The worst digital camera is pretty cool
Apart from capturing black and white images the size of desktop icons, this camera isn't capable of much. So why do I like it so much? Because its owner built it from the ground up.
Sean Hodgins built a digital camera himself. He even spent two and a half hours assembling the sensor pixels one by one. None of this really makes sense, because the camera isn't of much use. The most fascinating thing about all this is that it's possible to build a camera yourself. On the one hand, it lets you see how a digital camera works and, on the other, the poor performance data is a reminder of just how technologically advanced a "real" camera really is.
The ultimate in basic technology
The sensor has a huge surface area, but the resolution remains low. It comprises 32×32 pixels (0.001 megapixel). The individual pixels are so large that the DIYer was able to apply them individually. The resolution corresponds to the desktop icons on computers in the 90s. The sensor can only display black and white. But be warned: with 256 levels of grey.
Despite the low resolution, the camera needs around five seconds to take a picture: it can only activate and read one pixel at a time. From this data, the camera records a bitmap file on an SD card. This can then be viewed or edited on the PC like any other image file.
A single lens from a Canon lens acts as the objective. Hodgins originally wanted to build a stenope, but it wasn't bright enough for him. That's why he named the device "digiObscura". A lens, unlike a simple hole, has a focal point, so the distance between the lens and the sensor must correspond to the focal length. In the video, Hodgins says that everything is in focus. With 32 × 32 pixels, it's hard to refute the claim.
Everything is in focus. As focus as you can get with 32 Pixels.
A small OLED is located on the back of the camera. This does not, however, display the viewfinder image, only the status of the camera.
If you want to try building your own camera, you can find all the information at instructables.com.
My interest in IT and writing landed me in tech journalism early on (2000). I want to know how we can use technology without being used. Outside of the office, I’m a keen musician who makes up for lacking talent with excessive enthusiasm.