Camera Terms and Acronyms for Dummies

[choudhrysaab]

Thanx man. these will come in handy for sure =)

 

[tom beard]

What is HDR?

Tom Beard

 

[UUilliam]

HDR
High Dynamic Range
Extends the range of colours and shades (or stops of light as photographers refer to it.) that appear in a single image[Sees allot more shades in one photo than a camera can capture in a normal image e.g. if you have shaddows but you take a picture, the shaddow will be black and the highlights will be correct or your highlights will be blown (over exposed) and your shaddows will be correctly exposed]

 

[Eyetattoo]

What is DOF?

 

[Actor]

What is DOF?

Depth of Field
Defined in the original post.

 

[docphysics]

I just learned that a "fast lens" is a lens with a very wide aperture, like f/1.8. How does a lens have an aperture? I thought the aperture was inside the camera body? :scratch:

 

[Actor]

I just learned that a "fast lens" is a lens with a very wide aperture, like f/1.8. How does a lens have an aperture? I thought the aperture was inside the camera body? :scratch:

The aperture of a lens is its effective diameter divided by its focal length, both part of the lens's design. Most lenses have an iris, analogous to the iris of the human eye, whose purpose is to "stop down" the effective diameter and thus reduce its aperture. Standard engineering practice is to put the iris in the lens, not in the camera body. Some lenses have no iris and thus have a fixed aperture. In large format photography it is common for lenses to have not only an iris but a shutter as well.

 

[JSClark]

Ok, I'm not too clear on the term "looking space". Can someone elaborate and update, as the definition seems a bit vague to me.
Thanks!

 

[ben.]

could you explain to me what ISO is in very easy language please??

 

[Jaszek]

could you explain to me what ISO is in very easy language please??

Its basically how sensitive the sensor is. The higher the number the brighter the shot will be. The side effect is that when you go higher on ISO you itroduce more noise.

 

[ben.]

thanks jaszek but could you explain what noise is because everyone says theres too much noise on yourpicture but i dont get it

 

[manaheim]

Nice! Someone sticky this, damnit!

 

[Jaszek]

thanks jaszek but could you explain what noise is because everyone says theres too much noise on yourpicture but i dont get it

Noise are those little dots in the picture you get when using high ISO. They are usually red and blue. I think its explained in the first post

Nice! Someone sticky this, damnit!

It has been stickied since june lol

 

[Jaszek]

ok nvm. Noise isnt there. Ill update the first post in like a week when I get back to the states

 

[Actor]

gauge
The width of roll film, usually given in millimeters, e.g., 35mm film. Sometimes indicated by jargon such as “medium format.” The term seems to be used more by cinematographers than still photographers.

glass
Jargon for lens, or lenses. E.g., “the camera has good glass,” meaning the camera has a good lens.

glass thermometer
A thermometer which measures temperature by measuring the volume of a working fluid held in a graduated glass tube. Historically the working fluid was mercury but, since mercury is a hazardous substance, there has been a move toward using other fluids.

gray card
A card colored 18% gray, used as a reference in determining exposure. See 18% gray.

gray market
A term for equipment and supplies whose route from the manufacturer to the consumer is questionable, and which may be substandard and/or not covered by the manufacturer’s warranty. Such items can often be had at a lower price.

guide number
A measure of a flash unit’s intensity. One determines the correct aperture by dividing the guide number by the camera to subject distance, which must be in the same units as the guide number (feet or meters). The guide is usually given for ASA 100. A further adjustment of the aperture must be applied if a different speed is used.

halation
An effect caused by light bouncing off the back of a film’s support (substrate) making halos appear around objects. Films usually include an anti-halation layer to prevent this.

handheld rule
In 35mm photography one can avoid jitter (camera shake) from a hand-held camera by choosing a shutter speed that is numerically equal to or greater than the focal length of the lens. E.g., when using a 90mm lens choose a shutter speed of 1/90 second or faster. This rule is subject to just how steady the photographer’s hand is.

hypo
Synonym for fixer.

hypo clear
A chemical to aid in washing remaining fixer from the negative or print.