Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) Practice Exam

Which type of sensor is characterized by being more susceptible to noise and typically consumes less power?

1. CCD

2. CMOS

3. DSLR

4. Film

The correct answer is: CMOS

The type of sensor characterized by being more susceptible to noise and typically consuming less power is the CMOS sensor. CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) technology is widely utilized in digital cameras and offers several advantages, including lower power consumption compared to CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) sensors. This reduced power usage stems from the way pixels in a CMOS sensor are actively read and processed, allowing functions like image processing to occur using less energy. However, due to the inherent design of CMOS technology, it tends to have higher noise levels, especially in low-light situations or at high ISO settings. This susceptibility to noise can result in grainier images compared to those produced by CCD sensors, which generally perform better in terms of noise reduction due to their electronic structure. In contrast, CCD sensors typically consume more power as they require more complex electronics to transfer the charge across the sensor, which can result in lower noise levels but at the expense of higher energy usage. The options pertaining to DSLR and film do not refer to types of sensors but rather categories of cameras and film technology, respectively, and therefore are not relevant to the question regarding sensor type and characteristics.