Skip to main content

TED-Ed

Your phone’s camera isn’t as good as you think - Rachel Yang

318,354 Views

451 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

When the Visualphone VP210 hit the market in 1999, it advertised a never-before-seen feature: a camera. With only .11 megapixels, the Visualphone is a relic compared to modern devices. But while this technology has improved dramatically, engineers are rapidly approaching a hard limit on phone camera quality. So, what's limiting them? Rachel Yang shares a snapshot of how digital cameras work.

Additional Resources for you to Explore

Want to know more about the physical parts of a digital camera? Read on here. If you'd like to read more about and see pictures of the first cellphone with video and picture capability, this article may interest you. Relatedly, explore this link for the evolution of cell phone design over the years. Curious about the first picture ever taken and shared with a cellphone? This blog post found just that picture!

For a more detailed explanation of pixel size and camera resolution, dynamic range, or photographic noise check out these links. If you're interested in computational photography, read on here. Because computational photography depends more on processing than physical camera capabilities, the field has almost limitless potential, as detailed here.

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

Educator
Rachel Yang
Director
Hernando Bahamon, Vicente Numpaque, Globizco Studios
Narrator
Pen-Pen Chen
Composer
A4M - Audio For Media
Sound Designer
A4M - Audio For Media
Storyboard Artist
Alvaro Martinez
Animator
Daniel Quintana
Art Director
Daniel Hincapie
Director of Production
Gerta Xhelo
Produced by
Sazia Afrin
Editorial Director
Alex Rosenthal
Editorial Producer
Dan Kwartler
Fact-Checker
Charles Wallace

More from Mastering Tech Artistry