Eli5: How can there be ‘noise’ in an image?

Question

Eli5: How can there be ‘noise’ in an image?

In: Technology

Answer 1

* Noise in this sense means anything in your signal that is not the thing you’re trying to capture.
* Noise in an image is junk data that the image sensors picked up which doesn’t represent the actual image.
* For example you can change some settings and tell the sensors to be “more sensitive” to light but that could lead to it picking up too much ambient light from the sides of the lens, light that isn’t reflecting off the thing you’re pointing the camera at.
* It’s actually a delicate balance to figure out exactly how sensitive the sensors should be.