Digital Camera
Technology
Jim Bilbro
2/19/2008
Hardware and Technology SIG
Digital Camera History
l 1975 Kodak prototype, monochrome and
100x100 pixels
l 1988 Fuji produced first full digital
camera
l Sensor technology based on Charge
Coupled Device semiconductors
l Sensor technology and it’s signal
processing has advanced significantly from earliest cameras
Basic Concept
l Semiconductor sensor measures light
and separates the data into three color channels
l Microcomputer and A/D converter
processes the data into a digital image and stores it on a removable flash
drive
l LCD screen previews image and is also
used to configure the camera controls
l Traditional camera optics used
Digital Camera Types
l Point and shoot, compact, simplest
functions
l Point and shoot, compact, more
functions, custom scene modes and image stabilization
l Prosumer-more features and larger
zoom lens
l Digital single lens reflex-more
control and interchangeable lenses (DSLR)
Market Trends
l More features, higher resolution,
frequent models for capturing market share
l Adding auxiliary gee whiz features:
MP3, GPS, higher resolution video capture, wireless data transfer, live view,
face detection
l Increased focus on the higher end
professional and advanced amateur market
l Proliferation of lenses, primarily
zoom and higher quality
Sensor
l Charged couple device, CCD,
primarily used in low end cameras now
l CMOS used in higher end cameras
l Canon CMOS Technology:
l CMOS uses less power, allows more
signal processing on board, A/D
l Small sizes for low end cameras
l 35mm and APS sizes for DSLR cameras
Sensor Construction
l Photo diode element measures light
level
l Microlenses focus light and convert
in to red, green and blue channels using color filters
l A/D signal processing
l IR and UV filters on top
l Protective cover
Sensor Details
l Sensor sizes
l Sensor basics
Sensor Details
l Microlenses
l Canon Microlense CMOS technology
l Foveon Sensor
Sensor Details
l Nikon new sensor
l Kodak high sensitivity sensor design
l Sony new designs
Sensor Detail
l Sensor influence on quality
l Aperture Diffraction Limits
l Digital image processor: Canon Digic
III
Image Stabilization
l Sensor
l Also used on DSLR to remove dust on
the sensor at start up
l Lenses
l Sensors in a lens sense movement and
counter the movement by shifting a lens element
News
l Light field camera-research
l Photo resizing software
l Research on selecting the focus point
after capture of the image.