The Difference Between Digital Cameras and Conventional Cameras

We have digital cameras because the past twenty years have brought major technological breakthroughs for consumer electronics. These breakthroughs have been part of one large breakthrough. All CDs, DVDs, HDTV, MP3s, and DVRs have all been built around the same basic process. They all convert conventional analog information into digital information. This shift totally changed how we handle visual and audio information; it has completely redefined what is possible!

The digital camera is the most remarkable example of the change because it is so very different then the conventional camera.

The conventional camera:

The conventional camera depended completely upon chemical and mechanical processes and you certainly did not need electricity or batteries to make it work. All digital cameras record images entirely in electronic form and they all have a built in computer.

The Digital Camera:

All digital cameras record images entirely in electronic form and they all have a built in computer. In place of the film there is a sensor, this sensor converts light into electrical charges. This image sensor used by most digital cameras is a charge-coupled device (CCD). The cheaper digital cameras use a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. The CMOS will improve over time but will probably never replace the (CCD).