Camera Terms and Acronyms for Dummies

[Steph]

I have also seen "ca" used here. I was wondering what that stood for. TIA

CA = chromatic aberration

 

[lvcrtrs]

Chromatic Abberation

 

[Chris of Arabia]

Thought I'd sticky this one and see how it goes.

HDR = High Dynamic Range

I'll leave the description to someone better versed in the technique though.

 

[Jaszek]

Ok so I'll put up the rest of the words you suggested after school .

 

[Dao]

HSM: Hyper-Sonic Motor (Sigma Lens)
USM: Ultrasonic Motor (Canon Lens)
VC: Vibration Compensation (Tamron Lens)
EOS: Electro-Optical System (Canon Camera series)
EF: Electro-Focus (Canon Lens)
EF-S: Same as EF, S stands for "short back focus" (Canon Lens)

 

[Bakko]

wow awesome threat!
helped a lot, thanks for taking the time to do this =]

 

[Jaszek]

wow awesome threat!
helped a lot, thanks for taking the time to do this =]

I think you mean thread lol.

HSM: Hyper-Sonic Motor (Sigma Lens)
USM: Ultrasonic Motor (Canon Lens)
VC: Vibration Compensation (Tamron Lens)
EOS: Electro-Optical System (Canon Camera series)
EF: Electro-Focus (Canon Lens)
EF-S: Same as EF, S stands for "short back focus" (Canon Lens)

Thanks, added. Anything else?

 

[dxqcanada]

Chromatic aberration - commonly seen as colour fringes at the edge of subjects caused by the inability of the lens to focus all wawelengths of light at a single focal point. Will also affect sharpness. Low dispersion glass is used to correct this. Canon L series, Nikkor ED, Sigma DG, Sony G, also labeled as APO.

IF - rear or internal focusing - focusing mechanism in which the front lens group is not moved.

Flare - internal reflection or scrattering of light from the lens elements. Usually manifesting itself as a bright image region, and/or a reduction in contrast and saturation. Lens hoods are used to shade the lens.

Digital lenses - Canon S, Sony DT, Tamrom Di II, Sigma DC, Nikkor DX, Pentax DA - have a smaller image circle specifically designed for APS-C sensors. Not usable on full-frame

Sync speed - usually referred to as the maximum shutter speed usable for flash photography.

Grey card - usually a flat card coloured neutral grey having a 18% reflectance across the visible spectrum. Used to provide a standard reference for exposure. Also used for white balance.

Hyperfocal distance - the focus point where all objects can be brought into acceptable focus up to infinity at a given aperture.

Polarizing filter - transmits light of a particular polarization while absorbing light that is of a perpendicular polarization. Light reflected by shiny materials is partly or fully polarized. Polarizing filters are turned to change the polarization direction.

Crop sensor - a digital camera sensor that is smaller than full-frame sensor.

Crop factor - DSLR sensors that are not full-frame capture a smaller portion of the image projected by the lens. The crop factor term refers to the apparent magnification of the lens's focal length. ie 100mm lens with a DSLR having a crop factor of 1.4x will make the lens appear to be equivalent to a 140mm lens.

Fill flash - a technique used to to brighten shadow areas by using a flash.

Fast lens - refers to a lens that has a very wide aperture ... ie f/1.8 or f/2.8

Panning - a technique used to accentuate motion of a moving subject by following the motion of the subject (though the viewfinder) for the duration of the exposure.
​

 

[Jaszek]

Thanks dxqcanada

 

[musicaleCA]

HDR: High Dynamic Range. HDR images contain a greater range of luminosities than normal images (those taken by a modern conventional digital camera). The goal is to achieve high detail in all areas of an image—including highlights and shadows—by combining multiple exposures (a number of stops higher and lower than correct exposure), and thus achieve an image that has a total range of luminosities closer to those that the human eye can percieve. Some fle formats exist that can contain the extra data required by this higher dynamic range, and example of which is Adobe's Radience (.HDR) files. These are 32-bit files that are able to hold all the necessary extra data required in an HDR image. NOTE: HDR is different from tone mapping (see "Tone Mapping") which often gives an image a unique, surreal, saturated, and/or otherwise unusual effect. Additionally: Some camera sensor manufacturers are attempting to develop camera sensors that are able to capture a higher dynamic range than normal cameras, be it by placing photosites of varying sensitivties throughout the sensor or having two or more sensors in the camera (possibly by having a less sensitive sensor directly above a more sensitive sensor).

Tone Mapping: The process of mapping the range of luminosities and tones of an HDR image (see "HDR") to the significantly smaller dynamic range of a computer screen (or alternately, a printer, if the printer being used cannot accomodate the full dynamic range of the composited HDR image). This process tends to create a surreal, seemingly unreaslistic, saturated effect.

If anyone can spot errors in my definition of HDR, please do correct them. I was just going by what I know off the top of my head.

 

[nickisonfire]

jaszek your awesome for posting this hah

 

[Jaszek]

jaszek your awesome for posting this hah

thanks

 

[Alerick]

Props for this addition!


what is
DX

ED

on Nikon Lenses?

 

[Actor]

Angle of view is determined by gauge as well as focal length. It's approximately equal to twice the arc tangent of half the negative frame width divided by the focal length of the lens.

SLR was in common usage long before TPF existed, as was TLR and rangefinder.

A normal lens is commonly taken to be one whose focal length is equal to the length of the diagonal of the negative frame, 43mm for 35mm film. This is usually rounded to 50mm. Aspect ratio does not alter this rule.

Bracketing
Shooting 3 or more shots with an equal stop difference between each one, usually used for HDR's

and with reversal film.

 

[Actor]

wow awesome threat!
helped a lot, thanks for taking the time to do this =]

I think you mean thread lol.

HSM: Hyper-Sonic Motor (Sigma Lens)
USM: Ultrasonic Motor (Canon Lens)
VC: Vibration Compensation (Tamron Lens)
EOS: Electro-Optical System (Canon Camera series)
EF: Electro-Focus (Canon Lens)
EF-S: Same as EF, S stands for "short back focus" (Canon Lens)

Thanks, added. Anything else?

18% gray, 645, 6x6, 6x7, 80 series filter, 85 filter, agitation, air bell, APS, ASA, bellows factor, bounce flash, bulb(both definitions), burning, catadioptric, CCD, chromogenic, circle of confusion, clearing time, color temperature, condenser head, confirmation border, contact print, contact sheet, critical aperture, daylight balanced film, densitometer, density, develop, developer, developer capacity, dial thermometer, diffusion head, DIN, diopter(both definitions), dodging, dry side/wet side, easel, emulsion, emulsion to emulsion rule, enlarger, EPA, exposure index, fb+f, fibre-based, fill flash, film apron, filter, filter factor, fixer, FL-B filter, FL-D filter, focal plane shutter, fog, gauge, glass, glass thermometer, gray card, gray market, guide number, halation, handheld rule, hypo, hypo clear, incident light vs. reflected light, inverse square law, ISO, large format, latent image, leader, leaf shutter, loupe, magazine, maximum black, medium format, negative carrier, neutral density, orthochromatic, panchromatic, parallax, pentaprism, photo-flo, pinhole(both definitions), proof sheet, pull, push, reciprocity, reciprocity failure, reel, resin-coated, reticulation, reversal film, safe light, shutter, shutter speed, split image, spot meter, stop(both definitions), sunny 16, surge line, tank, tempered, toe, transmittance, transparency, tungsten balanced film, T-stop, view camera, washing aid, wetting agent, WLF, work for hire, zone system.