Sensor size in point and shoots? I am having trouble understanding what exactly is the what 1/2.3" CMOS is??? How do you interpret that number fraction? is it a 1/2 inch plus .3...

Racmanaz Loc: Sunny Tucson!

I am having trouble understanding what exactly is the what 1/2.3" CMOS is??? How do you interpret that number fraction? is it a 1/2 inch plus .3 inches??? what is it and why don't they use the metric system for sensor sizes as they do with other camera measurements???

medavis43 Loc: Folkston, GA

google this and there are several charts that show the differences in censor size.

Racmanaz Loc: Sunny Tucson!

medavis43 wrote:

google this and there are several charts that show the differences in censor size.

Yes I know the physical difference in size, but how do I interpret the numerical size of 1/2.3"?

wlgoode Loc: Globe, AZ

Racmanaz wrote:

Yes I know the physical difference in size, but how do I interpret the numerical size of 1/2.3"?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_sensor_format scroll don to find dimensions

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Thirds_System

oldtigger Loc: Roanoke Virginia-USA

Racmanaz wrote:

Yes I know the physical difference in size, but how do I interpret the numerical size of 1/2.3"?

divide 1 by 2.3?

my favorites are 1/2 frame, 1/2 frame of what and four thirds. Again, 4 thirds of what and what is the other dimension?

Racmanaz Loc: Sunny Tucson!

oldtigger wrote:

divide 1 by 2.3?

Gosh I have no idea

PhotoMan1929 Loc: Virginia, USA

Racmanaz wrote:

I am having trouble understanding what exactly is the what 1/2.3" CMOS is??? How do you interpret that number fraction? is it a 1/2 inch plus .3 inches??? what is it and why don't they use the metric system for sensor sizes as they do with other camera measurements???

The numbers you are so concerned about go back to the early days of the television industry when TV studio cameras used Orthicon tubes as the image target. The numbers you mention refer to the diameter of the glass tube which contained the Orthicon's electronic parts. You seem to already have the dimensions you seek, so stop worrying over some archaic numbers.

Racmanaz Loc: Sunny Tucson!

PhotoMan1929 wrote:

The numbers you are so concerned about go back to the early days of the television industry when TV studio cameras used Orthicon tubes as the image target. The numbers you mention refer to the diameter of the glass tube which contained the Orthicon's electronic parts. You seem to already have the dimensions you seek, so stop worrying over some archaic numbers.

I'm not worried about any numbers, I am seeking the knowledge of what those numbers mean specifically. If you don't ask you don't learn.

wlgoode Loc: Globe, AZ

Racmanaz wrote:

I'm not worried about any numbers, I am seeking the knowledge of what those numbers mean specifically. If you don't ask you don't learn.

Good on you! In sensors, SIZE matters! Its all about the sensors, the numbers are just like names.

oldtigger Loc: Roanoke Virginia-USA

Racmanaz wrote:

.....why don't they use the metric system for sensor sizes as they do with other camera measurements???

Way back in the 1910's they would split 70mm stock film down the middle, add perforations and use it for the format we call 135, FX or full frame.

When people ask me what size sensor my D800 has i just smile proudly and say "It a half frame but it takes great pictures

Racmanaz Loc: Sunny Tucson!

oldtigger wrote:

Way back in the 1910's they would split 70mm stock film down the middle, add perforations and use it for the format we call 135, FX or full frame.

When people ask me what size sensor my D800 has i just smile proudly and say "It a half frame but it takes great pictures

Ha ha, so most FF users are really using 1/2 frame :)

wlgoode Loc: Globe, AZ

Racmanaz wrote:

Ha ha, so most FF users are really using 1/2 frame :)

FF is a reference to 135 film It could just as easily been referenced to 8x10 so us DSLR users would feel we had an itty bitty sensor.

PhotoMan1929 Loc: Virginia, USA

Racmanaz wrote:

I'm not worried about any numbers, I am seeking the knowledge of what those numbers mean specifically. If you don't ask you don't learn.

The 2/3 simply refers to the outer diameter of the Image Othicon tube, 2/3 of an inch.The 1.8 simply refers to the outer diameter of the glass envelope of another size of Image Orthicon tube, 1.8 inch.

An Image Orthicon was a specialized vacuum tube, cylindrical, with a flat end where the optical image was focused, the opposite end had a series of pins that plugged into a socket in the camera. You might look it up on Wikipedia, where you will find more information than we can easily provide on this Forum

The TV industry stopped using vacuum tubes in that application sometime in the 1980's. It is nice that you are seeking information, but the information you seek has little real application to modern digital photography.

oldtigger Loc: Roanoke Virginia-USA

PhotoMan1929 wrote:

...... It is nice that you are seeking information, but the information you seek has little real application to modern digital photography.

There are those who know the names of their children, some know that of the current president and other such worthless crap but there are those of us who acquire knowledge just for the pure joy of it.

Allow us to misbehave as it were, we are harmless and if it were not for those who sought beyond the bare essentuals of survival there would not be any photography for any of us to fret over.

n3eg Loc: West coast USA

FF is full frame, APS/DX is half frame, and 4/3 is quarter frame. Or you could call four thirds 1/0.75 if it makes Racmanaz feel better...either way, I call 1/2.3 tiny.