What Is A Digital Camera?

Date First Published: 5th September 2023

Topic: Computer Systems

Subtopic: Computer Hardware

Article Type: Computer Terms & Definitions

Difficulty Level: 3/10

Learn about what a digital camera is in this article.

A digital camera, also known as a digicam, is a hardware device that captures photos and records them as digital data. It does this by using an electronic image sensor to register the colour and intensity of light, and convert it into pixel data that can be stored by a computer, usually on a memory card. Most digital cameras also support the recording of videos.

With digital cameras, the pictures can be imported to a computer using a USB cable. They can then be published online, emailed, edited using photo editing software, and printed as hard copies. Most digital cameras include an LCD screen that shows the photographers a live preview of the image. This makes it easier to capture the intended picture and directly erase unwanted photos on the camera.

Note:

A digital camera is not to be confused with a webcam, a device that is always connected to a computer to capture and record moving pictures and sound with no storage.

Note:

A digital camera is both an input and an output device as it is used to take pictures (input) and then store them on memory cards or other storage devices (output

Picture Quality

The picture quality of a digital camera is measured in megapixels. The more megapixels a digital camera uses to take an image, the higher the quality and the larger photos can be without becoming blurry. Modern digital cameras have 20 megapixels, allowing crystal-clear photos to be captured. The amount of detail that the digital camera can capture is known as the resolution. Like all digital devices, digital cameras have a fixed, maximum resolution. The type of camera lens, the size of the lens, and the type of camera itself affect the picture quality.

Benefits

Compared with their analogue versions, digital cameras provide a cheaper and quicker way to take photos without the need for film processing. However, the popularity of digital cameras is decreasing with smartphones evolving to include built-in professional camera capabilities. Although the quality of smartphone cameras is increasing every year, a high-quality camera offers features that smartphones have trouble competing with, like interchangeable lenses, a long-lasting battery, and manual control of settings.

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