Most digital cameras today use an image sensor called a Charge Coupled Device (CCD). A less expensive alternative is the Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) sensor.

CCD sensors create low-noise images based on pixels both of higher quality and of higher quantity. They tend to be used in cameras that focus on high-quality images with lots of pixels and excellent light sensitivity.

CMOS cameras, on the other hand, have much greater battery life (CCDs consume up to 100 times more power than their CMOS equivalents). Additionally, CMOS chips can be fabricated on just about any standard silicon production line, so they are significantly less expensive to manufacture than are CCD sensors.