A sensor is the digital camera's equivalent to film. It contains millions of tiny light-detecting areas called photosites, which convert light into an electric charge. After exposing the sensor to light, this charge is read from each pixel and converted into a digital image.
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259 views
Where is this dust located on my sensor?
I have a really nasty looking piece of dust on my 550D's sensor, situated in the top right-hand corner of each image I take with anything higher than f/11. I am going to get a decent sensor cleaning ...
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1k views
Does a 35mm prime lens show the same bokeh as a 50mm prime lens on a cropped sensor?
I came to know that a 50mm prime lens on a cropped sensor behaves like an 75mm prime lens.
So, does the 35mm prime lens behave like a 50mm prime lens on a cropped sensor?
If yes, then will it show ...
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7answers
964 views
Why has no one invented a 4:5 aspect ratio APS-C/35mm-sized DSLR?
People keep inventing different form factors and formats for cameras, but none seems to have hit on what seems (to me) like an obvious one. Why doesn't somebody build a camera with a sensor that has a ...
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4answers
1k views
Given the same lens, does shooting with FX cameras yield sharper results than DX cameras?
I have a D7000, and I want to buy a D800 sometime next year because of a "foolish idea" that FX cameras yield sharper images over DX cameras. I am quite new to photography and did my research. ...
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5answers
325 views
Why is the main sensor not used instead of the separate AF sensor to focus a DSLR?
From this answer I understand that the reflex mirror of a DSLR is actually not reflecting all the light, but it passes a certain amount on to the AF sensor.
So if the reflex mirror can pass light, ...
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858 views
How many bits of data are typically actually captured by a digital camera sensor?
In a comment on this question someone suggested that camera sensors typically only output 12-14 bits of data. I was surprised because that would mean that 24 bits of color is only useful for doing ...
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228 views
Why does a bigger sensor have better dynamic range?
I already understand all the theory behind how a bigger sensor leads to better control of depth of field, and lower noise. But I've yet to find a place that can explain why a bigger sensor gives you a ...
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3answers
200 views
Is Poisson Noise (“Shot Noise”) a significant source of noise for typical photography?
In this answer, @jrista states that even a camera with a perfect, noiseless sensor would still have noise due to "Poisson noise" aka "Photon Shot Noise" - noise caused by the random variations of ...
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2answers
546 views
Why are sensors less sensitive to blue light?
This is a followup question to Why is the blue channel the noisiest?. The simple answer to that question is that sensors are less sensitive to blue, and therefore require more amplification, which ...
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1answer
1k views
OEM Camera Sensors for a computer project
First off I'm not sure if this is the place for this question, but it seems to be the closest fit.
I want to buy a small camera sensor (like for netbooks/phones), from what I have read on wikipedia ...
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2answers
4k views
What is the Chief Ray Angle (CRA)?
I want to select image sensors for a particular application.
One term that I have come across regularly in their datasheets is the CRA. I was comparing 2 image sensors and although they were of ...
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5answers
865 views
How does taking lower-resolution pictures with a higher-resolution sensor affect image quality?
Does taking a picture with 8 megapixel resolution with my Canon IXUS with a 1/2.3" sensor and 12M max resolution provides the same or worse image quality (particular, noise) as if the picture was ...
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277 views
Are there bad effects of frequent pixel-mapping?
I read on two different sites that pixel mapping should be done once or twice a year. But sometimes I end up doing it once a month. Will it have adverse effect on the CMOS image sensor?
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1answer
2k views
How to fix an image sensor damaged by long sun exposures?
I took a number of shots of the sun during mid-afternoon and now all my images have pink spot where the sun was. Is there anyway to fix this, or is it permanently damaged?
The camera was pointed at ...
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5answers
483 views
Why is there no full-frame but low res sensor?
So I just watched a review on the Sony NEX-7, which is 24MP in APS-C size.... I am a Canon user and I immediately think about the announced Canon Powershot G1X with almost APS-C sensor but at a lower ...
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3answers
803 views
Loss of image quality after sensor cleaning?
I use a 550D for photography. I got dust in my sensor few days ago while I was doing reverse macro and cleaned it from Canon Service Center. After cleaning I checked my sensor (taking picture of blue ...
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3answers
453 views
Fancy technology cropped vs old technology full frame - Which will give better images?
After selling my 1Dmk2 last year the time has come to get myself a new body, all along I'd decided that I wanted to do more "wow" pictures, big landscapes and do some more portait photography (up ...
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4answers
438 views
Has low-light ISO performance really improved over the past 3-4 years?
I have a Canon 40D and I always shoot RAW. I am overall pleased with the 40D except for its low-light performance. Anything at or above ISO 800 is unusable for my taste. Just to solve this problem I ...
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4answers
689 views
Is a self-cleaning sensor necessary when using only one lens?
The Canon 1100d lacks a self-cleaning sensor.
If I use this camera without ever exchanging the lens, is the absence of a self-cleaning sensor a bad 'feature'?
Are the bodies of modern DLRS cameras ...
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1answer
252 views
Why does my sensor flip up slow on live view?
I have noticed some strange behavior on my 450D tonight. I was shooting some macro on Live-view(couldn't get low enough using the viewfinder) and I noticed that after my shots(approx. 2-second shutter ...
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3answers
413 views
How do I get rid of these different spots after sensor cleaning?
I've just cleaned sensor on my Nikon D40x for the first time using sensor swabs and Eclipse solution.
Here is a picture taken before cleaning and after .
Dark spots on the first photo do not appear ...
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2answers
411 views
Why does my sensor require frequent cleaning?
I have a Nikon D300 and in the past couple years I've found that it seems to require sensor cleaning very frequently, something like once a week or more. I've been dry cleaning with a combination of ...
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2answers
413 views
Why don't point & shoot cameras employ the oversampling technique of the Nokia Pureview 808?
From the reviews, the oversampling technique employed by the Pureview 808 seems to work really well, making good use of the 41 MP sensor to create saner resolution images of higher quality. I was ...
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3answers
212 views
How to clean an actual CMOS sensor? (Not the IR low pass filter)
All of the "sensor cleaning" instructions I've found are actually for cleaning the IR low pass filter in front of it. Unfortunately, I've got a tiny bit of tape residue on the actual CMOS sensor of ...
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1answer
3k views
What effect does UV filter provide?
I know that I should always use a filter on my lens to protect the camera lens, however, exactly what impact to the picture does using a UV filter have since that is the one most often used? Do I ...
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3answers
819 views
Can you use alternative brushes to clean DSLR sensors?
A lot of praise goes to Arctic Butterfly when doing DIY sensor cleaning. However are there cheaper solution to brush off dust by using other non-sensor cleaning specific brushes?
Most high quality ...
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1answer
180 views
Where is the AF sensor located in a DSLR?
As I understand every DSLR has a separate, smaller sensor that handles phase detection focusing. Where is it located?
If this location is different for every DSLR, and therefore this broad question ...
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2answers
396 views
When is it more suitable to have a full sensor-camera instead of a crop sensor-one?
I've been reading about this a bit, and I get the sense that full sensor-cameras are best suited for shooting landscapes, whilst crop sensor-cameras are preferable for portraits and close-ups. Please ...
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1answer
381 views
Can I clean dust from a scratched sensor?
I have a camera with a scratched sensor (a Canon 1Ds Mk II) - can I clean the dust from the sensor? And if yes, how? By using the wet method? Or just by blowing air?
The scratch is in the middle. ...
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1answer
675 views
Does this look like a sensor problem?
I have these tiny dots in a lot of my pictures. They look like tiny stars.
On this Nikon D60 I've tried cleaning the area where the shutter is (what's this called?) with a hand pumping duster, but ...
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5answers
356 views
What companies offer an IR camera filter?
I'm planning on converting a Nikon D50 to dedicated infrared, replacing the internal IR cut filter with one that will block visible light, and pass infrared.
Google has turned up a couple sites, and ...
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2answers
3k views
GoPro Hero HD field of view is larger at lower resolutions, how is that?
How is it that the FOV can be greater for the smaller resolutions in their camera, which has no zoom? I would expect a greater FOV when more of the sensor is used.
From: ...
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876 views
Can the “Dust Delete Data” function on Canon DSLR be used with Lightroom?
My camera is 6 months old and I noticed there is quite a few spots on the sensor (especially when taking HDR shots of bright scenes or the sky) The hand blower does not lift these particles off the ...
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6answers
500 views
Have cropped digital sensors reached their peak design limits?
APS-C and smaller sensors seem to have plateaued off in terms of their megapixel counts, possibly due to diffraction limits. The ISO performance of these sensors has not increased substantially in the ...
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2answers
2k views
Why is the sensor size small in D3100 as compared to D3000?
I thought Nikon D3100 must be more advanced than D3000 (because of the higher number and the increased price).
But, the D3000's sensor size is 23.6mm x 15.8mm and the D3100's sensor size is actually ...
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2answers
760 views
Is it sensor damage? Or dust?
I have been trying to shoot partial solar eclipse today with my Nikon D3100, and later noticed this spot on images:
http://pix.academ.org/img/2011/01/04/70baea815d1557594f096a82ab05704f.png
I do not ...
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3answers
484 views
How common are hot pixels on new cameras?
How common are hot pixels on new cameras?!
I read that people may check up to 5 cameras at stores to actually find a perfect one, is this true? so how commons is this? what is the chance of getting a ...
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3answers
228 views
Can condensation be formed in the camera sensor?
When entering a hot place after leaving a cold place, some condensation can be formed in the lens and manufacturers recommend you to avoid using the equipment in this state.
So, if condensation can ...
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1answer
123 views
Can lens stacking cause sensor damage?
Can damage be caused to a camera's imaging sensor (any size) simply by reversing, or stacking, lenses? Would stacking lenses cause a concentration of light to strike the sensor and perhaps damage ...
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1answer
116 views
What characteristics make a digital sensor good?
Generally, the technical image quality of a digital image (before we get to the post-processing stage) is the product of the characteristics of the lens and the recording medium, with an important ...
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1answer
173 views
Are the perspective control advantages of a tilt shift lens less important on higher resolution cameras?
When using a tilt shift lens for perspective control, you can use shift to help account for converging lines such as in a scene of a church from 100ft away. I can also handle this type of perspective ...
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1answer
321 views
what's the relation between sensor size and image quality (noise, dynamic range)?
I'm reading this description on sensor size:
Digital compact cameras have substantially smaller sensors offering a
similar number of pixels. As a consequence, the pixels are much
smaller, ...
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1answer
197 views
What are the right cleaning tools for an APS-C sensor?
I have got my gear ready for a long holiday in next month, but I'm pretty much confused when it comes to having the right tools for cleaning a sensor.
The typical procedure I have experienced from ...
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2answers
110 views
What is the nature of noise in small-sensor cameras, and can it be overcome in the future?
What is physical nature of noise in small-sensor cameras? Is is thermal noise in the semiconductor?
Is there hope that in couple of years, noise in small sensors will disappear, and small sensors ...
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3answers
113 views
How is shots per second of a camera is measured?
I was just curious to know what are settings used in testing the camera's shots per second?Especially the shutter speed. Whether its set to the camera's maximum capability or any standard shutter ...
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2answers
286 views
The Lowdown on Image Quality on DSLRs
I have seen sites that use measure DSLR performances with Image QUality (in numbers). So I was thinking, given a D800 and a D7000, with the same lens, the same lighting condition and many other ...
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2answers
232 views
What is the effect of long exposure on file size?
Is it a rule that long exposure will produce a larger size file compared to a shorter exposure? It seems logical, since you are writing more data to the memory card when you expose for more time.
...
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4answers
2k views
Sony NEX5: Why do I have a dark spot in my images?
When I look through the display, I see always a small grey circle at the same place. Also in the picture it's the same circle. When I change the lens, the circle is still there.
So I assume it's ...
3
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1answer
215 views
What are causes for image sensor getting heated? Does Live View cause more heat?
As I have known so far, image sensor gets heated when being exposed to light for longer time.
Is there any other reason why an image sensor gets heated? Does heating depends on sensor type (like CCD, ...
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2answers
312 views
Assuming a perfect sensor, what is the physical limit of ISO/pixel area?
Assuming that camera manufacturers can eventually make the perfect sensor that introduces no electrical noise to the signal, at what point (measured in ISO/area of a pixel) will shot noise be so ...
