digital camera

Camera that uses a charge-coupled device (CCD) to take pictures that are stored as digital data rather than on film. The output from digital cameras can be downloaded onto a computer for retouching or storage, and can be readily distributed as computer files.

The late 1990s saw a large increase in the number of digital cameras being produced. In 2006, four times as many people bought digital cameras as conventional cameras. By 2007 digital cameras were produced with the ability to capture over 30 million pixels of information, while miniaturization has enabled digital cameras to be embedded into everything from laptop computers to personal digital assistants (PDAs and mobile phones.