Digital scan back

A digital scan back or scanning back is a type of <a href="/facts/Digital_camera_back/EfWeWrAh">digital camera back</a>. <a href="/facts/Digital_imaging/nTNga50f">Digital imaging</a> devices typically use a matrix of light-sensitive <a href="/facts/Photosensors/7cSkXS6s">photosensors</a>, such as <a href="/facts/Charge-coupled_device/l6xffIcz">CCD</a> or <a href="/facts/CMOS/NJIWYgBl">CMOS</a> technologies. These sensors can be arranged in different ways, like a <a href="/facts/Bayer_filter/yC8UPoVU">Bayer filter</a>, where each row captures <a href="/facts/RGB/3Be0zwCj">RGB</a> components, or using one full-sized layer for each color, such as the <a href="/facts/Foveon_X3_sensor/6yWB5NrF">Foveon X3 sensor</a>.
A digital scan back takes a similar approach to the second type of photosensor, but instead of using one matrix for each component, it uses one array per component. This translates to a 3×N sensor matrix, where N is typically a large number (between 5,000 for earlier models and 15,000 for newer models), which is then placed vertically in a holder. To take an image, the sensor travels the x-axis, taking one <a href="/facts/Exposure_(photography)/Rzr0aGMd">exposure</a> per point.

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Digital scan back