ABSTRACT
This chapter was written to demystify digital technology and take a close look at the functions of devices used in digital imaging systems. Complementary metal oxide semiconductors are found in the majority of today’s cameras because they are less expensive to produce and consume less electricity. Today’s DSLR and smartphone cameras are equipped with area array sensors. The sensors record brightness values initially as a grayscale image. This data is used to create color images. The pixels are covered with red, green, or blue colored filters on top of each pixel. Scanning cameras were the first imaging systems capable of creating high resolution files with enough pixels that were required for large format printing. Electrical devices generate heat when operating and when sensors are making exposures, they produce heat. Evaluating a camera for image quality and performance including noise production in particular, can be a tedious but useful task that provides practical information about a camera’s overall potential and performance.
