kleurfilterarray

A kleurfilterarray, often abbreviated as CFA, is a mosaic of microscopic color filters placed over the pixels of an image sensor in digital cameras and other imaging devices. Its primary purpose is to allow each pixel to capture only one primary color of light at a time. The most common arrangement is the Bayer filter array, which uses a pattern of red, green, and blue filters. Typically, it follows a repeating 2x2 pattern: one red filter, two green filters, and one blue filter. This specific arrangement is due to the human eye's greater sensitivity to green light.

When light strikes the sensor, the kleurfilterarray directs specific wavelengths of light to each pixel. For example, a pixel under a red filter will only register red light, while a pixel under a green filter will register green light. Since each pixel only captures one color, information for the other two primary colors must be interpolated for each pixel. This process is called demosaicing or debayering. Sophisticated algorithms are used to estimate the missing color values for each pixel based on the values of its neighbors. This interpolation is crucial for reconstructing a full-color image. Different CFA patterns exist, but the Bayer pattern remains the most prevalent due to its balance of color accuracy, resolution, and computational efficiency in the demosaicing process.