Digital Camera basics - Part 1
November 6, 2007
What is digitizing of an image? Conventional cameras use film to record images and chemicals to take prints of the images. Digital cameras which do not require films capture and process the images electronically and store the visual & audio data in digital format. Digitizing information is not new as we have already seen it penetrating all electronic storages like compact discs, DVDs and MP3s. This technology has enabled us to compress vast information or data and store it on a small disk or magnetic tape. It is also much more convenient to handle digital information than analog. You can use a PC or some software to work with digital information. As the images captured by digital cameras are in digital format, they are PC compatible and you can transfer them to your PC or upload them to internet. Conventional cameras still produce good results in terms of resolution and colour quality, however, digital cameras have become one of the most popular gadgets as they have following advantages over conventional cameras: Digital photography does not require films or developing thus becoming one of cheapest hobbies. Only cost you have to bear is the cost of a digital camera and its accessories. Digital cameras can store limitless stills and many video clips in their storage devices – tapes or disks. Images and video clips captured by digital cameras can be directly directed to your PC and you can enhance the picture quality using software like Adobe Photoshop. Most modern digital cameras produce superior picture quality and high resolution images. This is one of the reasons why they have become so popular nowadays. Digital cameras are capable of storing audio which a conventional camera can not do. Digital cameras are constantly improving with time and digital technology adds new features to the high-end cameras that hit the market. How a digital camera converts image into digital information? A conventional camera uses a film (or light-sensitive paper) to record the image. Processing of film and printing the images are purely chemical with a conventional camera. However, a digital camera has an electronic device inside it to record the images in digital format, i.e. in 1s and 0s and each combination of these two digits represent the colours that make up the image. This digital data is actually coded and decoded by the digital camera with the help of an in-built computer. What are the differences between a conventional camera and a digital camera? 1. A conventional camera needs a film to record images whereas digital camera does not require it as it is an electronic device. 2. Images captured by a conventional camera are in analog format as they are result of chemical reaction of film to different intensities of light. Whereas, the digital camera captures the image using its electronic components and converts the images into digital format, in other words, in strings of 1s and 2s. 3. Since you do not need films, digital cameras are ideal for taking numerous still images or video clips. With a conventional camera, there is always a problem of running out of film. However, there are no such problems with digital cameras. 4. Images captured using digital cameras do not require chemical processing and you can review the pictures instantly. It also saves money. 5. You can transfer the images from your digital camera to your PC or send them to anybody via internet. In case of conventional camera, the prints of the images need to be scanned before you send them via internet. However, there are certain similarities between digital cameras and conventional cameras: 1. Both require a different set of lenses to focus the light on the specified area ( photographic film or a semiconductor component) 2. High-end conventional cameras produce excellent results like their counterparts – high resolution and superior colour quality. 3. Images from both cameras can be printed on papers specially made for that purpose.
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