they drop these digital camera terms - Borderless, CCD, Compact Flash, Digital Zoom, DPI, Firmware, F-stop, Image Format, Grayscale, LCD Screen, Mega pixel, Memory Card, Memory Stick, Optical Zoom, Secure Digital, SLR and xD Picture Card. So, to be on the safer side, it is better to have the knowledge of these terms so that you don`t get cheated.
There is so much that goes into buying a digital camera. Wrestle all the details under control with the various brochures provided by the manufacturers before deciding to buy one for yourself.
This article is under GNU FDL license and can be distributed without any previous authorization from the author. However the author´s name and all the URL´s (links) mentioned in the article and biography must be kept.
http://www.articlecube.com/Article/Top-Players-In-Digital-Camera-Market/114756
The Inside Picture Of A Digital Camera
Electronics greatest technological breakthrough in this modern age is the digitization of analog signals. Digital information, which is represented by 1s and 0s, is formed upon successful conversion of analog information, which is represented by a fluctuating wave. This conversion of analog to digital has made the world of science and technology make great advances into the field of computers, Internet, satellites, and space research.
On the consumer domain, the benefits of this technological breakthrough can be witnessed in consumer electronic products like TVs, computers, cameras, camcorders, CDs, DVDs, etc. Digitization gave rise to microchips, which could be programmed to perform any task. With the utilization of the microchip, the digital camera was born.
In a digital camera, the lens focuses the image, the shutter allows the entry of light reflecting from that image into the camera, for a fraction of a second, and the aperture determines the quantity of light allowed inside the camera. When the light enters the camera, it does not fall on a photographic film as it does in a conventional camera, rather it falls on an image sensor.
The image sensor is an electronic device, a semiconductor, made up of photosites that measures the light intensity. The photosite can only measure the intensity of light and cannot recognize any color. To overcome this, each photosite is covered with a color filter of red, or a green, or a blue color according to a pattern known as the Bayer pattern. Since the human eye is twice sensitive to the green color, the number of photosites having green color is twice the number of photosites having red or blue color. Millions of photosites are covered by this Bayer pattern. Each color occupies a single photosite, which is known as a pixel.
The more the number of pixels, the greater is the amount of detail that can be captured. The detail of the image is called as resolution, which is determined by the quality of the lens and the number of pixels in the image sensor. High-end digital cameras have about 12 million pixels, whereas professional digital cameras have about 20 million pixels.
The information of the pixels is recorded as electrical analog signals, is amplified, and then is fed into a converter, which converts the amplified analog signals into digital binary numbers, with respect to the color information of each pixel. These digital binary numbers are then fed into a computer chip residing inside the camera. The computer chip analyzes the digital binary numbers that have been made as per the color of individual pixels. This information is known as RAW data. For analysis, the computer chip subjects this RAW data using a technique known as demosaicing.
In this technique (demosaicing), the pixel color is determined as per the color of the neighboring pixels. For example, if a red color pixel is surrounded by blue and green pixels, then that red color pixel is treated as white color, since the color white is a combination of the colors, red, blue, and green. After demosaicing is complete, the image is further subjected to the photographer`s settings of the camera, like adjustments made for brightness, color saturation, contrast, etc.
High-end digital cameras usually do not do anything more to the image thus produced. However, professional digital cameras have a sharpening algorithm, which heighten the sharpness and clarity of the demosaiced and settings adjusted image. Professional digital cameras also have the option of saving the image in its RAW data before any demosaicing or adjustments are made by the computer chip. This is to give control to the professional photographers to make changes to the RAW data as per their own choices.
The image can be saved in an uncompressed format like TIFF or a compressed format like JPEG. Uncompressed formats preserve greater information; thus, the detail of the photograph is much more than a compressed format, where detail is less, as lesser information is stored. Hence, compressed formats are also known as lossy formats, since details are lost. An uncompressed format increases the file size, whereas a compressed format reduces the file size. Depending upon the need, the image can be saved either in an uncompressed or a compressed image format, as bits and bytes in a memory card. The stored image can be viewed on the digital camera`s display screen as a digital photo.
This digital photo can then be transferred from the digital camera to the computer`s hard disk via the serial port or USB port or FireWire port or Bluetooth wireless using Wi-Fi connectivity. RAW data and uncompressed data like TIFF take a longer time to transfer than compressed data like JPEG or GIF.
Once the data has been transferred to the computer`s hard disk, any photo editing software can manipulate and adjust it, as per the individual tastes and requirements of the photographer. The digital photo can then be printed on photographic paper, specially coated paper, or any other paper via a color inkjet or laser printer. Utilizing a plotter, it can be printed in larger sizes, in any other medium like canvas, acrylic, vinyl, etc. The digital photo can be saved on a hard disk, pen drive or a CD, for archival purposes.
With passing time, more and more features are being introduced in a digital camera. Nowadays, audio-video recording is also fused with the still image capturing capability of the digital camera, making them small camcorders (camera + recorders).
This article is under GNU FDL license and can be distributed without any previous authorization from the author. However the author´s name and all the URL´s (links) mentioned in the article and biography must be kept.
http://www.articlecube.com/Article/The-Inside-Picture-Of-A-Digital-Camera/114766
On the consumer domain, the benefits of this technological breakthrough can be witnessed in consumer electronic products like TVs, computers, cameras, camcorders, CDs, DVDs, etc. Digitization gave rise to microchips, which could be programmed to perform any task. With the utilization of the microchip, the digital camera was born.
In a digital camera, the lens focuses the image, the shutter allows the entry of light reflecting from that image into the camera, for a fraction of a second, and the aperture determines the quantity of light allowed inside the camera. When the light enters the camera, it does not fall on a photographic film as it does in a conventional camera, rather it falls on an image sensor.
The image sensor is an electronic device, a semiconductor, made up of photosites that measures the light intensity. The photosite can only measure the intensity of light and cannot recognize any color. To overcome this, each photosite is covered with a color filter of red, or a green, or a blue color according to a pattern known as the Bayer pattern. Since the human eye is twice sensitive to the green color, the number of photosites having green color is twice the number of photosites having red or blue color. Millions of photosites are covered by this Bayer pattern. Each color occupies a single photosite, which is known as a pixel.
The more the number of pixels, the greater is the amount of detail that can be captured. The detail of the image is called as resolution, which is determined by the quality of the lens and the number of pixels in the image sensor. High-end digital cameras have about 12 million pixels, whereas professional digital cameras have about 20 million pixels.
The information of the pixels is recorded as electrical analog signals, is amplified, and then is fed into a converter, which converts the amplified analog signals into digital binary numbers, with respect to the color information of each pixel. These digital binary numbers are then fed into a computer chip residing inside the camera. The computer chip analyzes the digital binary numbers that have been made as per the color of individual pixels. This information is known as RAW data. For analysis, the computer chip subjects this RAW data using a technique known as demosaicing.
In this technique (demosaicing), the pixel color is determined as per the color of the neighboring pixels. For example, if a red color pixel is surrounded by blue and green pixels, then that red color pixel is treated as white color, since the color white is a combination of the colors, red, blue, and green. After demosaicing is complete, the image is further subjected to the photographer`s settings of the camera, like adjustments made for brightness, color saturation, contrast, etc.
High-end digital cameras usually do not do anything more to the image thus produced. However, professional digital cameras have a sharpening algorithm, which heighten the sharpness and clarity of the demosaiced and settings adjusted image. Professional digital cameras also have the option of saving the image in its RAW data before any demosaicing or adjustments are made by the computer chip. This is to give control to the professional photographers to make changes to the RAW data as per their own choices.
The image can be saved in an uncompressed format like TIFF or a compressed format like JPEG. Uncompressed formats preserve greater information; thus, the detail of the photograph is much more than a compressed format, where detail is less, as lesser information is stored. Hence, compressed formats are also known as lossy formats, since details are lost. An uncompressed format increases the file size, whereas a compressed format reduces the file size. Depending upon the need, the image can be saved either in an uncompressed or a compressed image format, as bits and bytes in a memory card. The stored image can be viewed on the digital camera`s display screen as a digital photo.
This digital photo can then be transferred from the digital camera to the computer`s hard disk via the serial port or USB port or FireWire port or Bluetooth wireless using Wi-Fi connectivity. RAW data and uncompressed data like TIFF take a longer time to transfer than compressed data like JPEG or GIF.
Once the data has been transferred to the computer`s hard disk, any photo editing software can manipulate and adjust it, as per the individual tastes and requirements of the photographer. The digital photo can then be printed on photographic paper, specially coated paper, or any other paper via a color inkjet or laser printer. Utilizing a plotter, it can be printed in larger sizes, in any other medium like canvas, acrylic, vinyl, etc. The digital photo can be saved on a hard disk, pen drive or a CD, for archival purposes.
With passing time, more and more features are being introduced in a digital camera. Nowadays, audio-video recording is also fused with the still image capturing capability of the digital camera, making them small camcorders (camera + recorders).
This article is under GNU FDL license and can be distributed without any previous authorization from the author. However the author´s name and all the URL´s (links) mentioned in the article and biography must be kept.
http://www.articlecube.com/Article/The-Inside-Picture-Of-A-Digital-Camera/114766
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