Digital Photography

6

THE BASICS

UNDERSTANDING SENSOR

TYPES

e sensor is the core of all digital cameras. It

essentially replaces lm, but its presence hasn’t

changed the mechanics of the camera. In the past,

the image would be recorded on lm. Now, once you

open the shutter curtain, light penetrates the sensor

and records the image.

CCD Sensor vs. CMOS Sensor

e charge-coupled device (CCD) and the

more common complementary metal-oxide

semiconductor (CMOS) are the two primary types

of sensors in use today. e CCD sensor is far more

expensive than the CMOS and consumes the most

power. It also has a somewhat higher resolution than

the CMOS—and therefore produces better ...