Introduction

Have you ever taken a picture of a cherished moment only later to discover it did not develop well because of the lighting? This will never happen again.

Advancements in sensor technology are transforming the quality of digital cameras. Sensors will enable the camera to be two to four times as sensitive to light compared to what is currently available. Photographers will produce higher quality pictures in low lighting situations.

The current status

Flashes are currently used to add more light to a scene, but they may not always be effective or appropriate. For instance, photos are prohibited in some indoor venues because the flash may take away from the participants of the event. Due to the progression of light sensors, taking a picture indoors will produce better results and may promote the usage of cameras in more venues.

Out with the old

The new technology builds upon old technology, which works as follows: Red, green, and blue pixels work in conjunction with an image sensor to collect more light to produce a quality picture. Half of pixels gather green light, while the remaining pixels collect red and blue light. The inner software then reconstructs a full-color signal for each pixel.

In with the new

The sensor innovation introduces a fourth pixel. It is sensitive to all colors, so all wavelengths of light go through and are detected by the pixel. The pixels are highly sensitive because they do not filter out any light. The panchromatic pixels are used to harness the amount of light and the color pixels are used to procure the final image.

Conclusion

This sensor technology will revolutionize how we take pictures. It enhances the quality of the picture and grants more opportunities to take great pictures at times when it has previously been less than optimal to do so.

About The Author
Measurement Specialties ( http://www.meas-spec.com ) offers a large variety of sensor products to meet application requirements in many industries including automotive, off-road, medical, industrial, consumer, military/aerospace, test/measurement and traffic applications.