Digital cameras are very similar to film cameras. Understanding how they work is simply a matter of understanding how digital sensors have replaced film.
The Lens
Like its film brethren, all digital cameras have a lens, which can have several pieces of glass, or elements. The lens focuses the image onto the digital sensor, where it is captured for storage.
The Aperture
Every camera has an aperture. Sometimes fixed but usually adjustable, the aperture is a hole that varies in size to control the amount of light falling on the sensor.
The Shutter
The shutter defines how long the light falls on the sensor, ranging from hours to 1/5000 of a second.
The Sensor
The component that replaces the film, a digital sensor is comprised of a matrix of tiny dots that read light and color values, which are later reconstructed to create a photograph.
In Camera Software
The data from the sensor is reconstructed into a viewable image by software in the camera. This software is often very sophisticated and will allow for limited image editing in the camera.
Memory Cards
Once the image is reconstructed by the software in the camera, it is stored to a removable memory card. There are several common types of memory cards, including SD, Compact Flash, MemoryStick, and xD memory.
Tags: digital sensor, software camera