Digital cameras rely on small CCD chips.
CCDs, or charged-coupled devices, have revolutionized both amateur and professional photography. The sophisticated electronics of a CCD camera have made film cameras virtually obsolete. CCD technology also enjoys applications well outside of traditional photography. The fields of medicine, astronomy, engineering and security have all found benefits in the creative manipulation of CCDs.
Astronomy
Capturing clear images of astronomical objects is often difficult because the faint light that distant objects produce. Some very distant stars and galaxies are invisible to the unaided eye. CCD cameras have the capacity to take long exposures, accumulating all the stray photons that make up a light source. Even a modest CCD-equipped telescope will reveal hidden panoramas in the night sky. You can even control the action from indoors with a wireless connection to your desktop computer.
Microscopy
CCD cameras have replaced film cameras for the recording of microscopic images. Not only can CCD cameras capture tinier fields of vision, there's no waiting for film development. An observer can instantly see what the camera sees with the aid of a visual display. With a remote control interface and an Internet connection, the observer can manipulate the camera from great distances. CCD technology in biology and engineering classrooms have limitless potential for enhancing students' experience of science.
Nature Walks
With modern digital cameras, you can go on a lengthy outdoors expedition without worrying about packing extra film. The storage space on digital cameras and SD cards means you can document an entire day with ease. Also, the various picture settings on digital cameras accommodate a variety of lighting conditions. You can adjust exposure and focus for close-ups of wildflowers or insects, or to better capture the mood of twilight. Digital photography means that anyone can work with or enhance the images later on a desktop computer or laptop.
Ghost Hunting
Visit your nearby abandoned house or historic graveyard and try capturing ghostly apparitions. Take pictures of dark windows and shadowy alcoves with a digital camera. Later, you can modify these images to bring out qualities invisible to the naked eye. Brightening shadows is a technique available with even the most ordinary image editing software. Even if no spirits reveal themselves to your digital tools, you still have a haunting collection of photos to share with friends.
Tags: digital cameras, cameras have, desktop computer, film cameras
