What is a Sensor?

The sensor really controls the quality of the image you’ll get, as it pulls in the physical data and converts it to digital video.

The sensor will be either a CCD or CMOS chip, and its quality is measured in size.

A larger sensor lets in more light and detail. For cameras with one sensor, anything under 1/4-inch is small. A sensor of 1/3-inch should provide good quality.

Professional cameras typically offer three sensors.

Troy Dreier is a freelance tech writer based in the New York City area.