The resulting chemical reaction records the image information contained in the light on the film surface. This image is then set in the developing process. Although digital cameras may often look like their analog counterparts, they operate in a completely different way. Both cameras employ an aperture and lens or lens system, but their methods for recording images differ radically. Unlike analog models, digital cameras do not use film but save the images in a digital format on storage media.
Closer examination shows further differences in their operating methods.
The heart of the digital camera is hidden behind the aperture. These charges are read as electrical impulses. The reconstructed digital image is then transferred into the camera's memory for storage. In digital imaging, the combination of the CCD chip, software, and memory replaces the slides or film found in an analog camera. The CCD chip is about as large as your fingernail.