What is Digital?
Before we discuss what is a digital camera, maybe we can try to understand first what does it mean to Digital? For the uninitiated, the world we are all analogue. You could say people familiar with digital is not too long. Long ago all the machinery and equipment carried in an analog machine, even today there are many machines that still run the analog system. Examples are primarily your own camera. The lens you use mechanical technology. Still cameras that use film most definitely has a part that uses digital technology. If the camera has an LCD panel, to be sure it is digital technology. I think the "Digital is the future", like it or not we can not avoid that everything around us will use digital technology.
What is a Digital Camera?
I guess everyone must have seen the camera. Otherwise how could you visit this site. But maybe some of you who have never held a digital camera (do not mean to mock). In appearance similar to a digital camera with a regular camera (film type), the biggest difference filmless digital cameras. Forget was going to the store to buy film every time you want to go take pictures. Digital cameras require no film at all. This all changed with the storage media that can be removed again, like a computer disk. Well khan computer disks has its own capacity, as well as the memory of this camera. Sizenya from 8MB to 4GB (4000 MB), these data are valid at the time of Dec 2003. The format also vary, for example: Compact Flash (Type 1 and 2), SD cards, MMC cards, Memory Stick (Special Sony camera), Floppy Disk, CDR. One thing is for sure from the media like this, you can cut costs because these media can be used many times.
Let us go into the technical part of this digital camera. Question .... how do digital cameras capture light from the lens? The light is not captured by the memory (see above), working memory only stores the processed image. The incoming light is actually captured by a CCD sensor or CMOS sensor. CCD (Charged Coupled Device) and CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) is a chip that is located just behind your lens.
CCD Sensor (Does not fit original size). The original size is much smaller
For most digital cameras on the market this chip is very small, smaller than the size of 35mm film. At present only one who has a camera sensor that is 35mm for the Canon 1Ds. So for digital cameras, the sensor is what is meant by the film. CCD and CMOS are two technologies commonly used in the camera. Generally the camera on the market using a CCD sensor. There remains one type of chip, called the X3 sensor, but this is still not commonly used because it is still expensive and the quality of the resulting photo was not too different from the two sensors that I mentioned earlier. Every time you buy a camera certainly were willing to buy a number of megapixels, megapixels them know you are here is the number of pixels on your CCD or CMOS sensor. So if you have a 4 megapixel camera, the CCD sensor means that you have around 4,000,000 pixels. One pixel is very small, and one pixel captures only one type of color. If the sensor above the pixel looks then enlarged to approximately one you like the picture below.
Most sensors on the market use RGBG format, the pixels to capture more of the color green. Pixel itself is not colored, no coating on the pixel color.
Since digital cameras have sensors smaller than film, so any lens focal length does not apply just like on regular film cameras. Ideally, it should be the size of the sensor should be equivalent to the film, but it is a thing that is not possible. Because to make a sensor the size of the movie then you could be exorbitant price of the camera (only the Canon 1Ds has a sensor at 35mm, the price $$$$). Moreover, the size of a mini just like now, the picture quality was quite satisfactory.
Plus and Minus of a Digital Camera
As I mentioned beforehand that "Digital is the future", then I will give some plus points from a digital camera than a camera that uses film:
- If the calculated long-term, less expensive digital cameras. Therefore no need to buy film, and the portrait that results can be deleted and failed lives take a shot again.
- The photos in real time, we can see the results whether good or not.
- Because the format is digital it is very easy to the editing process, just need to be connected to a computer and edited (Scanner is no longer needed)
- Digital camera memory is very large so you need not be too quick to buy a new memory
No technology is perfect, therefore I need to give a minus point from a digital camera:
- Digital cameras tend to have a longer shutter lag than the type of film cameras.
- Prices cameras tend to be expensive compared to film type camera
- Since the sensor size that is incompatible with the type of film cameras, then to get a wide angle shot on a DSLR required to buy a wider lens.
