Originally posted by Marc Sabatella I'm not sure what sentence or sentences on that site you are interpreting as making the claims that CCD sensor are significantly less noisy than CMOS sensors (I see one reference in a chart that implies this), but it just isn't the case in practice.
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OK, let me help you find: From the article:
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CCDs have traditionally provided the performance benchmarks in the photographic, scientific, and industrial applications that demand the highest image quality (as measured in quantum efficiency and noise)
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Second article I gave (link) is lot more clear about CCD's superiorty over noise. Just search for the noise in the article it is searchable
CCD vs CMOS
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More Bla bla about CCD vs CMOS noise:
HowStuffWorks "What are CCD or CMOS image sensors in a digital camera?"
* CCD sensors, as mentioned above, create high-quality, low-noise images. CMOS sensors, traditionally, are more susceptible to noise.
* Because each pixel on a CMOS sensor has several transistors located next to it, the light sensitivity of a CMOS chip tends to be lower. Many of the photons hitting the chip hit the transistors instead of the photodiode.
* CMOS traditionally consumes little power. Implementing a sensor in CMOS yields a low-power sensor.
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But again these are for bare sensor systems, camera companies prefer to go CMOS for now, and they are developing whole camera systems for CMOS and then struggling with CMOS noise by developing new strategies, with hardware and software. Thats why CMOS cameras noise levels is not seen as much as high comparing CCD systems. But in fact it is, they are just correcting it with mambo jambo. This is why I am agree with your second part of statement, cameras can be less or more noisy, but not the sensors as in your original post I answered.
But still claiming CMOS noise is lower than CCD's might not be a preferable statement..
BTW this time let me ask you, what is your reference about CMOS noise is lower than CCD.