Abstract
A number of consumer digital cameras (compact, bridge, single lens reflex [SLR], and system ones) are of sufficiently high quality to qualify as suitable for photomicrography and represent an affordable alternative to dedicated, high-end cameras typically equipped with very sensitive sensors. When the image sensor resolution is at least 6 or 8 megapixel digital images offer rendering of details that is comparable to conventional micrographs taken on a standard 36 × 24 mm film. In most situations, micrographs taken by high-end (SLR) or other cameras feature no obvious differences in quality, so that even compact or bridge cameras may be used in most cases. Otherwise, for example, in low-light conditions or when very large print formats are required, SLR camera may be needed owing to its low noise, superb resolution and high ISO speed range. Dedicated moderate-cost cameras equipped with CMOS sensors represent an optimal solution for high-resolution video clips and in situation when life-view images have to be presented on high-resolution screens. On the other hand, color images are better rendered by high-end system cameras and ordinary (consumer) cameras. Layout of photosensitive cells in the retina across taxonomical groups is presented as an analogy of image sensor designs.
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Change history
24 September 2021
The online version of this book had multiple errors as specified below:
Notes
- 1.
CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_019/0000729
Abbreviations
- AEB:
-
Automatic exposure bracketing
- APS:
-
Advanced photographic system
- CCD:
-
Charge-coupled device
- CMOS:
-
Complementary metal oxide semiconductor
- DRI:
-
Dynamic range increase
- DSLR:
-
Digital single-lens reflex (mirror reflex) camera
- EOS:
-
Canon camera series (electro-optical system)
- fps:
-
Frames per second
- EOS/LER:
-
Canon EOS to Leica-R (lens adapter)
- EV:
-
Exposure value
- HDR/HDRR:
-
High dynamic range rendering
- lp/mm:
-
Line pairs per millimeter
- MFT:
-
Micro Four Thirds
- MP:
-
Megapixel
- NA:
-
Numerical aperture
- NMOS:
-
Ntype metal-oxide-semiconductor
- SLR:
-
Single-lens reflex (mirror reflex) camera
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Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to prof. Jan Valenta (Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, Prague) for helpful comments. RP acknowledges support via Ministry of Education projects: Chiral Microscopy (LTC17012) and ChemBioDrug.(Footnote 1)
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Piper, J., Pelc, R. (2020). Consumer Versus Dedicated Digital Cameras in Photomicrography. In: Pelc, R., Walz, W., Doucette, J.R. (eds) Neurohistology and Imaging Techniques. Neuromethods, vol 153. Humana, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-0428-1_13
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