An image sensor is a device that converts an optical image into an electric signal. It is used mostly in digital cameras and other imaging devices. An image sensor is typically a charge-coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) active-pixel sensor.
Today, most digital still cameras use either a CCD image sensor or a CMOS sensor. Both types of sensor accomplish the same task of capturing light and converting it into electrical signals.
Neither technology has a clear advantage in image quality. CMOS can potentially be implemented with fewer components, use less power and / or provide faster readout than CCDs. CCD is a more mature technology and is in most respects the equal of CMOS.
There are many parameters that can be used to evaluate the performance of an image sensor, including its dynamic range, its signal-to-noise ratio, its low-light sensitivity, etc. For sensors of comparable types, the signal-to-noise ratio and dynamic range improve as the pixel size increases.
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