| You don't need to be an electrical engineer to | | | | way that there is very little signal distortion. Another |
| understand why CCD image sensors are better than | | | | component then assigns a digital value to each pixel. |
| CMOS when it comes to digital cameras, camcorders, | | | | It is not hard to see why a CCD sensor would be |
| and security cameras. The image sensor is a special | | | | preferable for security cameras which may be |
| component that converts light into electronic | | | | focusing in on moving targets hundreds of feet |
| impulses. For traditional cameras it would be the | | | | away. Although there are a few trade-offs. CCD |
| equivalent component of the film used. The film used | | | | sensors require up to 100 times more power, which |
| in a camera is a major factor on how the | | | | effects battery life in wireless security cameras. This |
| photographs will turn out. These days imaging | | | | makes CMOS great for camera phones with small |
| equipment, such as security cameras and digital | | | | batteries, but is also the reason most phone cams |
| cameras, rely on CCD or CMOS image sensors. Both | | | | have quite low resolution. It keeps costs down as |
| chips are about the size of a dime. CCD stands for | | | | well. |
| Charged coupled device and are widely used in digital | | | | Just like with film types the use of different image |
| cameras, and surveillance cameras. CMOS, | | | | sensors will impact the photographic quality and |
| complimentary metal-oxide semiconductor, rely on a | | | | characteristics of picture and video images, and can |
| different manufacturing process and are substantially | | | | dramatically affect the color and clarity. Because the |
| less expensive to make. | | | | data is converted at the same point CCD image |
| Image sensors function similar to a photovoltaic (PV) | | | | sensors offer a higher quality image with better |
| cell and are found in many other types of hardware | | | | resolution and less noise. They also have greater |
| in addition to cameras. As light hits a silicon matrix | | | | sensitivity to light and therefore are better for low |
| where each tiny point represents a single pixel it is | | | | light situations. There are different kinds of image |
| converted into electrons. For CMOS chips a transistor | | | | sensors for day and night imaging equipment. |
| next to each pixel reads the data. The problem here | | | | Cameras record in color during the day, but will |
| is that sometimes the light hits the transistor instead | | | | switch to black and white at night. Infrared cameras |
| of the photodiode. On the other hand CCD sensors | | | | also record in black and white. |
| carry the data across the chip to a single point in a | | | | |