The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) has developed a large format mosaic CCD camera for photometric imaging. The camera consists of two arrays: a photometric array with 30,2048×2048 CCDs (24 micron pixels) and an astrometric array with 24,400×2048 CCDs. The photometric array covers a 720 cm² imaging area, while the astrometric array allows tying bright standard stars to the photometric camera. The camera is used for photometry in five color bands (u', g', r', i', z') spanning the range accessible to silicon detectors. The photometric detectors are arranged in six columns of five chips each, allowing two scans to cover a 2.5-degree wide stripe. The camera's optical design uses a modified Ritchey–Chrétien design with two aspheric corrector lenses to correct for astigmatism and distortion. The focal surface is nearly flat, deviating by less than 1.3 mm over a 3-degree field. The camera's efficiency is characterized by ε = ΩD²q, where Ω is the solid angle of the field of view, D is the telescope diameter, and q is the detective quantum efficiency. The SDSS achieves ε = 4.8 m² deg², which is significantly higher than 48" Schmidt photography. The five color bands are chosen to optimize the physical advantages of each band for galaxy surveys. The camera uses Tektronix (SITe) Tk2048E CCDs with 2048×2048 arrays of 24 micron pixels. The focal length is designed to match the device, with an image scale of 16.5 mm⁻¹ corresponding to 0.4" per 24 micron pixel. The camera accommodates a 5-color × 6-column array of 2048×2048 chips with appropriate spacing. The astrometric array includes 22 smaller CCDs for astrometry and two for automated focusing. The camera's design ensures high astrometric accuracy, with seeing limited to about 30-40 milliarcsec. The camera's mechanical design includes a stable housing for 54 detectors, cooled to -80°C, and complex electronic needs. The camera's optical performance is optimized for TDI scanning, with a focal surface sagitta of -0.276 + 2.754×10⁻⁵r² - 4.724×10⁻¹⁰r⁴ + 2.870×10⁻¹⁶r⁶. The camera's design allows for high-quality imaging with minimal distortion and excellent astrometric accuracy. The photometric system uses five color bands (u', g',The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) has developed a large format mosaic CCD camera for photometric imaging. The camera consists of two arrays: a photometric array with 30,2048×2048 CCDs (24 micron pixels) and an astrometric array with 24,400×2048 CCDs. The photometric array covers a 720 cm² imaging area, while the astrometric array allows tying bright standard stars to the photometric camera. The camera is used for photometry in five color bands (u', g', r', i', z') spanning the range accessible to silicon detectors. The photometric detectors are arranged in six columns of five chips each, allowing two scans to cover a 2.5-degree wide stripe. The camera's optical design uses a modified Ritchey–Chrétien design with two aspheric corrector lenses to correct for astigmatism and distortion. The focal surface is nearly flat, deviating by less than 1.3 mm over a 3-degree field. The camera's efficiency is characterized by ε = ΩD²q, where Ω is the solid angle of the field of view, D is the telescope diameter, and q is the detective quantum efficiency. The SDSS achieves ε = 4.8 m² deg², which is significantly higher than 48" Schmidt photography. The five color bands are chosen to optimize the physical advantages of each band for galaxy surveys. The camera uses Tektronix (SITe) Tk2048E CCDs with 2048×2048 arrays of 24 micron pixels. The focal length is designed to match the device, with an image scale of 16.5 mm⁻¹ corresponding to 0.4" per 24 micron pixel. The camera accommodates a 5-color × 6-column array of 2048×2048 chips with appropriate spacing. The astrometric array includes 22 smaller CCDs for astrometry and two for automated focusing. The camera's design ensures high astrometric accuracy, with seeing limited to about 30-40 milliarcsec. The camera's mechanical design includes a stable housing for 54 detectors, cooled to -80°C, and complex electronic needs. The camera's optical performance is optimized for TDI scanning, with a focal surface sagitta of -0.276 + 2.754×10⁻⁵r² - 4.724×10⁻¹⁰r⁴ + 2.870×10⁻¹⁶r⁶. The camera's design allows for high-quality imaging with minimal distortion and excellent astrometric accuracy. The photometric system uses five color bands (u', g',