Recent Developments of Digital Cameras and Space Imagery

Digital aerial cameras have replaced analog film cameras. An information contents corresponding to aerial photos up to 2010 was only possible with digital system cameras as Vexcel Ultracam and Z/I Imaging DMC or line scanning cameras as Leica Geosystems ADS80 or Jena Optronic JAS-150. Now with very large size CCDs the panchromatic band of the DMC II has between 140 and 256 Mega pixels from one CCD and this with excellent image geometry. With large size digital camera images more precise results as with analog photos can be reached. A strong development came for mid-format digital cameras having now up to 60 Megapixels. Some of them are also used in configurations of 2 up to 5 cameras, leading to a similar imaging capacity as the large format digital cameras, but not with the same geometric quality. Usually such cameras have to be supported at least by relative kinematic GPS-positioning or even inertial measurement units. Standard mid-format cameras have only one CCD-array, where 3 color bands can be generated by Bayer pattern, while system cameras usually have 4 color bands. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are becoming popular; partially they are equipped with tiny digital cameras with just 1.8μm pixel size, but still satisfying potential.