A system for photoaltering a region of an eye, the system comprising: a laser assembly (14, 16, 20, 26, 28) configured to output a pulsed laser beam; an imaging system comprising an image sensor and configured to: capture a real-time high resolution digital image of the eye; display the real-time high resolution digital image of the eye; and a brightness controller configured to control the brightness level of the real-time high resolution digital image according to a dark/light eye function by modifying a gamma function of the image sensor; a user interface configured to receive at least one laser parameter input; and a controller coupled to the laser assembly, the imaging system, and the user interface, the controller configured to direct the laser assembly to output the pulsed laser beam to the region of the eye based on the at least one laser parameter input, wherein the imaging system comprises: an image sensor coupled to the controller, the image sensor configured to capture a first digital image of the eye and having at least a 1624 x 1224 resolution and a frame rate of at least about 20 frames per second; and a touch-sensitive monitor coupled to the controller, the touch-sensitive monitor configured to activate the dark/light eye function and to display a second digital image of the eye and having at least a 1024 x 768 resolution, the second digital image of the eye based on the first digital image of the eye; wherein the controller is further configured to receive the first digital image of the eye and produce the second digital image of the eye via a compression of the first digital image of the eye. a laser assembly (14, 16, 20, 26, 28) configured to output a pulsed laser beam; an imaging system comprising an image sensor and configured to: capture a real-time high resolution digital image of the eye; display the real-time high resolution digital image of the eye; and a brightness controller configured to control the brightness level of the real-time high resolution digital image according to a dark/light eye function by modifying a gamma function of the image sensor; capture a real-time high resolution digital image of the eye; display the real-time high resolution digital image of the eye; and a brightness controller configured to control the brightness level of the real-time high resolution digital image according to a dark/light eye function by modifying a gamma function of the image sensor; a user interface configured to receive at least one laser parameter input; and a controller coupled to the laser assembly, the imaging system, and the user interface, the controller configured to direct the laser assembly to output the pulsed laser beam to the region of the eye based on the at least one laser parameter input, wherein the imaging system comprises: an image sensor coupled to the controller, the image sensor configured to capture a first digital image of the eye and having at least a 1624 x 1224 resolution and a frame rate of at least about 20 frames per second; and a touch-sensitive monitor coupled to the controller, the touch-sensitive monitor configured to activate the dark/light eye function and to display a second digital image of the eye and having at least a 1024 x 768 resolution, the second digital image of the eye based on the first digital image of the eye; wherein the controller is further configured to receive the first digital image of the eye and produce the second digital image of the eye via a compression of the first digital image of the eye. an image sensor coupled to the controller, the image sensor configured to capture a first digital image of the eye and having at least a 1624 x 1224 resolution and a frame rate of at least about 20 frames per second; and a touch-sensitive monitor coupled to the controller, the touch-sensitive monitor configured to activate the dark/light eye function and to display a second digital image of the eye and having at least a 1024 x 768 resolution, the second digital image of the eye based on the first digital image of the eye; wherein the controller is further configured to receive the first digital image of the eye and produce the second digital image of the eye via a compression of the first digital image of the eye.