Image Sensor USA - Photography Terms & Glossary

Glossary Of Photography Terms [1]

Image Sensor An image sensor is an electronic device used in digital cameras and other imaging devices to capture and convert optical images into digital signals. It is a crucial component that serves as the "eye" of the camera, detecting light and converting it into electrical signals that can be processed and stored as digital image files. Image sensors are typically composed of millions of individual photosensitive pixels arranged in a grid pattern.

The two most common types of image sensors used in digital cameras are CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) and CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor). CCD sensors use a series of capacitors to capture and transfer charge from each pixel, while CMOS sensors utilize transistors to convert light into electrical signals directly. Image sensors vary in size, resolution, sensitivity to light, and dynamic range, influencing the overall image quality and performance of digital cameras.