Too get the most of photography, a little knowledge on how the digital camera works is necessary. The components of the digital automatic are different to the old SLR yet the principles are the same and each serve similar functions.
Digital Camera Functions
The modern camera is a somewhat complex machine but to simplify, I shall explain what happens
The Memory Card in the Camera
This digital file is then stored in the memory card. But not before the camera’s processor has compressed the file. Duplicate data is ‘thrown away’. This keeps the camera’s memory clear for further snapshots. The image can then be transferred to the computer and stored as a JPEG file in My Pictures. The computer will restore the picture file size to what it was prior to compression.
Creating Digital Images
when you press the shutter release button. Firstly, the aperture within the camera lens opens where a sensor calculates the distance of the object from the lens and the amount of light entering. This enables the camera to focus upon the object and calculate the shutter speed and aperture required according to what setting is used. The sensor also calculates the colour bias of the object (called white balance) so that colours are recorded accurately. The algorithms within the camera make it virtually impossible not to get a decent photo (unless you really try not to.)
A Substitute for the Photographic Negative
The resultant visual data is imprinted (or stored) onto a CCD (charge coupled device). The CCD is rather like the digital version of the manual camera’s negative, only the image is stored electronically (or digitally). This silicon chip holds millions of pixels, light sensitive units arranged in a gird formation which are activated by light itself (photons).
Digital Film in Cameras
The CCD’s data is sent through the camera’s processor where it is turned into a binary code that can be understood by the computer, vital if the images are to be stored, edited or shared. A binary system by the way is data held in a series of 1s and 0s. This means the image quality will never degrade regardless of whether a copy of a copy of a coy is made.
So there you are, the digital camera’s working explained in basic terms. As can be seen, certain parallels can be drawn with the manual SLR. The components such as the lens, the shutter and the aperture are still needed. A recording device (whether a negative or CCD) is still necessary to store the image. The main difference lies in how the information is stored. Data in binary format never degrades. The file can be compressed or deleted, retaining plenty of memory for the camera’s subsequent snapshots.And of course, trips to the printers are a thing of the past to view the image. It can be viewed in the liquid crystal display (screen on the reverse of the camera). If unsatisfactory, the image can be deleted there and then. No more disappointments in the image quality after visiting the printers.