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Thermoelectric cooler for pocket camera CCD

Cooler may switch on under high ISO condition to vastly reduce noise
  (+5)
(+5)
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I really hate noisy photos, yet this is something I must contend with constantly, having to do a lot of indoor photography without the luxury of an SLR's large sensor (mine is a 1/2.5" CCD).

Of course I can use heavy stacking for still images, post-processing of RAW images with various software filters, exposure bracketing and averaging and a few other tricks, but it would just be so much easier if the camera provided a clean signal to begin with.

I'm just wondering how technically feasible adding active cooling to the CCD would be? It is a tiny chip, and I'm guessing the cooling cycle could be fairly rapid, so as not to kill the batteries too much (of course these solid-state coolers are extremely inefficient) or cause condensation on the CCD.

TIB, Jun 25 2008

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       Why not just buy a camera with a bigger sensor?
But of course, this *is* the HB, so [+]
coprocephalous, Jun 25 2008
  

       Baked. See wikipedia entry for Thermoelectric Cooling #Uses for details.
marklar, Jun 25 2008
  

       Well, having a smaller sensor does have at least one advantage - the optics can be scaled down as well. Maybe also cheaper to produce as defective spots on a wafer would have a lower probability of impacting any one chip.   

       Looked at wiki and saw nothing new unfortunately (but it is late). I'm proposing that this technology be used in pocket cameras, like my A570is. My fz30 could really use a dose of cold - it's basically useless in low light.
TIB, Jun 25 2008
  

       It can certainly be done, but for optimum performance, maybe a pocket-sized dewar of LN2 ?
8th of 7, Jun 25 2008
  

       //but for optimum performance, maybe a pocket-sized dewar of LN2 //
And for ultimate camera shake, a pocket dewar of Dewars.
coprocephalous, Jun 25 2008
  

       // a pocket dewar of Dewars //   

       "A shooter, whilst waiting for game,
Warmed his feet with a Malt of some fame.
Though fine for the toes
He found the fumes rose,
And a four-barreled gun hard to aim ......"
  

       (trad)
8th of 7, Jun 26 2008
  

       How cold does it have to be? The LN2 mentioned or C-CO2 certainly seems more efficient. Or run a heat pipe to an evaporative cooler, or a tiny hand pumped heat pump.
MisterQED, Jun 26 2008
  
      
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