These days, digital cameras are far more popular than film cameras – yet some photographers still prefer film, and the technology is more similar than you might think. Film vs digital cameras: what’s the difference? The ISO, along with the aperture and the shutter speed, form the exposure triangle.
I will tell you, however, that films and sensors can have different sensitivities to light, called ISO (or ASA).īy the way, ISO is the third factor you need to consider when exposing a photograph. I won’t go into much detail here, because I’ve discussed this in depth down below. When light reaches the back of the camera, it gets recorded by the film (analog cameras) or the sensor (digital cameras).
Once a predetermined amount of time has passed (the shutter speed), the second curtain covers the sensor or film, and the image-making process stops. When you press your camera’s shutter button to take a photo, the first curtain slides up to expose the sensor or film to light. There’s a barrier that opens and closes to block the light or allow it through, called the shutter. ShutterĪs light moves through the lens toward the camera body, it won’t simply impact the camera sensor or film. Note that the aperture is expressed in f-numbers, like so: f/1.8, f/2.8, f/6.3, f/9, f/16, etc., where smaller f-numbers correspond to larger apertures. The lenses that allow for wider maximum apertures are more expensive and are commonly known as fast lenses. In most cameras, you can control the size of the aperture, much the same way as the pupil in our eyes dilates or contracts to let in more or less light. Modern lenses contain an aperture, a hole that allows in light. And in some (zoom) lenses, you can also change the focal length. This is one of the reasons why some lenses are more expensive than others.īy moving the lens glass, you can focus the image. The quality of the glass, the way it’s arranged, and the amount of glass inside the lens can impact the quality of the final image. Lenses generally include multiple glass elements that bend the light for a sharp, focused image. Unlike pinhole cameras, most current cameras have a lens. But different models feature various details, and I can’t go into all the developments, so please bear with me as I talk generically. The camera obscuraĪll cameras, old and new, work under the same principle: light comes through a hole and projects an image on the back of the camera. Let’s start at the very beginning, then build up to modern-day camera equipment. This core process has stayed the same since the invention of photography, though the details have changed. Put simply, the light reflected from the subject goes into the camera through a hole it’s then projected on the back of the camera, where it’s registered by a light-sensitive material (whether a digital sensor or film). If you look at the giant cameras used by photography pioneers, then you check out the latest iPhone camera, you might think they don’t have anything in common.īut in reality, the basic concept of how cameras work hasn’t changed much. If you’re ready to get started, let’s dive in. With this knowledge, you can make an informed choice before buying a new camera – plus, you can better understand what’s going on inside your equipment! In this article, I’ll explain how most cameras work, and I’ll also explain the differences between various camera types (such as film versus digital and DSLR versus mirrorless). Want to know how cameras work but don’t want to read about complicated mathematics and physics? This is the guide for you.