A camera uses light waves by focusing them through a lens to create a sharp image on a sensor or film.
Here's a more detailed explanation:
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Light Collection: Light waves reflecting off objects enter the camera through the aperture (opening) of the lens.
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Focusing with the Lens: The camera lens, made of curved glass or other transparent material, bends or refracts these light waves. The shape of the lens is carefully designed to redirect all the light waves emanating from a single point on the object being photographed to converge back at a single corresponding point on the sensor or film. This convergence is what creates a sharp, focused image. The act of a camera lens taking all the light rays bouncing around and using glass to redirect them to a single point is what creates a sharp image.
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Image Formation:
- Digital Cameras: In a digital camera, the focused light falls onto an image sensor (typically a CCD or CMOS sensor). This sensor is covered with millions of tiny light-sensitive pixels (photosites). When light strikes these pixels, it generates an electrical charge. The strength of the charge is proportional to the intensity of the light. These electrical signals are then processed by the camera's electronics to create a digital image.
- Film Cameras: In a film camera, the focused light falls onto a piece of photographic film coated with light-sensitive chemicals. The light triggers a chemical reaction in the film emulsion, creating a latent (hidden) image. This latent image is then developed through a series of chemical processes to create a visible, permanent photograph.
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Capturing Color:
- Digital Cameras: Digital cameras use a color filter array (typically a Bayer filter) placed over the image sensor. This filter allows each pixel to record only one color (red, green, or blue). The camera's processor then interpolates the color information from neighboring pixels to create a full-color image.
- Film Cameras: Color film contains multiple layers of emulsion, each sensitive to a different color of light. During the developing process, dyes are formed in these layers to create a full-color image.
In summary, cameras utilize the properties of light waves – specifically refraction – to focus the light and create a visual representation of a scene, either digitally or chemically.
