ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with the capture, enhancement, and analysis of digital images. The chapter begins with a discussion of the attributes of digital images. This is followed by a discussion of common types of detectors, including photomultiplier tubes, photodiodes, and CCD and sCMOS cameras. The chapter also covers two key determinants of image quality – noise and sampling frequency – and associated metrics: the signal-to-noise ratio and the Nyquist limit. The chapter closes with an introduction to digital image processing and analysis. Topics include flat-field correction, brightness and contrast restoration, gamma adjustment, noise reduction, fine detail restoration, Fourier filtering, image segmentation, color imaging, and single-particle tracking.
