A camera is a device used to capture images, either as still photographs or as moving images such as videos or movies. The technology operates on the principle of optics—the capture of light patterns, reflected or emitted from objects, onto a light-sensitive medium in a controlled manner. Traditional cameras used photographic film where chemical reactions would imprint the image, but modern cameras are predominantly digital, with images captured via an electronic image sensor. These sensors convert light into electrical signals, which are then processed into digital files that can be stored, displayed, and edited on computers. Cameras come in various forms, from the simple smartphone cameras and point-and-shoot models to complex digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) and mirrorless cameras with interchangeable lenses. They play a crucial role in numerous activities, from personal photography and filmmaking to scientific research, surveillance, and journalism, providing a powerful tool for documenting, expressing, and sharing visual perspectives.
Innovative infrared sensors developed by NASA increase resolution for Earth and space imaging, promising advancements in environmental monitoring and planetary science. A newly developed infrared…
A new superconducting camera with 400,000 pixels offers unprecedented capabilities in low-noise, high-resolution imaging for astronomy and quantum technology applications. In the pursuit of faint…
Once installed on a telescope in Chile, the 3,200-megapixel LSST Camera will help scientists better understand dark matter, dark energy, and other mysteries of our…
Open-source camera and software system records natural animal-view videos with over 90% accuracy. A new camera system allows ecologists and filmmakers to produce videos that…
NASA and European partners develop and test a state-of-the-art lunar camera, with ongoing refinements for future international missions. When astronauts return to the Moon, they…
Having more pixels could advance everything from biomedical imaging to astronomical observations. Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and their colleagues…
The high-speed camera captured an image displaying multiple lightning rods attempting to connect to the downward discharge. The two descending branches visible in the image…
Researchers have made long-term volcano monitoring a possibility by creating a more efficient and cost-effective camera. Gas emissions are a manifestation of the activity taking…
Stitching videos from dozens of cameras together provides unique 3D view of macroscopic experiments with microscopic detail. When a couple of plucky graduate students took…
Speeding up a camera shutter a million million times enables researchers to understand how materials move heat around and is a major step in advancing…
A new technique that generates a sharp image through the use of a low-cost, random scattering medium in real-time could offer a solution to the…
By illuminating a sample surface with short laser beam pulses, it is possible to film sequences of various chemical and physical reactions. A research team…
The new terahertz camera device provides greater sensitivity and speed than previous versions, and could be used for industrial inspection, airport security, and communications. Terahertz…
Reach out right now and touch anything around you. Whether it was the wood of your desk, a key on your keyboard, or the fur…
New underwater camera could help scientists explore unknown regions of the ocean, track pollution, or monitor the effects of climate change. More than 95 percent…
Cameras, solar panels, biosensors, and fiber optics are technologies that rely on photodetectors, or sensors that convert light into electricity. With the shrinking size of…
New design could enable high-quality wide-angle cameras that can possibly fit into smartphones. Researchers have designed a new compact camera that acquires wide-angle images of…
Device can see around corners and through scattering media like fog and human tissue. Northwestern University researchers have invented a new high-resolution camera that can…