Digital photography

Digital photography is a form of photography that uses cameras containing arrays of electronic photodetectors to capture images focused by a lens, as opposed to an exposure on photographic film. The captured images are digitized and stored as a computer file ready for further digital processing, viewing, digital publishing or printing.

History

Digital photography was introduced in the late 20th century, revolutionizing the world of photography. The first digital cameras were used by the military and space programs in the 1960s. The technology was later adapted for use in medical and scientific research, and eventually found its way into consumer products.

Digital cameras

Digital cameras use an electronic image sensor to record the image as a set of electronic data rather than as chemical changes on film. An important difference between digital and chemical photography is that chemical photography resists photo manipulation because it involves film and photographic paper, while digital imaging is a highly manipulative medium.

Image quality

Image quality in digital photography is a complex subject and can be related to the following factors: resolution, dynamic range, color depth, and compression artifacts.

Image storage

Digital photographs are typically stored in JPEG format, which reduces the image file size, but also slightly reduces the image quality. Other formats include TIFF, PNG, and RAW, the latter being a format that saves all data received by the sensor and allows more flexibility in post-processing.

See also

• Photography
• Digital camera
• Image sensor
• JPEG
• TIFF
• PNG
• RAW

Digital photography Resources
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