Colour filter arrays: RGB, mono, and the rest Colour cameras wear a mosaic of filters. Mono cameras keep the light. The CFA line on the sensor page is that decision. Image sensors 12 Sept 2026
F-number, light, and diffraction F-number is how wide the lens opens. It buys light and spends depth of field. Neither extreme is free. Lenses 12 Sept 2026
Low light, QE, and SNR Low light is a photon budget. Pixel size, QE, CFA, and F-number decide it. Megapixels do not. Image sensors 12 Sept 2026
Distortion, and what TV distortion actually is Distortion bends the grid the lens draws. A doorbell can live with it. A measuring camera cannot. Lenses 12 Sept 2026
Frame rate, interface, and bandwidth A sensor can make a frame you cannot move. Frame rate, bit depth, and interface are one pipe. Image sensors 12 Sept 2026
MTF, and whether the lens can resolve the pixel MTF asks whether the lens still has contrast at the pitch of your pixel. A sticker that says 8 MP is not that measurement. Lenses 12 Sept 2026
BSI, FSI, and stacked sensors BSI usually keeps more photons. Stacked usually buys speed or HDR. Neither is a substitute for a larger well. Image sensors 12 Sept 2026
Sensor CRA: why the corners go magenta Pixels have a preferred incoming angle. If the lens disagrees, the centre of the picture is a liar. Image sensors 12 Sept 2026
Lens CRA matching Wide M12 glass often exits steeply. Small modern pixels often refuse that angle. That fight shows up as dark or magenta corners. Lenses 12 Sept 2026
Mounts and threads: M12, CS, C, and pitch A thread is a contract: diameter, pitch, and how far the glass sits from the die. Matching only the name is not enough. Lenses 12 Sept 2026
Package, die, and module The die is the image. The package and the module change height, glass, PCB, and firmware. The nickname is not the specification. Image sensors 12 Sept 2026
Focus type: fixed, set-once, and motors Focus type says whether the lens can move. Fixed is for a known distance. Motors are for a distance that will not sit still. Lenses 12 Sept 2026