How Does a Touch-Screen Digital Camera Work?

What a Touch Screen Digital Camera Does

Touch screens on digital cameras allow you to use your fingers to edit parts of the picture that otherwise would need to be done with photo editing software after the pictures have been downloaded from your camera to your PC. Digital touch screens provide many menu options. By eliminating the need for buttons and dials, the digital cameras are sleeker in design. Digital camera touch screens allow you to crop image sizes, navigate through menus and even identify focus points.

Touchscreen Mechanics

Also known as touch panels or touch screen panels, touch screen technology is used for PDAs, PCs, ATMs and with handheld games. Touch screen panels are display overlays. Beneath the screen overlay are devices that respond to your finger pressure and are called pressure-sensitive or resistive devices. While other touch screen technologies exist, digital cameras use pressure sensitive devices for their operation. They are sturdier than other available technologies and do not get damaged when exposed to dust or water, a definite plus where cameras are concerned.

How Resistive Touch Screens are Built

The digital camera's touch screen panel is coated with a thin metallic layer that is conducive to electricity. An additional resistive layer is also coated on. When your finger touches the screen, it causes a change in the electrical current that gets sent to the camera's processor. From there, the processor goes into action and produces the action desired.

Resources

• The Sony DSC-T900 with Touch Screen Technology