Knowing the parts and functions of a digital camera can help to improve your images.
Most people take for granted how easy it is to snap pictures with a digital camera. To make this ease of use possible, the camera relies on certain essential parts. While features and options vary from one camera to the next, these parts are constant, allowing a digital camera to see, capture and record images for sharing, processing and displaying later. Learning how these parts work, separately and in tandem with each other, will allow you to take better pictures by increasing your understanding of basic photography principles.
Sensor and Megapixels
One of the most important parts of a digital camera is the image sensor. This component captures and processes the information received through the camera's lens in the form of light. Each sensor contains millions of "photosites," which collect the light passing through the lens. These photosites record the individual elements of the picture, called "pixels." One million pixels equals one megapixel, and the larger the physical sensor size, the more detailed and clear the resulting image. A 10-megapixel digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera offers a better image than the same number of megapixels in a compact camera, because the compact camera's sensor is smaller.
Lens
The eye of the camera, the lens, focuses the incoming light and directs it to the image sensor in the camera. The basic build of a lens involves one or more carefully shaped pieces of glass specifically designed and positioned to focus and gather available light, which allows the sensor to record the scene. Lenses come in a variety of types, including zoom and fixed focal length. Compact digital camera lenses are built in to the unit, while DSLR cameras allow for interchangeable lenses, giving a photographer the ability to choose the proper lens for shooting conditions.
Viewfinders and LCD Screens
A camera's viewfinder and LCD screen act as the window through the camera lens and give you the opportunity to see what the lens sees before you snap the shutter. Viewfinders are available in two varieties -- optical and electronic versions. Optical viewfinders generally offer a smaller view of the image area but operate more efficiently in both low and bright light. Electronic viewfinders are small LCD screens that show the entire image view and display camera settings for proper adjustments; however, these cameras consume more battery power. LCD screens also display the entire image view and provide access to the camera's menu system, allowing for proper framing and setting adjustments. Once a picture is taken, an LCD screen allows for immediate viewing of the image to check for clarity and correct settings.
Flash and Hot Shoe
Most digital cameras have a built-in flash that triggers when in auto-mode to provide additional light for low lighting conditions. The flash works well when used correctly, typically as fill light, but using it in place of proper lighting conditions often produces the "red-eye" effect and creates hard shadows behind subjects. A camera's hot shoe allows the attachment of a separate external flash, giving the photographer more flexibility and control over the amount and direction of light produced.
Shutter and Aperture
The camera's shutter and aperture both control the light the lens gathers but in different ways. The shutter opens when the shutter button is pressed, allowing light to reach the image sensor. Lighting conditions determine the proper settings of the camera's shutter speed -- the speed at which the shutter opens and closes, exposing the sensor to available light. The more light available, the shorter the shutter speed; the less light, the longer the shutter stays open. The lens controls the aperture, which determines the amount of light the sensor will receive. The aperture controls the light allowed into the camera through openings called f-stops, with the size of the opening decreasing as the f-number increases. An f-2.8 lens offers a large aperture opening and thus a lot of light, while an f-11 opening is very small, constricting the amount of light reaching the sensor.
Tags: digital camera, camera lens, image sensor, amount light, available light, camera shutter, compact camera
