The matrix is a key technical characteristic of any modern digital camera, and the quality of the images directly depends on its quality. Although there is an opinion that high-quality optics and the availability of all kinds of accessories - from light filters to external flashes - are much more important than the "carcass" of a camera, you should pay special attention to the matrix when buying.
The essence of digital camera matrices
At the end of the 20th century, digital models replaced analog cameras. Their main difference is the use of built-in electronic photosensitive sensors instead of film. The digital camera sensor converts the optical image projected by the lens into a digital signal. Both the detail and the overall quality of the resulting images depend on it.
All matrices are composed of many tiny light-sensitive elements - pixels, each of which forms one point of the image. Sensors vary in design: they are full-frame, back-illuminated, frame or column buffered, progressive or interlaced.
One of the main characteristics of digital camera matrices is resolution, that is, the number of pixels. As mentioned above, each of the pixels perceives light and transforms it into one point in the image. The more pixels, the higher the detail. However, it should be noted that the pursuit of copies with the highest resolution is rather pointless, since it is impossible to notice the difference between the pictures taken with a 10 megapixel camera and, say, 12 megapixels with the naked eye.
Size matters
Another significant parameter is the physical dimensions of the matrix. The larger it is, the better, since more light falls on the larger matrix. That is why compact amateur "DSLRs" are significantly inferior in quality to oversized professional cameras. The more light hits the sensor, the cleaner and more natural the colors will look and the less unpleasant noise will be. However, manufacturers have gotten used to solving the problem of noise with the help of additional ingenious technologies (noise reduction algorithms).
Finally, cameras with large sensors provide a shallower depth of field. In practice, this means that the photographer has the ability to isolate the subject by adjusting the depth of field. That is, in simple terms, everything superfluous will be pleasantly blurred.
Unfortunately, manufacturers rarely indicate the size of the matrix in millimeters, but indicate parameters in vidicon inches, for example, 1 / 3.2 ", 1 / 1.8", etc. Here it is important for a simple buyer to know one thing - the larger the number in the denominator, the smaller the matrix.
