American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 60
The first of a two-part look at the origins, design characteristics and functions of today’s digital-imaging sensors.
By Christopher Probst •|•
Decoding Digital Imagers: Part 1
G
iven the proliferation of digital motion-picture camera systems available to cinematographers today, a primer on how these various digital imagers function is perhaps overdue. If you are a cinematographer, a clear understanding of the factors that influence a sensor’s function and integration into a camera’s design can help you make better decisions about which system best suits your needs. The first installment of this two-part series will discuss how digital imagers developed and evolved, differentiate between CCD and CMOS imagers, and touch upon the concepts of resolution, Modulation Transfer Function, perceived picture sharpness and Nyquist Sampling Theorem. Next month, Part 2 will delve further into the function of CCD and CMOS imagers and their application in various camera systems, color-filter arrays, image processing, digital output specs and recording mechanisms. To begin our dissection of this topic, let’s look at how digital imagers developed.
May 2011
A History of Digital Imagers The invention of the first passive Metal-Oxide Semiconductor imager is credited to Gene P. Weckler of Fairchild Semiconductor, who authored the article “Operation of p-n Junction Photodetectors in a Photon Flux Integrating Mode” in the Sept. 1967 issue of the IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits . Weckler’s early work in MOS imagers was also detailed in his influential follow-up paper, “Integrated Arrays of Silicon Photodetectors for Image Sensing,” co-written with Rudolph H. Dyck for the April 1968 edition of the IEEE Journal of Transactions on Electron Devices. Simultaneously, in the United Kingdom, Peter J.W. Noble documented his active pixel concepts in the article “Self-Scanned Silicon Image Detector Arrays,” which was also printed in the April 1968 edition of IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices. An invention that is more directly related to today’s
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American Cinematographer
American Cinematographer - May 2011
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - May 2011
American Cinematographer - May 2011
Contents
Editor’s Note
President’s Desk
Short Takes
Production Slate
Living Out Loud
A Saint and a Sinner
First Dance
Decoding Digital Imagers: Part 1
A Hollywood Affair
Post Focus
New Products & Services
International Marketplace
Classified Ads
Ad Index
In Memoriam
Clubhouse News
ASC Close-Up
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - American Cinematographer - May 2011
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - Cover2
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 1
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 2
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - Contents
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 4
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 5
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 6
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 7
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - Editor’s Note
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 9
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - President’s Desk
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 11
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - Short Takes
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 13
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 14
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 15
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 16
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 17
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - Production Slate
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 19
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 20
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 21
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 22
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 23
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 24
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 25
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 26
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 27
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - Living Out Loud
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 29
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 30
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 31
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 32
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 33
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 34
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 35
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 36
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 37
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 38
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 39
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - A Saint and a Sinner
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 41
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 42
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 43
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 44
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 45
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 46
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 47
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 48
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 49
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 50
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 51
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - First Dance
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 53
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 54
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 55
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 56
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 57
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 58
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 59
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - Decoding Digital Imagers: Part 1
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 61
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 62
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 63
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 64
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 65
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 66
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 67
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 68
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - A Hollywood Affair
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 70
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 71
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 72
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 73
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 74
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 75
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 76
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 77
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 78
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 79
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 80
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 81
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - Post Focus
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 83
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - New Products & Services
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 85
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 86
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 87
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - International Marketplace
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - Classified Ads
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - Ad Index
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 91
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - In Memoriam
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 93
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - Clubhouse News
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - 95
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - ASC Close-Up
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - Cover3
American Cinematographer - May 2011 - Cover4
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