How do digital cameras work?

I know the simple explanation of how a regular camera works is that light bounces back to the camera through the aperature and is captured on the film producing an image that is brought out through the developing process.

Since there is no film in a digital camera, how is the image produced? Could extra energy in an area distort pictures? As an example, if you're taking pictures in an area with nearby high voltage wires, could surges through the wires effect the way the camera works?


[ November 11, 2003, 09:03 PM: Message edited by: Connie ]

In a digital camera, instead of film there is a chip called a CCD (Charge Coupled Device, techy talk there) =) It consists of an array of light-sensitive pixels. When you snap a pic, the camera "reads" the CCD and stores the resulting image as a file, which is saved on some sort of storage device (flash memory, floppy disk or CD-R).

It's possible for electrical interference to affect digital pictures (if it's strong enough), but chances are such interference would affect the entire pic and not just create a single artifact. One thing about most CCDs though is that they're sensitive to infrared and possibly ultraviolet light, which can cause objects invisible to the naked eye (ghosts, orbs) to show up in a picture.

To illustrate the infrared aspect, take your TV remote and look into the end of it while you press one of its buttons. Chances are you won't see anything. Now point the remote at your digital camera and push a button while watching the viewfinder. The camera "sees" the light emitted by the remote that your eyes can't see!

I know that when you're doing an investigation with an emf meter, you have to eliminate the possibility of electrical interference and such before you can consider a reading out of the odinary. That made me wonder if we should also be using some precautions with digital cameras.

So we probably should make sure there are no electrical surges or infrared and ultraviolet light present (take the batteries out of the remotes).

I don't have a digital camera but since the camera can see light our eyes can't, I wonder what the picture would look like if we took a picture of a remote control beam.

Most electronic gear is designed to reject, or at least not respond adversely to, external interference. Of course there are exceptions, such as radios and EMF meters, which are designed to pick up weak signals. But unless the interference is really strong, a digital camera shouldn't be affected.

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Thanks for the info Kevin.

My motto has always been that you have to eliminate the explainable before you can presume that what you're seeing is paranormal. You really help with this.

I am learning a lot of stuff from Kevin. I never knew that about digital cameras and infrared until I immediately tried it with my tv remote.
Now I wonder what effect there would be in digital pics ... if you mounted an infrared light source on your camera next to the flash or instead of a flash? would this light up more items we can't see with the eye? As far as ultraviolet light, I have seen them using it to find invisible blood stains on the TV shows dealing with forensics, What would be the result of using that while taking pics?

Alan, using an IR light source with a digital camera would effectively turn it into a night-vision camera (provided the camera is sensitive in the IR range). My Sony digital Handycam has a Nightshot mode that does just that. It has an IR light source and switches to an infrared image mode, so you can take pictures/video in total darkness.

I don't know anyone who has used UV in ghost photography. It would be interesting to try. If I ever go on a ghost hunt I'll have to bring a black light along. =)

Duh I knew that... LOL feeling like such a blond moment now on the infrared thing. It's a coffee deficiency that's what it is LOL