Technical Description of the Canon PowerShot SX730 HS

Lucero Ortega

English 21007

Susan Delamare

October 29, 2019

 

 

 

 

Author Note

This paper was prepared for English 21007 taught by Professor Susan Delamare.

Correspondence concerning this paper should be addressed to

Contact: [email protected]

 

 

 

Table of Contents

 

Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………………p.3

Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………. p.4

Historical Background……………………………………………….….……………..p.5

List of Parts and Function……………………………………………………………..p.9

Conclusion…………………………………………………………………….………….…p.12

List of Figures……………………………………………………………………………… p.13

References…………………………………………………………………………………. p.14

 

 

 

Abstract

This paper will contain a technical description of the Canon PowerShot SX730 HS. It will describe the various parts of the digital compact camera and the function of each part. Using diagrams and pictures it will explain how each part of the digital camera comes together to work as one and produce a digital image or video recording. It will also cover the history of the camera and its evolution.

 

 

Introduction

A camera is a tool used by professional and amateur photographers. There are many cameras out in the market and one such camera is the Canon PowerShot SX730 HS (Fig. 1). It uses digital technology to capture images and record videos, that result in instant photographs.

 

 

Figure 1: Image of Canon PowerShot SX 730 HS “Canon debuts PowerShot SX730 HS travel zoom” J. Meyer 2017 camerajabber.com 2017 Reprinted

 

 

Historical Background

Before the creation of the camera, the only way to capture an imagine was through paintings. The technology used in digital cameras, originated from the technology used to record television images (Ma, 2017).

Engineer Steven Sasson invented what is considered the first digital camera in 1975. Compared to today’s digital camera, Sasson’s camera was the size of a large toaster, weighing 4 kg (Trenholm, 2007). It only had the capability to capture black and white images and viewing them required a special screen. It took 23 seconds to be able to take the image and it was recorded on a digital cassette tape (Skipworth, 2014). The next digital camera that came along stored pictures on a two in. floppy disk and it was considered a point-and-shoot camera. It operated using AA batteries. The first true digital camera, where data was actually stored, was created in 1981 and was invented by a science team at the University of Calgary Canada ASI (Trenholm, 2007). These early versions had very low resolutions and was the reason that many early versions of the digital camera were not able to thrive in the consumer market.

Digital cameras store digital photographs as strings of numbers (Woodford, 2019). The way this works is that in the moment of pressing down on the button to take a picture, an aperture (Fig.2) that is located at the front of the camera opens and allows light to go in through the lens (Fig. 3).  Next, the light rays are captured by a light detector and turned into electrical signals. One of two types of light detectors, a charge-coupled device (CCD) or a CMOS image sensor can be found in a digital camera (Woodford, 2019). Once the light has hit the image sensor, the sensor breaks the “image” into millions of pixels, measuring the color and brightness of each of the pixels. It does this in order to be able to store each pixel as a number (Fig. 4).

Figure 2: Diagram of Aperture Opening From “Understanding Exposure, Part 2:.com Reprinted

 

 

Figure 3: Diagram showing the process of capturing an image From “How Your Digital Camera Works” T. Vorenkamp 2015 bhphotovideo.com Reprinted

 

Figure 4: Diagram showing image being stored as data From “Digital Camera Working with Diagrams vector image”  vectorstock.com Reprinted

 

 

Technical Description

A Canon PowerShot is a photographic piece of equipment that has the function to capture pictures and record videos using a mirror located on the inside. The following is a technical description of the Canon PowerShot SX730 HS explaining the multiple other settings that make taking a picture or recording a video more complex. The purpose will be to go into detail on the inner workings of a digital camera and how the multiple parts work together to produce a final product. The Canon PowerShot SX730 almost resembles a small rectangular prism having a weight of 276 g. Instead of edges, the front surface curves around to the back. The front has a circular cut out near the center with smaller circles piling up on top of each other the farther out it goes. The very last circle has a square cut out where the camera lens is located. On the right side there is a place where you can comfortably grip the camera. The top surface contains the three important circular buttons all located near each other on the right side and a dial. A microphone is placed near the center of the top surface. Lastly, the back surface has a screen that takes up most of the space and is place off center towards the left. It also contains five circular buttons with the biggest one in the center and two each on the bottom and the top, located on the right. The parts that will be discussed will be the lens, screen, flash, shutter button, aperture, and the image sensor. The material that the camera is composed of is polycarbonate.

Parts that will be Described:

• Lens
• Screen
• Flash
• Shutter Button
• Aperture
• Image Sensor
• Power Button
• Movie Button
• Mode Dial
• Microphone

List of Parts and Function

Lens (fig. 5e) – The camera lens allows the light to enter the device, focusing it on the light detector. It is the first step for capturing a picture. There are two types of lenses, interchangeable ones and permanent ones. The Canon PowerShot has a permanent lens that varies in focal length. (Dadfar, n.d.)

Screen (fig. 5g)– The screen is located in the back of the body of the camera. Its purpose is to display a preview of the image that will be or has been taken. It also serves to view the video being recorded. It has replaced the viewfinder is most compact cameras.

Flash (fig. 6) – The flash is located at the top of the body of the Canon digital camera. It is hidden in a compartment when it is not in use known as a built-in flash. Its function is to provide extra light during low light situations.

Shutter Button (fig. 5c) – The shutter is inside the body of the camera and pressing the button releases the shutter and determines the length of time that the light will be let in depending on the shutter speed. It does this by blocking the light that comes in through the lens so that it doesn’t reach the image sensor.

Aperture (fig.2) – The aperture is located inside the camera lens. Its function is to control the amount of light that is let in through the lens. It contains different levels which are known as “f stops” as represent how big the opening is. A smaller value for f means that the opening will be larger, and more light will be allowed in. (Dadfar, n.d.)  It also serves to determine the focus of the image.

Image Sensor (fig. 7) – The image sensor is located inside the body of the camera. It is the piece of technology that detects the light and captures it in order to record the data and create an image. There are two types of image sensors, the CCD and CMOS. (Woodford, 2019)

Power Button (fig. 5d) – It is located on the top surface of the camera. It’s function is to activate and shut down the camera whenever the user wishes to by pressing down on the button once.

Movie Button (fig. 5b) – The movie button is located on the top surface of the camera next to the shutter button. Its purpose is to immediately start recording when pressed down. Pressing again will stop the video recording, The Canon PowerShot has the capacity to capture videos in 1080p Full HD. can

Mode Dial (fig.5a) – The mode dial is located next to the movie button. It allows the user the ability to switch the camera’s mode by twisting the dial. Some of the modes the Canon PowerShot can change to are creative shot, portrait, face-self timer, high burst speed and low light.

Microphone (fig. 5h) – The microphone is located above the lens and is built in the device. It captures the surrounding sounds when in movie mode.

 

Figure 5: Top View of Canon PowerShot SX730 HS Digital Camera From “Canon Powershot SX730 HS Review” J. Waller 2017 ephtozine.com 2017 Reprinted

 

Figure 6: Image showing the built-in flash From “Canon PowerShot Sx730 HS Review” A. Davies 2017 photograohyblog.com 2017 Reprinted

 

 

Figure 7: Image showing the location of the image sensor From “What are the Different Camera Sensor Sizes?” 2016 adorama.com

Conclusion

Cameras are a tool that we use in our everyday lives. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes and can be used by anyone no matter how much or how little one knows about photography. They freeze in time happy moments that we experience but they also are a way to record history. It is easier now then is was years ago to store and be able to with a few clicks bring back the photo thanks to the digital technology the digital camera uses. Although the price can be expensive to some, it is worth the price in the long run because all one really has to pay for is the camera and the memory card which can be reused.

Cameras will continue to advance. The Canon PowerShot will still be used by beginner photographers or people who simply want a way to record the events of their lives. The simple yet various functions that comes with the camera lets beginner photographers begin in the field. The Canon PowerShot also has the capability to record making it a good deal. Digital Cameras have changed the way that we take pictures today. The storing of data allows for quick access from anywhere in the world, making it easier to edit and send pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

List of Figures

Figure 1                       Image of Canon PowerShot SX 730 HS…………………………       p. 4

Figure 2                       Diagram of Aperture Opening……………………………………         p. 6

Figure 3                      Diagram Showing the Process of Capturing an Image………..     p. 6

Figure 4                       Diagram Showing an Image Being Stored as Data…………….     p. 7

Figure 5                       Top View of Canon PowerShot SX730 HS Digital Camera….     p. 9

Figure 6                       Image Showing the Built-In Flash…………………………………         p. 9

Figure 7                       Image Showing Location of Image Sensor………………………..      p. 9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Dadfar, K. (n.d.). Quick Guide to Understanding the Different Parts of a Camera. Retrieved from Expert Photography: https://expertphotography.com/different-parts-of-a-camera/

Ma, J. (2017, September 27). Film Photography History and Emergence of Digital Cameras. Retrieved from sleeklens: https://sleeklens.com/the-history-of-film-and-emergence-of-digital-cameras/

Skipworth, H. (2014, August 14). World Photography Day 2014: The history of digital cameras. Retrieved from Digital Spy: https://www.digitalspy.com/tech/cameras/a591251/world-photography-day-2014-the-history-of-digital-cameras/

Trenholm, R. (2007, November 5). Photos: The history of the digital camera. Retrieved from CNET: https://www.cnet.com/news/photos-the-history-of-the-digital-camera/

Woodford, C. (2019, September 9). Digital Cameras. Retrieved from explainthatstuff: https://www.explainthatstuff.com/digitalcameras.html