Essentials of Light Microscopy
Published:
17 November 2025
Available in print:
18 December 2025
Online ISBN:
9780191915901
Print ISBN:
9780192896520
Contents
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8.1 Introduction 8.1 Introduction
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8.2 How digital images are formed and encoded 8.2 How digital images are formed and encoded
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8.3 How digital detectors acquire images 8.3 How digital detectors acquire images
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8.4 Bit depth and dynamic range 8.4 Bit depth and dynamic range
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8.5 Encoding colour in digital images 8.5 Encoding colour in digital images
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8.6 The Nyquist sampling criterion 8.6 The Nyquist sampling criterion
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8.7 Matching the microscope magnification to the CCD/CMOS pixel size 8.7 Matching the microscope magnification to the CCD/CMOS pixel size
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8.8 Digital image resolution 8.8 Digital image resolution
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8.9 Digital camera noise 8.9 Digital camera noise
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8.10 Binning 8.10 Binning
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8.11 Flat-field correction 8.11 Flat-field correction
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8.12 Altering images post-acquisition 8.12 Altering images post-acquisition
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8.13 Scale bars 8.13 Scale bars
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8.14 Data handling and saving 8.14 Data handling and saving
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8.15 Smartphone adaptors for microscopes 8.15 Smartphone adaptors for microscopes
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8.16 Digital imaging ethics 8.16 Digital imaging ethics
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References References
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Chapter
8 Recording digital images
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Pages
176–197
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Published:17 November 2025
Cite
Sanderson, Jeremy, BSc, Dip RMS, CSci, 'Recording digital images', Essentials of Light Microscopy (Oxford , 2025; online edn, Oxford Academic, 17 Nov. 2025), https://doi.org/10.1093/9780191915901.003.0009, accessed 28 July 2026.
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Abstract
Digital images are encoded as vector or raster images comprised of pixels. They are versatile, and may be acquired immediately with the potential to change the exposure conditions and manipulate them. Data handling, incorporating scale bars and digital imaging ethics, is also discussed in this chapter. The analogue photon signal must be sampled correctly and Nyquist’s sampling criterion observed. Aliasing will not occur so long as the sampling frequency is at least twice the highest frequency present in the analogue signal. The heart of any digital camera is the CCD or CMOS chip. This chapter discusses digital camera noise: shot noise, read noise and dark noise. Binning and flat-field correction are also described.
Keywords:
aliasing, camera noise, CCD chip, CMOS chip, digital images, digital imaging ethics, Nyquist’s sampling criterion
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