CCD vs. CMOS in APS-C dSLR cameras

[zygh]

For those of us that are mostly shooting at night or in low light conditions, I found out that a CCD can be most noisy. At least, the CMOS does a better job at it.
As I currently shoot with a Nikon D50 I am constantly in need of shooting at ISO 1600. Allthough one can get rid of the noise in Photoshop, I am of the impression that it is better to get straight out of the camera lower noise than to mess around with it in post-processing.
From what I've seen and read on the net, the Canon's CMOS does a much better job than my Nikon's CCD. I was wondering, which sensor would you prefer on you camera, as I would definetely love to see a CMOS on my (future) Nikon.

[eric s]

To me the camera is a tool, so I answer from that perspective.

All other things being equal, I want lower noise so I would choose CMOS. But I don't know if that is the only difference between them. I'd be interested if someone out there who knows the differences could articulate them. Then I could make a more informed decision.

You are correct it is better to get the best you can do in-camera that fix it in Post processing. You can only fix so much, so the further you are from "ideal" the harder it will be to get what you want (or impossible.)

Eric

[amazingthailand]

I'm not sure you can narrow it down to simply CCD vs CMOS. The Kodak dSLR's used CMOS imagers and they are horrible at high ISO, unuseable above ISO 400 IMO, and they are large full frame chips. By contrast, the Sony R1, an APS CMOS chip does very well up to ISO 1600, but not so good at 3200 (IMO). Yet the Fuji SuperCCD's are thought by many to be the best high ISO chips around.

[JimC]

I'd agree with amazingthailand

You really can't say one is better than the other for image quality.

For a long time, *poor* image quality was associated with CMOS sensors. That's still true to some extent today (just because a lot of the very cheap digicams use them and many are very poor quality). I used to warn people against buying some cheap cameras after checking their specs, pointing out that they were using a CMOS sensor. ;-)

A lot of the very cheap digicams use CMOS sensors because CMOS sensors require less in the way of supporting components, reducing the overall cost of manufacturing a camera.

But, because Canon went CMOS with their DSLR models and makes high quality CMOS Sensors, a lot of people started associating high quality with CMOS

CMOS does have the advantage of using less power compared to a CCD based camera. So, I think we'll likely see them used more and more in the future.

Here's a good read about CMOS versus CCD sensors:

http://www.dalsa.com/shared/content/..._Litwiller.pdf

[Hawgwild]

[align=left]CMOS imagers offer superior integration,[/align]



[align=left]power dissipation and system size at the[/align]



[align=left]expense of image quality (particularly in[/align]



[align=left]low light) and flexibility. They are the technology[/align]



[align=left]of choice for high-volume, spaceconstrained[/align]



[align=left]applications where image[/align]



[align=left]quality requirements are low. This makes[/align]



[align=left]them a natural fit for security cameras, PC[/align]



[align=left]videoconferencing, wireless handheld device[/align]



[align=left]videoconferencing, bar-code scanners,[/align]



[align=left]fax machines, consumer scanners,[/align]



[align=left]toys, biometrics and some automotive invehicle[/align]



[align=left]uses.[/align]



[align=left]CCDs offer superior image quality and[/align]



[align=left]flexibility at the expense of system size.[/align]



[align=left]They remain the most suitable technology[/align]



[align=left]for high-end imaging applications,[/align]



[align=left]such as digital photography, broadcast[/align]



[align=left]television, high-performance industrial[/align]



[align=left]imaging, and most scientific and medical[/align]



[align=left]applications. Furthermore, flexibility[/align]



[align=left]means users can achieve greater system[/align]



[align=left]differentiation with CCDs than with CMOS[/align]



[align=left]imagers.[/align]



[align=left]Jim, good article. Dated 2001, I believe, I found the preceding paragraphs amusing. Apparently, Canon has upgraded the CMOS since this article was written...:-)[/align]

[JimC]

It's biased. ;-)

[zygh]

Right you are, folks. Still, I was talking about the current state of affairs and not about the general CCD vs. CMOS topic. Also, I was referring to their aplicability and performance in today's APS-C sized dSLRs.

The thing is that Canon make some spanking CMOS that deliver the goods in low light better than my Nikon's CCD. I love my Nikon but am keeping an eye on the pricedrops of the 20D only because I need to shoot at high ISOs more than often. Since CMOS seems to have made up for the former disadvantages and it is also cheaper to manufacture, I was wondering as to what does the CCD have over the CMOs in todays APS-C sized dSLRs.

Also, I would like all you good people to vote in the poll to see just how many of you desire a CCD or a CMOS in your dSLRs.

Cheers!

[amazingthailand]

I would not buy a camera based only on the type of imager it had. There are far more important factors to consider. You should buy a camera that has the feature set you want/need and based on the overall performance of that camera. Whether it has a CCD or CMOS sensor is irrelevant if the camera does what you require.

So I will not vote in your 'poll' as I see no point.

[JimC]

zygh wrote:

Since CMOS seems to have made up for the former disadvantages and it is also cheaper to manufacture, I was wondering as to what does the CCD have over the CMOs in todays APS-C sized dSLRs.

You're still looking at this wrong. You can find poor or high quality CMOS or CCD Sensors. ;-)

If you want to know how members feel about image quality from one camera versus another, I'd ask about specific models versus one sensor type over the other.

You may find that a lot of people believe that one is better. But, that's only because some people associate Canon's image quality with their use of CMOS Sensors. They more likely went that route because they figured out it would be cheaper to manufacturer the cameras using CMOS sensors, and they'd have lower power requirements, too.

[zygh]

JimC, I very well understand that. BUT, the thing is I was adressing ONLY the sensors made for the latest selling APS-C dSLRs from Canon CMOS (350D,20D/30D) and Sony CCD (Nikon D50/D70/D200, Pentax etc.). I hope it is clearer now what I was talking about.