Understanding the Parts of a Digital Camera
Digital cameras are very similar to film cameras. Understanding how they work is simply a matter of understanding how digital sensors have replaced film.
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The Lens
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Like its film brethren, all digital cameras have a lens, which can have several pieces of glass, or elements. The lens focuses the image onto the digital sensor, where it is captured for storage.
The Aperture
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Every camera has an aperture. Sometimes fixed but usually adjustable, the aperture is a hole that varies in size to control the amount of light falling on the sensor.
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The Shutter
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The shutter defines how long the light falls on the sensor, ranging from hours to 1/5000 of a second.
The Sensor
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The component that replaces the film, a digital sensor is comprised of a matrix of tiny dots that read light and color values, which are later reconstructed to create a photograph.
In Camera Software
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The data from the sensor is reconstructed into a viewable image by software in the camera. This software is often very sophisticated and will allow for limited image editing in the camera.
Memory Cards
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Once the image is reconstructed by the software in the camera, it is stored to a removable memory card. There are several common types of memory cards, including SD, Compact Flash, MemoryStick, and xD memory.
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confusing subject
