# Camera Terms and Acronyms for Dummies



## Jaszek

For you people that don't know the terms we use . And yes some of these are going to sound stupid  (the things in brackets are dummy definitions , if no brackets then its just my definition) (Sticky much?)*
Ambient Light*
 The available light completely surrounding a subject. Light already existing in an indoor or outdoor setting that is not caused by any illumination supplied by the photographer. [Light the photographer didn't create ie. Sunlight, lightbulbs already in the room etc.]*
Angle Of View* 
The area of a scene that a lens covers or sees. Angle of view is determined by the focal length of the lens. A wide-angle lens (short-focal-length) includes more of the scene-a wider angle of view-than a normal (normal-focal-length) or telephoto (long-focal-length) lens. [What the lens sees, kind of like what you see when you look at something]*
Aperture* 
Lens opening. The opening in a camera lens through which light passes to expose the film or sensor. The size of aperture is either fixed or adjustable. Aperture size is usually calibrated in _f_-numbers-the larger the number, the smaller the lens opening.[the f/ number thing, controls exposure and depth of field, also know as the blade things inside the lens]
*Bokeh*
The visual aesthetic quality of the out of focus part of the photo achieved with a shallow depth of field.
*Bracketing*
Shooting 3 or more shots with an equal exposure difference between each one to ensure at least one of the 3 exposures is accurate. Many DSLR cameras have an automatic bracketing feature.
*Chromatic aberration*
Commonly seen as color fringes at the edge of subjects caused by the inability of the lens to focus all wavelengths 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. 
*Composition*
 The pleasing arrangement of the elements within a scene - the main subject, the foreground and background, and supporting subjects. There are various composition guidelines like the Rule of Thirds, Golden Spiral, Golden Triangles, Golden Section, and otyhers.*
Crop Factor Sensor* 
Size of the sensor is smaller than a 35mm film frame. Most common crops are 1.3X, 1.5X (Nikon), 1.6X(Canon), and 2.0X(3/4ths systems)
*Cropping*
 Cutting away part of the original image, usually for a more pleasing composition. May also refer to the framing of the scene in the viewfinder.*
Depth of Field*
 The amount of distance between the nearest and farthest distance from the camera that appear in acceptably sharp focus in a photograph. Depth of field depends on the lens aperture, the focal length of the lens, the distance to the point of focus, and the size of the image sensor in the camera. *
Exposure*
The quantity of light allowed to act on a photographic material; a product of the intensity (controlled by the lens opening) and the duration (controlled by the shutter speed or enlarging time) of light striking the film or paper, and the light sensitivity (ASA or ISO) of the film, paper, or image sensor.
*Exposure Compensation*
A technique for adjusting the exposure indicated by the in-the-camera exposure meter.
*Fast lens*
Refers to a lens that has a very wide maximum aperture ... generally f/1 to f/2.8 ... In general, the faster a lens the more it costs.
*Fill flash*
A technique used to to brighten shadow areas by using a flash.
*Fisheye Lens*
Lens that gives a distorted (a lot of field curvature or barrel distortion) very wide angle view.
*Flare*
Internal reflection or scrattering of light caused by air gaps between 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 and help minimize lens flare. Adding a filter(s) to the front of a lens often promotes lens flare by adding an additional air gap(s).
*Focal Length* 
The distance between the film and the optical center of the lens when the lens is focused on infinity. The focal length of the lens on most adjustable cameras is marked in millimeters on the lens mount.[the amount of zoom of the lens, more mm more zoom]*
Focus* 
Adjustment of the distance setting on a lens to define the subject sharply.[sharpness]
*Focus Point(s)*
The dots/boxes inside your viewfinder where you select the camera to focus at, can be set to manual or automatic. The boxes in the viewfinder indicate the approximate location in the scene of the actual focus sensors which are in the auto focus module, which is usually in the bottom of the camera.
*Full Frame Sensor
* Size of the sensor is the same as a 35mm Film Frame (135 format).
*Film Grain*
The sand-like or granular appearance of the light sensitive sliver halide crystals embedded in the film emulsion. Graini becomes more pronounced with faster film and the degree of enlargement. Digital photos are not made using silver halide crystals and cannot have grain.
*Grey card*
Usually a flat card colored neutral grey having a 18% reflectance across the visible spectrum. Used to provide a standard reference for exposure. Also used for white balance. Neutral gray means all 3 of the RGB color model colors - Red, Green, Blue - have the same value so none of the 3 dominates.
*Histogram*
A graph showing the distribution of the pixels in a digital photo. The vertical axis of the graph shows how many pixels and the horizontal axis shows luminosity bright on the right and dark on the left. 
*Hyperfocal distance*
The focus point where all objects from some distance from the camera to infinity can be brought into acceptable focus..
*IF - internal focusing*
Focusing mechanism in which the front lens group is not moved making the lens longer. A further consideration for lens filter uses is if the front lens element rotates or not as the lens is focused.
*ISO Speed* 
The sensitivity of the recording medium (film or digital) as determined by the standards of the International Standards Organization. 
*Lens* 
One or more pieces of optical glass or similar material designed to collect and focus rays of light to form a sharp image on the film, paper, or projection screen.[The thing you mount on a dSLR]*
Lens Shade/Hood
* A collar or hood at the front of a lens that keeps unwanted light from striking the lens and causing image flare and/or a loss of contrast. May be attached or detachable, and should be sized and shaped to the particular lens to avoid vignetting.
*Lens Speed* 
The largest lens opening (smallest f-number) at which a lens can be set. A fast lens transmits more light and has a larger opening than a slow lens.[See Aperture] 
*Looking Space*
Commonly associated with portrait and automotive photography, also links in with "Rule of Thirds". Making sure your subject has looking space means to allow some blank space in front of your model or car's face for them or it to "look" into.[Also referred to as breathing space]
*Macro Lens*
 A lens that provides continuous focusing from infinity to extreme close-ups, often to a reproduction ratio of 1:2 (half life-size) or 1:1 (life-size).[Lens to shoot really close, great for bugs and flowers]
*Metering*
Measurement of light on the subject using desired setting in camera or an external light meter. Helps determine exposure.
*Monopod
*A single leg usually used for heavier lenses while shooting for a long time. Used to take the weight off of one arm.*Noise* 
Colorful dots you see on the photo when using too high of an ISO.
*Normal Lens
* A lens that makes the image in a photograph appear in perspective similar to that of the original scene. A normal lens has a shorter focal length and a wider field of view than a telephoto lens, and a longer focal length and narrower field of view than a wide-angle lens.[Usually a 50mm lens on a Full Frame Body]*
Overexposure*
A condition in which too much light reaches the film, producing a dense negative or a very light print or slide.[Too Bright]*Panning
*Using a longer exposure to show motion in a photo, usually used for fast moving objects like cars, sports players. Focus is on the subject and the background is "smeared".*Post Processing
*Editing.*
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.
*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.
*Prime Lens
*Lens that you can't zoom on, usually has great image quality.
*Rule of Thirds*
The common technique of putting the subject slightly off-centre, about a third of the way from either the left, right, upper or lower part of the photograph. Not always the best option, but generally can help a photograph's composition. [For example, if your subject was a tree, you might have the trunk a third of the way from the right-hand side of the viewfinder to help composition].
*Stopping Down*
 Changing the lens aperture to a smaller opening; for example, from f/8 to f/11.[Changing the aperture down]*Teleconverter
*Something you mount between the lens to increase the focal length of a lens. Usually come in 1.4X and 2.0 flavors. The benefit is that you have a longer focal length without buying a new lens, the draw back is that you lose 1 stop of light with the 1.4X and 2 stops of light with the 2.0X.
*Sync speed*
Usually referred to as the maximum shutter speed usable for flash photography.
* Telephoto lens
*A long lens, usually above 70mm, also meaning the physical lens is shorter than it's focal length.*Tripod
*Three legged thing that you put your camera on. Used for heavy lenses or night shots to prevent motion shake.*Vignetting* 
A fall-off in brightness at the edges of an image, slide, or print. Can be caused by poor lens design, using a lens hood not matched to the lens, or attaching too many filters to the front of the lens.[Black thing in the corners of photos]*
Wide-Angle Lens* 
A lens that has a shorter focal length and a wider field of view (includes more subject area) than a normal lens.[What people call fisheye...and they are wrong]
*White Balance* 
Color Temperature of the image. Setting depend on the lighting available.
*Zoom Lens* 
A lens in which you adjust the focal length over a wide range. In effect, this gives you lenses of many focal lengths.[Not Prime lens]
Acronyms used on TPF
If I missed something tell me

f/#= f/ number/aperture
OOF= Out of Focus
PP= Post Processing
C&C= Critique and Comments
CC=Same as above
ROT= Rule of Thirds
TPF=The Photo Forum
IQ=Image Quality
PS=Photoshop
LR=Lightroom
IS=Image Stabilization(Canon)    \
VR=Vibration Reduction(Nikon)  -- These are all the same ;D
OS=Optical Stabilization(Sigma) /
AWB=Auto White Balance
CA=Chromatic aberration         
 ETTL=Evaluative through-the-lens(Canon)  \
iTTL=intelligent through-the-lens(Nikon)     -- Also same thing
TTL=Through the lens
P&S=Point and Shoot
EXIF=Exchangeable image file format
SLR=Single Lens Reflex
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)         
 

If You have any other questions ask them.


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## dxqcanada

You forgot:

Bracketing
Exposure Compensation
Histogram
Telephoto Lens
"IQ"
"PP"
"PS"


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## Jaszek

dxqcanada said:


> You forgot:
> 
> Bracketing
> Exposure Compensation
> Histogram
> Telephoto Lens
> "IQ"
> "PP"
> "PS"


Ok thanks, I knew I missed some things . O and I already had PP


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## dxqcanada

Opps ... didn't see the PP


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## dxqcanada

I wonder if you should add specific manufacturer acronyms ..

IS
VR 
etc.


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## PhotoXopher

Excellent list with understandable definitions - nice write up Jaszek.

White Balance, Metering, Focus Points and Bokeh off the top of my head.


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## Jaszek

dxqcanada said:


> I wonder if you should add specific manufacturer acronyms ..
> 
> IS
> VR
> etc.





N0YZE said:


> Excellent list with understandable definitions - nice write up Jaszek.
> 
> White Balance, Metering, Focus Points and Bokeh off the top of my head.


Ok I'll add both of your, it's not easy to think with the though of Finals starting in school tommorow lol.


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## PhotoXopher

You're doing a great job, good luck on the finals!


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## musicaleCA

Manufacturer acronyms would be good. While you're at it, might as well poke fun at them being absurd and using different acronyms for the same functions, like IS and VR, or ETTL and iTTL.


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## dxqcanada

EXIF
Panning
Tripod
Monopod
TTL
SLR
P&S
Hyperfocal distance
Teleconverter
Polarizing filter
Infrared
Contrast
Depth of field preview
Metering modes - Matrix, Avg, Spot


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## Jaszek

N0YZE said:


> You're doing a great job, good luck on the finals!


HAHA thanks.


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## Jaszek

Can you guys post the words with the definitions already? lol. My ehad is starting to hurt from looking at the screen for too long and im about to go to sleep...in like an hour lol. It's funny how most of the words you are giving me I was thinking of putting up but I didnt .


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## musicaleCA

Contrast! Ahhh! *runs*

Sorry, just that I've been reading Adobe Photoshop CS4 for Photographers. Who knew a concept as simple as contrast could get so complicated and intricate? *explodes*

I request that when you add "SLR", you note that all it refers to is the mechanism in the camera that allows you to see through the lens. It doesn't mean the camera is somehow better by default; there are now P&S' that are SLRs too.


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## TamiyaGuy

Looks like a really helpful list! Should be plenty helpful for newcomers to this forum. Can't really think of anything else to add, it's really all covered. Ah, apart from "Rule of Thirds" (comes up a lot in individual posts, might be nice to have a definition on a thread like this):

The common technique of putting the subject slightly off-centre, about a third of the way from either the left, right, upper or lower part of the photograph. Not always the best option, but generally can help a photograph's composition. [For example, if your subject was a tree, you might have the trunk a third of the way from the right-hand side of the viewfinder to help composition].

Damn, I've thought of another now . "Looking space":

Commonly associated with portrait and automotive photography, also links in with "Rule of Thirds". Making sure your subject has looking space means to allow some blank space in front of your model or car's face for them or it to "look" into.


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## Divatologist

This is very helpful to a newbie/noob like me. I have also seen "ca" used here. I was wondering what that stood for. TIA


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## Steph

Divatologist said:


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



CA = chromatic aberration


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## lvcrtrs

Chromatic Abberation


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## 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.


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## Jaszek

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


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## 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)


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## Bakko

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


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## Jaszek

Bakko said:


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


I think you mean thread lol.


Dao said:


> 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?


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## 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.​


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## Jaszek

Thanks *dxqcanada*


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## 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&#8212;including highlights and shadows&#8212;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.


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## nickisonfire

jaszek your awesome for posting this hah


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## Jaszek

nickisonfire said:


> jaszek your awesome for posting this hah



thanks


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## Alerick

Props for this addition!


what is
DX

ED

on Nikon Lenses?


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## 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.


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## Actor

Jaszek said:


> Bakko said:
> 
> 
> 
> wow awesome threat!
> helped a lot, thanks for taking the time to do this =]
> 
> 
> 
> I think you mean thread lol.
> 
> 
> Dao said:
> 
> 
> 
> 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)
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Thanks, added. Anything else?
Click to expand...


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.


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## Jessmica

Wow, this is so helpful! My college tutors really sucked at explaining all of this
Thanks


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## Actor

*18% gray*
A gray color midway between black and white, corresponding to Ansel Adams' Zone V.  Light meters are calibrated using the assumption that whatever is being metered _averages_ to 18% gray.  In fact most scenes do average to 18% gray but there are exceptions, such as scenes with a lot of snow or scenes with a lot of black.  The origin of the term is unclear. See _gray card, Zone System.
_
*645, 6x6, 6x7...*
In medium format photography a designation of the size of the image on the negative, i.e., 6cm x 4.5cm, 6cm x 6cm, 6cm x 7cm.  Other sizes are also common in the format.  See _medium format._
*
80 series filter*
A series of blue filters designed to allow daylight balanced color film to be used under tungsten lights.  These filters attenuate the light by two stops.  See _daylight balanced, tungsten lights, stop._
*
85 filter
*An amber filter designed to allow tungsten balanced color film to be used under sunlight or most forms of flash.  It attenuates light by 1/3 stop.  See _tungsten balanced, stop._
*
agitation*
The act of frequently inverting and tumbling a tank in order to bring fresh developer into contact with the film.  See _tank, developer._
*
air bells
*Bubbles that form on film when solutions are poured into the tank and show up as spots on the negative.  These can be dislodged by lightly rapping the tank on a counter top.
*
APS
*Abbreviation for Advanced Photographic System, a 25mm gauge marketed by Kodak with limited success.
*
ASA*
Abbreviation for American Standards Association, commonly used for their ratings of film speed.  The rating is directly proportional to the amount of exposure needed to darken the negative, with correct processing, to 18% gray.  See _18% gray._​


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## Flo

thank you guys for the class....confused but im sure after the cloud of words i will prevail...thanx!!


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## musicaleCA

Regarding 18% grey, the term is derived, I believe, from the approximate percentage of black pixels/dots that need to be present on a white media (say, paper) for our eyes to perceive it as a mid-tone, neutral grey.


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## Actor

musicaleCA said:


> Regarding 18% grey, the term is derived, I believe, from the approximate percentage of black pixels/dots that need to be present on a white media (say, paper) for our eyes to perceive it as a mid-tone, neutral grey.



The "approximate percentage of black pixels/dots that need to be present on a white media (say, paper) for our eyes to perceive it as a mid-tone, neutral grey" is 50%.

The term is a *misnomer*.  Take a checkerboard pattern of black and white squares.  This will meter as 18% gray yet the ratio of black to white is 1:1, i.e., the ratio of black:total = 50%, not 18%.  If you back off from the checkerboard until you can no longer see the individual squares then your eyes will perceive it as 18% gray.

It should be called 50% gray, yet for some unknown reason, convention dubs it 18% gray.  There does not seem to be any scientific basis for the use of 18%.


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## musicaleCA

Damn crazies. >.<


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## Actor

*bellows factor*
A compensation in exposure when the subject is very close to the lens.  &#8220;Very close&#8221; is usually taken to be within ten focal lengths.

*bounce flash*
The practice of aiming a flash unit at an intermediate reflecting surface, such as the ceiling, a wall, or a white screen, instead of at the subject.  It&#8217;s purpose is to create a softer light.   See _soft light_.

*bulb*
1.    A setting on a camera&#8217;s shutter speed control, which causes the shutter to remain open as long as the shutter button is held down.  Its purpose is to create long exposures that are not available on the camera&#8217;s normal range of shutter speeds.  The term derives from a remote shutter release that uses air pressure.  The operator opens the shutter by squeezing a rubber &#8220;bulb&#8221; at the end of a pneumatic hose.
2.    A small light bulb containing a flammable metal in a pure oxygen atmosphere.  When the metal is ignited by an electric current the metal burns with an intense light lasting 1/30 second, peaking at 1/60 second.  It&#8217;s chief disadvantage is its expense since each bulb is good for only one exposure.  Generally no longer used.

*burning*
A darkroom practice of making certain parts of a print darker by exposing them longer while shielding other parts of the print from light.  See _dodging_.

*camera
*Latin for room.

*camera obscura
*Latin for dark room. Historically, a room with a pinhole or lens on one side.  A person standing in the room could see an inverted image of the scene outside.  See _pinhole._

*catadioptric
*A means of forming an image with a combination of a parabolic mirror and a hyperbolic mirror.  Sometimes called a &#8220;mirror lens,&#8221; it is not actually a lens at all.  Mirror lenses are free of chromatic aberration.  See _chromatic aberration_.   Google _Schmidt telescope_.

*CCD*
Abbreviation for Charge Coupled Device.  It&#8217;s the chip which replaces the film in a digital camera.
*
chromogenic
*Black and white film designed to be processed in color chemistry.

*circle of confusion*
An area on a negative or CCD over which a point of light can be spread and still be accepted as being in focus.  The larger the circle of confusion a user is willing to tolerate, the more depth of field is available to him.  See _depth of field_.

*clearing time*
A test for checking whether used fixer is still good.  A piece of unexposed film is placed in the fixer and the time it takes for the film to turn clear is measured.  The time is takes to fix a negative is twice the clearing time.  See _fix, fixer_. 

*color temperature*
The temperature of a source of light, usually given in degrees Kelvin.  Tungsten lamps have a color temperature of about 3400 degK, daylight and strobe flash have a color temperature of about 5000 degK.  The color temperature of a light source loosely indicates how its colors are distributed across the visible spectrum.  Sources with low color temperatures don&#8217;t have much blue light.  Sunlight has a high color temperature and can generally be regarded as having an equal mix of all colors (an astrophysicist may challenge that, but for photographic purposes the concept works).  Digital photographers deal with color temperature by adjusting white balance.  Film users have a bigger problem requiring them to select a film balanced for the kind or light they are using and/or using a filter to balance the light to the film they are using.  Most print film is daylight balanced, which matches daylight and strobe flash.  An 80 series filter is needed if this film is used under tungsten light (household incandescent or floodlight), an FL-D is used under fluorescent light.  Some tungsten balanced film is available.  This needs an 85 filter if used under sunlight or strobe flash.  An FL-B is used under fluorescent light.  Black and white shooters can generally ignore the problem of color temperature.

*condenser head*
A light source for an enlarger, which uses a lens to get light to strike the negative a right angle to its surface.  The makes for a sharper print but enhances scratches and dirt.

*confirmation border*
The border of a print, which includes not only the image, but also the area of the negative that is immediately outside the image, thus _confirming_ that the entire image has been printed.

*contact print*
A print made without use of an enlarger by placing the negative in contact with the paper and exposing it to light.  See _emulsion to emulsion rule_.

*contact sheet*
A sheet containing a contact print for every frame on a roll of film.

*critical aperture*
In a lens with adjustable aperture, that aperture which gives the sharpest image.


----------



## Actor

*daylight balanced film
*Film designed to correctly reproduce colors when exposed under daylight.
*
densitometer
*An instrument for measuring the density of processed film.
*
density
*The darkness of a negative at a given point.
*
develop
*The process of enhancing a latent image on film to the point of making it visible.  This is done by causing the film to react with a chemical called developer.
*
developer
*A chemical used to develop film.
*
developer capacity
*The area of film that can be developed with a given volume of developer.
*
dial thermometer
*A thermometer which indicates temperature on a dial instead of a linear scale.
*
diffusion head
*An enlarger head designed to cause light to strike the negative from many different angles.  It minimizes the effect of dust and scratches on the negative but does not produce an image as sharp as a condenser head.  See _condenser head._
*
DIN
*Abbreviation for Deutsches Institut für Normung (German Institute for Standardization).  For film speed the DIN scale changes 3 units per stop. The relationship between ASA and DIN ratings is DIN = 21 + 3* LOG(ASA/100) where the LOG is base 2.
*
diopter
*1.  The reciprocal of the focal length, in meters, of a lens.
2.  A lens in front of the viewfinder of a camera which allows the user to see the image without wearing glasses.  In some camera this is an adjustment built into the camera.  In others must order the diopter ground to his/her prescription.
*
dodging
*Making certain areas of a print lighter by masking them from the enlarger.
* 
dry side/wet side
*A design for a darkroom in which the area with the sink, plumbing and liquid storage is kept isolated from the area with the enlarger and supplies which need to be kept dry.


----------



## dxqcanada

Grey Card - grey coloured card that uniformly reflects 18% of the light which falls upon it, used to calibrate exposure.


----------



## Actor

dxqcanada said:


> Grey Card - grey coloured card that uniformly reflects 18% of the light which falls upon it, used to calibrate exposure.



I can find no reference which verifies that a gray card reflects 18% of the light that falls upon it.  If you can cite some source that gives a scientific justification for the use of 18%, I'd like to know what it is.

We know that a gray card will meter the same as a black and white checkerboard, provided that an equal number of black and white squares are metered.  This implies that both a gray card and a checkerboard have the same reflectance, videlicet, 18%.  A natural assumption is that black has a reflectance of 0, therefore, white must have a reflectance of 36%.

Proceeding logically from there leads to a mathematical paradox.

If you take a (properly metered, exposed, and processed) picture of a gray card you get a negative that matches the gray card, as does a print made from that negative.  All three, the gray card, the negative and the print, will be Zone V.  For the sake of argument let's suppose that the combination of shutter speed, aperture and film speed was such that 1,000,000 photons had to pass through the lens to produce this negative.  Now let's suppose that we have a card that is Zone VI.  If we wish to produce a Zone V negative and print by taking a picture of this Zone VI card we have to reduce exposure by one stop, say be reducing the time the shutter is open by half.  But to get a Zone V negative we still need 1,000,000 photons, which implies that the Zone VI card must have reflected 2,000,000 photons.  That means a Zone VI card must have a reflectance of 36%.

_But have we not already established that white (Zone X) has 36% reflectance?
_
Therein lies the paradox.  Obviously, there's a flaw in the logic somewhere, but where?  If you can enlighten me, I'd be grateful.

The maximum a white card (Zone X) could reflect is 100% of incident light, then a Zone IX card would reflect 50%, Zone VIII 25%, Zone VII 12.5%, Zone VI 6.25% and Zone V (gray card) 3.125%.  There's no way a gray card reflects 18% of incident light.


----------



## Steph

Actor said:


> We know that a gray card will meter the same as a black and white checkerboard.



Do we? Anyway your argument is flawed. A light meter in a camera is calibrated to render what it meters medium grey (usually around 18% reflectance). If you fill the frame with a white page, a black page or a grey card and let the meter to its own device you will get exactly the same result: a 18% grey image. 18% is used as it is considered to be the reflectance of an average scene. You are over-complicating when talking about the zone system. The explanation is in how a light meter works.


----------



## Actor

Steph said:


> Actor said:
> 
> 
> 
> We know that a gray card will meter the same as a black and white checkerboard.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Do we?
Click to expand...

Yes.  I've verified that experimentally.  I admit it's a surprising result.  By the way, if you want to verify it yourself make certain that the black squares are maximum black, Zone 0, or you'll find the the checkerboard reflects more than a gray card.



Steph said:


> Anyway your argument is flawed.


Precisely.  As I pointed out, it leads to paradoxical conclusions, meaning either that the assumptions are wrong or that there's a non sequitur in the argument.  We need to find where it breaks down.   I don't think the checkerboard axiom is it.



Steph said:


> A light meter in a camera is calibrated to render what it meters medium grey (usually around 18% reflectance).


External light meters measure luminous intensity, usually in some ad hoc units.  Most then provide a circular slide rule devised to calculate, for a given film speed, a combination of shutter speeds and apertures which will give a medium gray negative.  Internal meters have a linkage to the camera's workings which do the same thing automatically.  Sans the slide rule or the linkage, light meters simply measure luminous intensity.  (Actually, they don't measure luminous intensity as the SI defines it, but for our purposes here the difference is so trivial that I won't go into it.)

The point here is that if you point a light meter at a gray card and write down the reading, then point it at a known Zone VI card, you'll get a higher reading.  The difference between the two readings, whatever they are, is one stop.  Go back and read my closing argument again.



Steph said:


> You are over-complicating when talking about the zone system.


But, complicated or not, if a concept is inconsistent with the Zone system then either the concept or the Zone system is wrong.  Since the Zone system has been working since 1940 it's more likely that the concept is wrong.  The concept, in this case, is the idea that a gray card has 18% reflectance.


----------



## Steph

Actor, I read your initial post again (carefully this time) and I now understand what you are asking (and I now see that my answer was useless). I'll need to think about it a bit more; as it stands, I cannot actually find the flaw in your argument.:scratch:


----------



## Actor

*easel*
A fixture for masking off the edges of photographic paper in order to produce a white border on the print.  Usually adjustable.

*emulsion*
1. A suspension containing the light sensitive chemicals of film or paper.
2. The side of the film or paper holding said suspension.

*emulsion to emulsion rule*
In making a print the emulsion side of the negative should be toward the emulsion side of the paper.

*enlarger*
A device for focusing an image on a negative onto photographic paper in order to make an enlarged print.  It is basically a camera in reverse.

*EPA*
Abbreviation for Environmental Protection Agency.  Woe unto he that flushes the wrong chemicals down his toilet.

*exposure index*
The "effective film speed" assigned to a particular film by a photographer.  Typically the photographer would begin with the film speed assigned by the film's manufacturer and then adjust it according to his own experience or experiments.  For example he might assign a speed of ASA 320 to a film marketed as ASA 400 because he believes the lower number gives better results.

*exposure value*
A system which combines aperture and film speed into a single value.  EV is related to aperture and shutter speed by the formula

     EV = log(A^2/t)

where A is the aperture (f number), t is the shutter interval in seconds and the log is base 2.  E.g., is the aperature is f/2 and the shutter speed is 2 (a shutter interval of 1/2) then the EV is 3.


----------



## Actor

*fb+f*
Film base plus fog.  The density formed on unexposed film when it is processed.

*fibre-based*
One of two types of photographic paper, the other type being resin-coated paper.  Fibre-based paper has light sensitive emulsion coated on paper.

*fill flash*
The use of flash to illuminate parts of a picture that are in shadow.  The aperture is usually set one or two stops down from the setting that would be used if flash were the only light source.

*film apron*
An alternative to using a reel to hold film when it is being processed in a tank.  It consists of a strip of inert material the same width as the film with a wavy pattern on its edges.  The film and the apron are rolled up together in alternate layers and then held together by a buckle or elastic band.  Sometimes called lasagna.

*filter*
A sheet of material, often mounted in a lens ring, which attenuates part of the light passing through it.  That portion of the light that is attenuated is determined by its wavelength, polarity or other factors.  A neutral density filter attenuates all light indiscriminately. 

*filter factor*
A measure of how much a filter attenuates light passing through it.

F = 2^S

where F is the filter factor, S is the number of stops of attenuation and ^ means to raise to a power.  Thus if a filter attenuates light by 2 stops the filter factor of the filter is 4.

*fixer*
A darkroom chemical, which fixes the image on a film or print, i.e., it stops further darkening of the image from continued developing or exposure to light.

*FL-B filter*
A filter used under florescent light with tungsten-balanced film.

*FL-D* filter
A filter used under florescent light with daylight-balanced film.

*focal plane shutter*
A shutter located immediately in front of the film or sensor.  It usually consists of two &#8220;curtains.&#8221;  The first curtain uncovers the film/sensor and the second covers it.  At high shutter speeds the two curtains create a slot which travels across the film/sensor, which can create unusual (and perhaps undesirable) effects when photographing objects in motion. 

*fog
*1. Darkening of film by unintentional exposure to radiation or light, such as running film through an airport x-ray machine.  Fogging can potentially completely ruin a negative.  Sometimes fogging is done intentionally to produce an effect.
2. Deliberate exposure of film to white light as part of processing reversal film.  After the film is bleached it is fogged, then undergoes second development.  Sometimes the fogging is done chemically rather than by exposure to light.


----------



## 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

Eyetattoo said:


> 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

docphysics said:


> 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

ben. said:


> 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

ben. said:


> 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


manaheim said:


> 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.


----------



## Actor

*incident light vs. reflected light*
Incident light refers to light which falls on the subject.  Reflected light refers to light reflected by the subject.  In measuring incident light the meter is held near the subject and the light sensitive element is covered with a small dome which attenuates the light.  The meter is pointed at the camera and a reading is taken.  Reflected light is read by a meter held near the camera (without the attenuating dome) or by an in-camera meter.  The meter (or camera) is pointed at the subject and the reading is taken.  

*inverse square law*
Mathematically

     I = I/(d  d)^2

where I is the intensity of the light at distance d and I is the intensity of the light at distance d, both distances being measured from the source of the light.  ^ means to the power of and ^2 means to the second power or squared.  An example in less mathematical terms is if you double the distance from a light to the subject you will decrease the illumination by a factor of 4 (2^2 = 4).

*ISO*
Abbreviation for International Standards Organization.  To photographers ISO is a notation of film speed in both ASA and DIN, i.e., if the ASA is 100, then DIN is 21 and ISO 100/21 is written on the box.  See ASA, DIN.

*large format*
Any format larger than 70mm, in particular 4 x 5 sheet film or larger.

*latent image*
An image formed on the emulsion when light strikes the film and which must be developed to become visible.

*leader*
A paper (or other non-light sensitive material) attachment, which is the same width as roll film, which allows the film to be loaded into a camera without having to load the camera in the dark.  In some instances (120 film) the leader is a backing which extends the full length of the film and beyond both ends.  In other cases (220 film) the leader is only attached to the ends.  In still other cases (movie film) the film is self leading and the ends of the film are simply sacrificed.  Self leading depends on the film attenuating the light enough that several layers will protect the inner layers of the spool from exposure.

*leaf shutter*
A shutter designed like an iris.  Such a shutter exposes all areas of the negative simultaneously, unlike a focal plane shutter.  Leaf shutter usually reside in the lens and are common in medium format and large format photography.

*loupe*
A magnifier for examining a negative, transparency or print at very close distance.


----------



## Bresine

Wow, thanks for great post...very helpful.

just got a D3000 with a Nikor18-55mm 

wondering what the [A M]  and VR abbreviations are for on the side of the lense? (sorry, I am very much a new user as you can tell)  thanks so much!!!


----------



## Eyetattoo

Bresine said:


> Wow, thanks for great post...very helpful.
> 
> just got a D3000 with a Nikor18-55mm
> 
> wondering what the [A M]  and VR abbreviations are for on the side of the lense? (sorry, I am very much a new user as you can tell)  thanks so much!!!



A=autofocus , M=manual focus, VR=vibration reduction (image stabilization, sp?)


----------



## Bresine

thanks


----------



## marmots

is pov the same as angle of veiw


----------



## Actor

marmots said:


> is pov the same as angle of veiw


I don't think so.  POV means "point of view" and as far as I know it's a cinematography term.  It's an script directive that tells the director to place the camera at a place supposedly occupied by a character in the movie so that the shot shows us what the character sees.  For example:

*ANGLE ON BATTLEFIELD - PATTON'S POV

*"Angle on" is also a cinematography term meaning "take a shot of."  Thus the above instruction says "Take a shot of the battlefield as seen by Patton."

Both POV and ANGLE ON are unpopular in Hollywood today.  In recent years directors have become "auteurs" who don't like screenwriters telling them how to shoot the movie.


----------



## joeywpc

great topic, very interesting reading, makes me contemplate that photography is both art and science, so many things to consider yet when it all comes together it is beautiful.


----------



## Actor

*magazine*
a light proof container into which film is loaded.  The magazine itself is then loaded into or attached to a camera which draws film from the magazine and returns it to the magazine after it is exposed.  Magazines are more common in motion picture cameras than still cameras.  Film backs used in medium format cameras are a kind of magazine.

*maximum black*
the density of a film or print which cannot be increased by further exposure.

*medium format*
any film format using a film gauge wider than 35mm.


----------



## Double H

I have a problem with the term Bokeh.
It's *Selective Focus*, for crying out loud!

Sheesh.


----------



## Sbuxo

what about DIY?


----------



## Darkhunter139

Sbuxo said:


> what about DIY?



Do it yourself


----------



## Actor

jacob.Emily said:


> How about: witch, shrew, vixen, she-devil, hellcat, harridan, termagant, virago, harpy; grimalkin, malicious, unpleasant, dificult.



*witch*,  one of two or more alternatives. E.g., witch one?
*shrew*, title of a play by Shakespeare.
*vixen*,  title of a soft core porn movie.
*she-devil*, title of a Tarzan movie.
*hellcat*, WWII fighter plane.
*harridan*,  guy with hair on his chest.
*termagant*, half termite - half ant.
*virago*, Yamaha motorcycle.
*harpy*; one of the Marx Brothers.  See Gaucho.
*grimalkin*, an unhappy alkin.*
malicious*, doesn't taste good.
*unpleasant*, eating malicious food.
*dificult*.  religion whose followers worship difi.


----------



## dearlybeloved

what about 

noise


----------



## Darkhunter139

dearlybeloved said:


> what about
> 
> noise



Image noise - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


----------



## Sbuxo

Darkhunter139 said:


> Sbuxo said:
> 
> 
> 
> what about DIY?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Do it yourself
Click to expand...


ohhhh.  i feel dumb.


----------



## hankejp

*NEF - From Nikon itself:*

Exclusive to Nikon cameras, the NEF is Nikon's RAW file format. RAW image files, sometimes referred to as digital negatives, contain all the image information captured by the camera's sensor, along with the image's metadata (the camera's identification and its settings, the lens used and other information). The NEF file is written to the memory card in either an uncompressed or "lossless" compressed form.  
The primary benefit of writing images to the memory card in NEF format rather than TIFF or JPEG is that no in-camera processing for white balance, hue, tone and sharpening are applied to the NEF file; rather, those values are retained as instruction sets included in the file. You can change the instruction set as many times as you like without ever disturbing the original image's RAW data. Another benefit of the NEF file is that depending on the camera, it retains 12-bit or 14-bit data, resulting in an image with a far greater tonal range than an eight-bit JPEG or TIFF file. 
After-capture processing of the NEF file by Nikon's Capture NX2 software, or other imaging programs, offers greater control over the final image than the processing of a JPEG or a TIFF. After processing, the NEF file can be saved as a TIFF, JPEG or again as a NEF with the addition of any applied Capture NX2 processing saved inside the file as a second or alternate instruction set. As long as the original NEF file is preserved, the "digital negative" remains untouched; processing a NEF file does not alter the original instruction set.


----------



## dearlybeloved

i understood what noise was, i was just saying throw it up there so people get a better grasp on what it is.


----------



## DreamScape

:thumbup: Great thread for a newbie


----------



## pinkyphotography

Great info for a noob like myself. Thanks for posting it. I found it very useful.


----------



## carrollove

It's great job, good luck on the finals..


----------



## BekahAura

How about BESP? I read through this entire thread and can't find it, but it's posted in many subject lines... forgive this noob.


----------



## bdbolin

Wow, this is great! Thanks!


----------



## McMommy

Can someone explain what "blowing out the sky" means? I've seen it mentioned a few times and am not sure what it means. I looked it up and have found when people have done it, but nothing to explain why or what.

Thanks!


----------



## Actor

McMommy said:


> Can someone explain what "blowing out the sky" means? I've seen it mentioned a few times and am not sure what it means. I looked it up and have found when people have done it, but nothing to explain why or what.
> 
> Thanks!


Basically it means that the scene you are trying to photograph has diverse elements that exceed the dynamic range of your system, digital or film, with the sky being a lot brighter than more interesting objects on the ground.  Exposing for the ground objects results in a sky that looks completely overexposed or "blown out."  The problem often manifests itself in B&W film when the film's sensitivity to blue (sky) is much greater than to red and green.  Various forms of filtration (orange filters or polarized filters) are used to compensate for it.

Not really my area of expertise.  I defer to anyone who wants to offer a better explanation.


----------



## JCoombs

Wow.. lots to take in, but gotta start somewhere


----------



## Artrina

This is a GREAT reference for newbies who don't speak anything except "Point and Shoot".


----------



## rohitarora

thanx for the gr8 info pals


----------



## Gruen Photo 7 Design

i love acronyms!
useful at times; overused at most times!


----------



## Ajlista

Sorry im a noob xD 
How do you achieve "bokeh" and "Depth of field"? 
Thanks


----------



## ashliz89

This has been a very good help to a new photographer! 

Ashley


----------



## Photogirl007

Don't forget about the term "oh dammit!" this is something I used to say all the time when I was starting photography! LOL


----------



## LivinMoore

Thanks for the list..it helps out the noob in me quite a bit


----------



## kezsaj

Who is the genius who wrote this?


----------



## kezsaj

For anybody wanting the first thread to be updated, you might noticed that the OP was BANxORED!!! YOu'd have to ask the mods to modify the post.


----------



## Denjel

Thank you


----------



## c.cloudwalker

kezsaj said:


> Who is the genius who wrote this?



So Jaszek is back as a self proclaimed genius :lmao:

Is IA finally dead? There sure are a lot of you here these days.



Edit = Sorry, I meant kezsaj, of course!


----------



## kezsaj

c.cloudwalker said:


> kezsaj said:
> 
> 
> 
> Who is the genius who wrote this?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> So Jaszek is back as a self proclaimed genius :lmao:
> 
> Is IA finally dead? There sure are a lot of you here these days.
> 
> 
> 
> Edit = Sorry, I meant kezsaj, of course!
Click to expand...


Nope, it's still going, sometimes I just come here for ****s and giggles


----------



## DashingStudios

Life saver!


----------



## CharlieTheGinger

thanks that helped a lot


----------



## Rendezblue

Very helpful to a newbie like me!


----------



## AmazingGrace0385

Hooray for dummy definitions!  LOL. That actually helps A LOT on some of this stuff.


----------



## LEPphotos

Good thing I came to this thread first...I'm going to print this, thank you


----------



## Chontay

Thanks! This clears up a few things for a newbie!


----------



## wyndee

I am so New to this--Im looking for some suggestions for beginner camera


----------



## arpan

thanks for the posts


----------



## Hank2222

Wow, thanks a lot. I am a beginner and this will help me not only on this thread but in the photography world


----------



## TurtlePuppet

Thank you so much for the list. I don't know what I would do without it.


----------



## manaheim

The irony of this thread living on as it does...


----------



## NovicePhotographer

awesome post


----------



## tomhawkins

This list is really helpful especially for beginners,Nice one Jaszek!


----------



## geraldsoh

thanks for this info. do they sell such acronyms camera book anywhere? i wonder how much they sell it for. lol


----------



## natcat

In "Bracketing" you use the acronym "HDR" but this isn't defined. I had to go look it up. Other than that, very helpful list!


----------



## Diegokreuzberg

Thank you, that was really useful. I will print it and post it on my wall


----------



## geraldsoh

thanks for the great info. will look out for more acronyms and photography terms!


----------



## Josh66

natcat said:


> In "Bracketing" you use the acronym "HDR" but this isn't defined. I had to go look it up. Other than that, very helpful list!


*H*igh(er) *D*ynamic *R*ange.

Basically, more dynamic range (the range of light and dark) than one exposure is able to capture.


----------



## KmH

IIRC, Jaszek eventually got banned. 

Which is why his last TPF sanctioned activity in the forums was *04-02-2010*.

Apparently he subsequently, and I suspect fraudulently, re-joined for a time as kezsaj.


----------



## merkuryo

nice!! i learned a lot from this.. thanks ^_^


----------



## charles29

Hum, this is useful for me this beginners.


----------



## charles29

O|||||||O said:


> natcat said:
> 
> 
> 
> In "Bracketing" you use the acronym "HDR" but this isn't defined. I had to go look it up. Other than that, very helpful list!
> 
> 
> 
> *H*igh(er) *D*ynamic *R*ange.
> 
> Basically, more dynamic range (the range of light and dark) than one exposure is able to capture.
Click to expand...


I like you so explained style.  XD


----------



## GratefulDead

Thanks, I learned a few things. I'll have to study this list for a while.


----------



## Cpi2011

Thank you so much for sharing your great list !!!


----------



## arkipix1001

great share...keep it up...and thanx by the way


----------



## davidross349

thanks..........


----------



## BuS_RiDeR

jamhassan said:


> Still Cameras are measured by Mega Pixal How can we measure video Camera ?



Resolution? 1080i/1080p, 720i/720p and so on...  Just a thought.  Don't know the actual answer.


----------



## rkhan

Really great for a beginner like me ...Thank You.


----------



## dots

POS


----------



## BuS_RiDeR

dots said:


> POS



Now that's jut mean....  I know I'm not an expert, but I have more self-confidence than to consider myself a Piece of Sh@t. :lmao:


----------



## helenhall

Hey everyone, I'm new to the forum and I'm excited to be a part of it.  I'm already learning so much from all of you!


----------



## rosettapedro

For you people that don't know the terms we use . And yes some of  these are going to sound stupid (the things in brackets are dummy  definitions , if no brackets then its just my definition) (Sticky  much?)
*Ambient Light*
The available light  completely surrounding a subject. Light already existing in an indoor or  outdoor setting that is not caused by any illumination supplied by the  photographer. [Light the photographer didn't create ie. Sunlight,  lightbulbs already in the room etc.]
*Angle Of View*
The  area of a scene that a lens covers or sees. Angle of view is determined  by the focal length of the lens. A wide-angle lens (short-focal-length)  includes more of the scene-a wider angle of view-than a normal  (normal-focal-length) or telephoto (long-focal-length) lens. [What the  lens sees, kind of like what you see when you look at something]
*Aperture*
Lens  opening. The opening in a camera lens through which light passes to  expose the film or sensor. The size of aperture is either fixed or  adjustable. Aperture size is usually calibrated in f-numbers-the larger  the number, the smaller the lens opening.[the f/ number thing, controls  exposure and depth of field, also know as the blade things inside the  lens]
*Bokeh*
The blurry part of the photo achieved with a narrow depth of field.
*Bracketing*
Shooting 3 or more shots with an equal stop difference between each one, usually used for HDR's
*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.
*Composition*
The  pleasing arrangement of the elements within a scene-the main subject,  the foreground and background, and supporting subjects.[How you set up  subject and props of the photo]
*Crop Factor Sensor*
Size  of the sensor is smaller than a 35mm film frame. Most common crops are  1.3X, 1.5X (Nikon), 1.6X(Canon), and 2.0X(3/4ths systems)
*Cropping*
Printing  only part of the image that is in the negative or slide, usually for a  more pleasing composition. May also refer to the framing of the scene in  the viewfinder.[Cutting out parts of the image by decreasing what you  see on the sides]
*Depth of Field*
The amount of  distance between the nearest and farthest objects that appear in  acceptably sharp focus in a photograph. Depth of field depends on the  lens opening, the focal length of the lens, and the distance from the  lens to the subject.[Blurry Background]
*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
*Exposure*
The quantity of light  allowed to act on a photographic material; a product of the intensity  (controlled by the lens opening) and the duration (controlled by the  shutter speed or enlarging time) of light striking the film or  paper.[Brightness/Darkness of the final photo]
*Exposure Compensation*
a  technique for adjusting the exposure indicated by a photographic  exposure meter, in consideration of factors that may cause the indicated  exposure to result in a less-than-optimal image.[adjusting the  brightness of an image with one move]
*Fast lens*
Refers to a lens that has a very wide aperture ... ie f/1.8 or f/2.8
*Fill flash*
A technique used to to brighten shadow areas by using a flash.
*Fisheye Lens*
Lens that gives a 180 degree field of view
*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.
*Focal Length*
The  distance between the film and the optical center of the lens when the  lens is focused on infinity. The focal length of the lens on most  adjustable cameras is marked in millimeters on the lens mount.[the  amount of zoom of the lens, more mm more zoom]
*Focus*
Adjustment of the distance setting on a lens to define the subject sharply.[sharpness]Focus Point(s)
The dots/boxes inside your viewfinder where you select the camera to focus at, can be set to manual or automatic.
*Full Frame Sensor*
Size of the sensor is the same as a 35mm Film Frame.
*Graininess*
The  sand-like or granular appearance of a negative, print, or slide.  Graininess becomes more pronounced with faster film and the degree of  enlargement.[Pixel dots on image from film]
*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.
*Histogram*
A graph Showing you if the image is under/over exposed.


----------



## Abrahamoloya

I mainly Uses Nikon camera and very much acquainted to the workmanship of the camera how ever I do not own a Nikon Digital SLR yet but I am planning to buy a D3X soon. My question is; is it possible for me to use my existing Nikkor Lenses on the Digital body?, I have a 24mm - 70mm f2.8 G ED, Nikon AF-S 70mm - 200mm f/2.8G ED VR II and other prime lenses. Please could you specifies for me which model of Nikkor lenses are compatible Nikon Digital body ?


----------



## milindayu

*Thanks a lot great valuable post*


----------



## hillaryclinton

Below is a list of acronyms you may see around overclock.net. This thread is to help members decipher commonly used (and maybe not so common) acronyms on OCN.

If you happen to find a new term not listed (even out of date), or know of a definition not given, please post it in this thread and I will update ASAP.

Thanks for your help.

---

   1. AA: Anti Aliasing
   2. ADSL: Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line
   3. AF: Anisotropic Filtering
   4. AFAIK: As Far As I Know
   5. AGP: Accelerated Graphics Port
   6. ALU: Arithmetic Logic Unit
   7. AMD: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
   8. API: Application Programming Interface
   9. AS5: Arctic Silver 5
  10. AC7: Arctic Cooler 7
  11. ASAP: As soon as possible
  12. ATA: Advanced Technology Attachment
  13. ATAPI: Advanced Technology Attachment Packet Interface (EIDE)
  14. ATX: Form factor was designed to replace the AT form factor
  15. BGA: Ball Grid Array
  16. Bios: Basic Input Output System
  17. BB: Best Buy
  18. Bit: Binary DigIT
  19. BE: Black edition
  20. BSOD: Blue Screen Of Death
  21. BT: Big Typhoon (A heatsink made by TT)
  22. BTDT : Been There Done That
  23. C2D: Core 2 Duo
  24. C2Q: Core 2 Quad
  25. CAS: Column Access Strobe or Column Address Strobe
  26. CBA: Can't be assed (Contributed by Nostrano)
  27. CCC: Catalyst Control Center
  28. CCD: Cold Cathode
  29. CF: CrossFire
  30. CFM: Cubic Feet per Minute
  31. CGA: Color Graphics Adapter (4 Color)
  32. CORE CLOCK SPEED: Speed at which a processor operates
  33. CMOS: Complimentary Metal Oxide Semiconductor
  34. Conus: Contiguous\\Continental United States
  35. CPU: Central Processing Unit A.K.A. Processor or proc
  36. CRT: Cathode Ray Tube
  37. CS: Counter strike or Computer Science, depending on context.
  38. CSAA: Coverage Sample Anti-Aliasing
  39. CS:S: Counter strike Source
  40. D3D: Direct3D
  41. dB: decibels
  42. DODS: Day of Defeat Source
  43. DD: Danger Den [Store to buy Overclocking gear]
  44. DDR: Double data rate
  45. DIMM: Dual Inline Memory Module
  46. DMA: Direct Memory Access
  47. DOA: Dead on Arrival
  48. DOS: Disk Operating System
  49. DPI: Dots Per Inch
  50. DRAM: Dynamic Random Access Memory
  51. DVD: Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc
  52. DVI: Digital Video Interface
  53. EE: Extreme Edition OR Energy Efficient (Depending on context)
  54. EG: Exempli Gratia
  55. EGA: Extended Graphics Adapter (16 color)
  56. EIDE: Enhanced Integrated Drive Electronics
  57. EIST: Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology
  58. EVGA: Extended VGA
  59. FAT: File Allocation Table
  60. FDD: Floppy Disc Drive
  61. FPS: Frames Per Second|First Person Shooter|Etc
  62. FPU: Floating Point Unit
  63. FSAA: Full-Scene Anti-Aliasing
  64. FSB: Front Side Bus
  65. FTL: For the Lose
  66. FTW: For The Win
  67. GDDR: Graphics Double Data Rate
  68. GB: Gigabyte
  69. GFX: Graphics/Graphics Card
  70. GHz: one billion clock cycles per second
  71. GPU: Graphics Processing unit AKA the "Core"
  72. GUI: Graphical User Interface
  73. HD: Hard Drive OR High Definition (Depending on the context)
  74. HDD: Hard Disk Drive
  75. HDR: High Dynamic-Range
  76. HL2: Half Life 2
  77. HSF: Heat Sink Fan
  78. HT: Intels Hyper Threading
  79. HTML: Hyper Text Markup Language
  80. HTT: AMDs Hyper Transport Technology
  81. HTTP: HyperText Transfer Protocol
  82. IDE: Integrated Drive Electronics
  83. IHS: Integrated Heat Spreader
  84. I/O CONTROLLER: Input Output Controller
  85. IMHO: In my honest/humble opinion
  86. IMO: In my opinion
  87. IOH: Input/Output Hub
  88. IP: Internet Protocol
  89. ISA: Industry Standard Architecture
  90. ISP: Internet Service Provider
  91. ITAT: Intel Thermal Analysis Tool
  92. KB: Kilobyte
  93. LAN: Local Area Network
  94. LCD: Liquid Crystal Display
  95. LED: Light Emitting Diode
  96. LGA: Land Grid Array
  97. LLC: Load Line Calibration
  98. MB: Megabyte
  99. MBR: Master Boot Record
 100. MCH: Memory Controller Hub (a name for the NB)
 101. MCP: Media Communications Processor (also called Southbridge)
 102. MFLOPS: (Mega)Floating-point operations per second (1 million FLOPS)
 103. MHz: MegaHertz
 104. MICRON: Micrometer; one millonth of a meter.
 105. MS: Microsoft
 106. MIPS: Million Instructions Per Second
 107. MOBO: Motherboard
 108. MTBF: Mean Time Between Failures (PSU's)
 109. MSAA: Multi-Sampling Anti-Aliasing
 110. NB: North Bridge
 111. NIB: New in Box|New In the original Box
 112. NIC: Network Interface Card
 113. NM: Nanometers
 114. NVIDIA: NVIDIA, is a mixture of "n" a mathematical variable meaning "to the highest degree" and video,which comes from Latin videre, "to see"  implying "the best visual experience.
 115. n00b/nub/Newb/Newbie: New User or not so skilled person with very little experience or knowledge on the subject.
 116. NTFS: New Technology File System
 117. OC: OverClock
 118. OCer: Overclocker
 119. OCN: Overclock.net
 120. OCP: Over current protection
 121. OEM: Original Equipment Manufacturer
 122. OLED: Organic light emiting diode
 123. OP: Original Poster, or Original Post depending on context.
 124. OpenGL: Open Graphics Library
 125. OS: Operating System (WINDOWS, LINUX, UNIX, DOS, OS2, AND OS X)
 126. OTP: Over temperature protection
 127. OVP: Over Voltage Protection
 128. PATA: Parallel ATA
 129. PCB: Printed Circuit Board / Process Control Block
 130. PCI: Peripheral Component Interconnect
 131. PCI-E/PCX: PCI-Express come in 1x 4x 8x 16x
 132. PCI-X: PCI v2.0+ 2.0 is 266mHz
 133. PCI/AGP LOCK: Function of some motherboards that allows you to lock the Southbridge controllers
 134. PCMCIA: Personal Computer Memory Card International Association
 135. PDF: Portable Document Format
 136. PITA: Pain In The Ass/Arse
 137. POP3: Post Office Protocol version 3
 138. PGA: Pin Grid Array
 139. PIXEL RESPONSE: The time it takes for a LCD pixel to change from black to white (you want 16ms or lower for gaming)
 140. PLL: Phase locked loop
 141. POST: Power On Self Test
 142. PPU: Physics Processing Unit
 143. PEBKAC: Problem Exists Between Keyboard And Chair.
 144. PSU: Power Supply Unit
 145. QAA: Quality Antialiasing
 146. QFT: Quoted For Truth
 147. QPI: QuickPath Interconnect
 148. RAD: Radiator
 149. RAID: redundant array of independent drives
 150. RAM: Random Access Memory
 151. RAMDAC: Random Access Memory Digital to Analog Converter
 152. RAS: Row Access Strobe or Row Address Strobe
 153. RBX: Type of water block from Danger Den
 154. REFRESH RATE: number of times a CRT's electron beam sweeps across the screen during a full second
 155. REP: REPutation
 156. RGB: Red, Green, Blue
 157. RGBHV: Red, Green, Blue, Horizontal sync, Vertical sync
 158. RIMM: Rambus Inline Memory Module
 159. .rar/rar: A popular file archive format similar to ZIP. Most often used on Apple/Mac systems.
 160. RMA: Return Manufacturer Agreement
 161. ROFL: Rolling on floor laughing
 162. ROM: Read Only Memory
 163. RPM: Revolutions Per Minute
 164. RTS: Real Time Strategy (has other meanings but this is generally what they mean)
 165. PWM: Pulse Width Modulation
 166. S478 S939 SXXX: S= SOCKET XXX= NUMBER OF PINS
 167. SAA: Supersampling Antialiasing
 168. SATA: Serial ATA
 169. SCP: Short circuit protection
 170. SB: South Bridge or Sound Blaster (depending on context)
 171. SCSI: Small Computer Systems Interface
 172. SDR: Single Data Rate
 173. SDSL: Synchronous Digital Service Line
 174. SFF: Small Form Factor
 175. SG: Seagate
 176. SIMM: Single In-line Memory Module
 177. SLI: Scalable Link Interface
 178. S.M.A.R.T.: Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology
 179. SMbus: System Management Bus
 180. SMP: Symmetric Multi-Processors
 181. SMTP: Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
 182. SPP: System Platform Processor (also called Northbridge)
 183. SSAA: Super-Sampling Anti-Aliasing
 184. SSD: Solid State Drive
 185. SSE SSE2 SSE3: Streaming Single-instruction-multiple-data Extension
 186. TB: Terabyte
 187. TC: Thermal Compound or TurboCache (Depending on context)
 188. TCP/IP: Transfer Control Protocol/Internet Protocol
 189. TDP: Thermal Design Power
 190. TD: Tigerdirect.com
 191. TDX: Type of water block from Danger Den
 192. TEC: ThermoElectric Cooling (PELTIER)
 193. TF2: Team Fortress 2 OCN Server 8.9.16.94:27015
 194. TFT: Thin Film Transistor
 195. TIM: Thermal Interface Material
 196. TP: Thermal Paste
 197. TRUE: ThermalRight Ultra Extreme
 198. TT: ThermalTake
 199. TTT: To The Top (Used when bumping threads)
 200. UPC: Universal Power Cord (used on power supplies)
 201. UPS: Un-interruptible Power System
 202. USB: Universal Serial Bus
 203. UT: Unreal Tournament
 204. UV: Ultraviolet
 205. UVP: Under voltage protection
 206. VC: Video Card
 207. VCORE: Voltage of the CORE of a processor
 208. VDIMM: Voltage of memory (DIMM)
 209. VID: Voltage Identification
 210. VGA: Video Graphics Array
 211. VPU: Video Processing unit
 212. VRM: Voltage regulator module
 213. W3: Sometimes shorted from the WWW or World Wide Web
 214. WAN: Wide Area Network
 215. WB: Water Block ( used to cool a processor with liquid)
 216. WC: Water Cooled (process of removing heat from a processor by means of moving water
 217. WD: Western Digital
 218. WDM Windows Device Manager
 219. WI-FI: WIreless FIdelity.
 220. WP: Water Pump
 221. XE: eXtreme Edition [same as EE]
 222. X-Fi: Xtreme Fidelity
 223. YGPM: You've Got Private Message
 224. ZIF: Zero Insertion Force
 225. .zip|ZIP|ZP: Compression files that save disk space (PKZip is most popular)


----------



## tacticdesigns

Great list.

How about adding sensor formats? APS-C, 4/3, m4/3, etc.?

Maybe add Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Manual / Metered Manual?

dSLR, Mirrorless, EVIL, etc?

And changing "Macro" to "Macro / Micro" because Nikon calls their Macro lenses Micro?


----------



## ewick

Thank you. I wish there was more people like you that dont mind to take the time to help a starting photographer out.


----------



## Yvonne_Dubai

Thanks so much... there is so much to learn


----------



## The_Duke

this answered a lot of questions


----------



## jamesshook2001

Thanks for the info!


----------



## bunny99123

Thank you for taking the time to post this. I knew the names, but not the acronyms. This has already come in handy. Someone C&C a photo I posted, and I knew what they where informing me about instead of asking.  I had to ask what a PP was a couple of days ago.  Very helpful:thumbup:


----------



## hithit202

good tip and tricks to get great photos check it out <a href="http://a21d9bxln66uf0cbznzcwqekac.hop.clickbank.net/?tid=CNC" target="_top">Click Here!</a>


----------



## mady

Thanks for the grab list! This helped me sooooooo much. Great job!


----------



## feel3sam

thanks this is very helpful


----------



## AlexSmith

Well this is a fantastic list. I think I'll be coming back to this often.


----------



## TGordon

Great information, I needed to know all the info.


----------



## printkeg

Thanks for the list especially the acronyms.


----------



## yrrebst

Thanks a lot for this list! There were a lot on here that I had never heard of before. I suppose that is because I am new to this whole thing! Thanks for the list, it gave me a few hours of reading material (learning the background behind the terms.. I did get sucked in to looking at lenses for a while too..

-Tom


----------



## BunnyHugger

How long does it take to learn all this stuff. Some days I have trouble remembering my name. :blushing:

Dang. Maybe I should just hop on out of here and back into the bush.


----------



## KmH

3 weeks, + or -.


----------



## JonathanElvester

:thumbup: very helpful!


----------



## Allenkerky

*This has helped me a ton

Chromatic aberration... it just rolls right off the tongue  *


----------



## jamesedward

Great post i am a beginner in photography this post helps me lot, thank you for posting tjis.


----------



## sundaysmile

This was such a great and informative read! Thanks


----------



## kanuski

I am not a newbie but I have no idea what a TF shoot is.  Anyone?


----------



## table1349

Trade For


----------



## KmH

We have deleted lots of SPAM posts from this thread, and have permanently banned most of the members that had posted it.

:bounce: So links for fiddle lessons, sue your lender, image recovery software, building contractor, business lending, vote for my photo, UK kitchen remodeling, live stream sports, mobile device/phone sales, links hidden in emoticons, yada, yada, yada, are not allowed and will be bounced.  :bounce: 

Please use the *Report Post* triangle at the bottom of each member profile there on the left, and report suspected SPAM post/links.


----------



## k01k30

Here is a good one, and per wikip  :
pixel - hot - is what someone told me. The "bright pin hole overexposed dots" in my long time delayed photos  :


[h=1]Defective pixel[/h]*Defective pixels* are pixels on a liquid crystal display (LCD) that are not performing as expected. The ISO standard ISO 13406-2 distinguishes between three different types of defective pixels,[SUP][1][/SUP][SUP][2][/SUP] while hardware companies tend to have further distinguishing types.[SUP][3][/SUP]





A photograph taken with a damaged image sensor​
Similar defects can also occur in a charge-coupled device (CCD) or CMOS image sensor in digital cameras. In these devices, defective pixels fail to _sense_ light levels correctly, whereas defective pixels in LCDs fail to _reproduce_ light levels correctly.


----------



## Elsotanocol

Este foro es muy util para saber de que te hablan cuando sales de camarografo a los rodajes de la productora !


----------



## onionchin

This list is perfect, especially for a newbie like me! thanks a bunch


----------



## mummytojessica

Hello, sorry to reply in this post...I am a newbie and was wondering how to start a new post, thank you


----------



## Churdy

Thank you for posting this. I'm very new to this and hope to gain all the knowledge and information that I can! 

~Churdy


----------



## glun

Great summary! Thank you!


----------



## daviddein

Jaszek said:


> For you people that don't know the terms we use . And yes some of these are going to sound stupid  (the things in brackets are dummy definitions , if no brackets then its just my definition) (Sticky much?)*
> Ambient Light*
> The available light completely surrounding a subject. Light already existing in an indoor or outdoor setting that is not caused by any illumination supplied by the photographer. [Light the photographer didn't create ie. Sunlight, lightbulbs already in the room etc.]*
> Angle Of View*
> The area of a scene that a lens covers or sees. Angle of view is determined by the focal length of the lens. A wide-angle lens (short-focal-length) includes more of the scene-a wider angle of view-than a normal (normal-focal-length) or telephoto (long-focal-length) lens. [What the lens sees, kind of like what you see when you look at something]*
> Aperture*
> Lens opening. The opening in a camera lens through which light passes to expose the film or sensor. The size of aperture is either fixed or adjustable. Aperture size is usually calibrated in _f_-numbers-the larger the number, the smaller the lens opening.[the f/ number thing, controls exposure and depth of field, also know as the blade things inside the lens]
> *Bokeh*
> The blurry part of the photo achieved with a narrow depth of field.
> *Bracketing*
> Shooting 3 or more shots with an equal stop difference between each one, usually used for HDR's
> *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.
> *Composition*
> The pleasing arrangement of the elements within a scene-the main subject, the foreground and background, and supporting subjects.[How you set up subject and props of the photo]*
> Crop Factor Sensor*
> Size of the sensor is smaller than a 35mm film frame. Most common crops are 1.3X, 1.5X (Nikon), 1.6X(Canon), and 2.0X(3/4ths systems)
> *Cropping*
> Printing only part of the image that is in the negative or slide, usually for a more pleasing composition. May also refer to the framing of the scene in the viewfinder.[Cutting out parts of the image by decreasing what you see on the sides]*
> Depth of Field*
> The amount of distance between the nearest and farthest objects that appear in acceptably sharp focus in a photograph. Depth of field depends on the lens opening, the focal length of the lens, and the distance from the lens to the subject.[Blurry Background]
> *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 *
> Exposure*
> The quantity of light allowed to act on a photographic material; a product of the intensity (controlled by the lens opening) and the duration (controlled by the shutter speed or enlarging time) of light striking the film or paper.[Brightness/Darkness of the final photo]
> *Exposure Compensation*
> a technique for adjusting the exposure indicated by a photographic exposure meter, in consideration of factors that may cause the indicated exposure to result in a less-than-optimal image.[adjusting the brightness of an image with one move]
> *Fast lens*
> Refers to a lens that has a very wide aperture ... ie f/1.8 or f/2.8
> *Fill flash*
> A technique used to to brighten shadow areas by using a flash.
> *Fisheye Lens*
> Lens that gives a 180 degree field of view
> *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.
> *Focal Length*
> The distance between the film and the optical center of the lens when the lens is focused on infinity. The focal length of the lens on most adjustable cameras is marked in millimeters on the lens mount.[the amount of zoom of the lens, more mm more zoom]*
> Focus*
> Adjustment of the distance setting on a lens to define the subject sharply.[sharpness]*Focus Point(s)*
> The dots/boxes inside your viewfinder where you select the camera to focus at, can be set to manual or automatic.
> *Full Frame Sensor
> * Size of the sensor is the same as a 35mm Film Frame.
> *Graininess*
> The sand-like or granular appearance of a negative, print, or slide.    Graininess becomes more pronounced with faster film and the degree of enlargement.[Pixel dots on image from film]
> *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.
> *Histogram*
> A graph Showing you if the image is under/over exposed.
> *Hyperfocal distance*
> The focus point where all objects can be brought into acceptable focus up to infinity at a given aperture.
> *IF - rear or internal focusing*
> Focusing mechanism in which the front lens group is not moved.
> *ISO Speed*
> The emulsion speed (sensitivity) of the film as determined by the standards of the International Standards Organization. In these standards, both arithmetic (ASA) and logarithmic (DIN) speed values are expressed in a single ISO term. For example, a film with a speed of ISO 100/21° would have a speed of ASA 100 or 21 DIN.[sensitivity of sensor/film. Higher ISO Brighter exposure and more noise/grain]
> *Lens*
> One or more pieces of optical glass or similar material designed to collect and focus rays of light to form a sharp image on the film, paper, or projection screen.[The thing you mount on a dSLR]*
> Lens Shade/Hood
> * A collar or hood at the front of a lens that keeps unwanted light from striking the lens and causing image flare. May be attached or detachable, and should be sized to the particular lens to avoid vignetting.[The black thing on top of lens to block light entering from the sides of the lens, professionals put it on to make their lens look bigger ]
> *Lens Speed*
> The largest lens opening (smallest f-number) at which a lens can be set. A fast lens transmits more light and has a larger opening than a slow lens.[See Aperture]
> *Looking Space*
> Commonly associated with portrait and automotive photography, also links in with "Rule of Thirds". Making sure your subject has looking space means to allow some blank space in front of your model or car's face for them or it to "look" into.[Also referred to as breathing space]
> *Macro Lens*
> A lens that provides continuous focusing from infinity to extreme close-ups, often to a reproduction ratio of 1:2 (half life-size) or 1:1 (life-size).[Lens to shoot really close, great for bugs and flowers]
> *Metering*
> Measurement of light on the subject using desired setting in camera or an external light meter. Helps determine exposure.
> *Monopod
> *A single leg usually used for heavier lenses while shooting for a long time. Used to take the weight off of one arm.*Noise*
> Colorful dots you see on the photo when using too high of an ISO.
> *Normal Lens
> * A lens that makes the image in a photograph appear in perspective similar to that of the original scene. A normal lens has a shorter focal length and a wider field of view than a telephoto lens, and a longer focal length and narrower field of view than a wide-angle lens.[Usually a 50mm lens on a Full Frame Body]*
> Overexposure*
> A condition in which too much light reaches the film, producing a dense negative or a very light print or slide.[Too Bright]*Panning
> *Using a longer exposure to show motion in a photo, usually used for fast moving objects like cars, sports players. Focus is on the subject and the background is "smeared".*Post Processing
> *Editing.*
> 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.
> *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.
> *Prime Lens
> *Lens that you can't zoom on, usually has great image quality.
> *Rule of Thirds*
> The common technique of putting the subject slightly off-centre, about a third of the way from either the left, right, upper or lower part of the photograph. Not always the best option, but generally can help a photograph's composition. [For example, if your subject was a tree, you might have the trunk a third of the way from the right-hand side of the viewfinder to help composition].
> *Stopping Down*
> Changing the lens aperture to a smaller opening; for example, from f/8 to f/11.[Changing the aperture down]*Teleconverter
> *Something you mount between the lens to increase the focal length of a lens. Usually come in 1.4X and 2.0 flavors. The benefit is that you have a longer focal length without buying a new lens, the draw back is that you lose 1 stop of light with the 1.4X and 2 stops of light with the 2.0X.
> *Sync speed*
> Usually referred to as the maximum shutter speed usable for flash photography.
> * Telephoto lens
> *A long lens, usually above 70mm, also meaning the physical lens is shorter than it's focal length.*Tripod
> *Three legged thing that you put your camera on. Used for heavy lenses or night shots to prevent motion shake.*Vignetting*
> A fall-off in brightness at the edges of an image, slide, or print. Can be caused by poor lens design, using a lens hood not matched to the lens, or attaching too many filters to the front of the lens.[Black thing in the corners of photos]*
> Wide-Angle Lens*
> A lens that has a shorter focal length and a wider field of view (includes more subject area) than a normal lens.[What people call fisheye...and they are wrong]
> *White Balance*
> Color Temperature of the image. Setting depend on the lighting available.
> *Zoom Lens*
> A lens in which you adjust the focal length over a wide range. In effect, this gives you lenses of many focal lengths.[Not Prime lens]
> Acronyms used on TPF
> If I missed something tell me
> 
> f/#= f/ number/aperture
> OOF= Out of Focus
> PP= Post Processing
> C&C= Critique and Comments
> CC=Same as above
> ROT= Rule of Thirds
> TPF=The Photo Forum
> IQ=Image Quality
> PS=Photoshop
> LR=Lightroom
> IS=Image Stabilization(Canon)    \
> VR=Vibration Reduction(Nikon)  -- These are all the same ;D
> OS=Optical Stabilization(Sigma) /
> AWB=Auto White Balance
> CA=Chromatic aberration
> ETTL=Evaluative through-the-lens(Canon)  \
> iTTL=intelligent through-the-lens(Nikon)     -- Also same thing
> TTL=Through the lens
> P&S=Point and Shoot
> EXIF=Exchangeable image file format
> SLR=Single Lens Reflex
> 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)
> 
> 
> If You have any other questions ask them.


Thanks, I think everything all ok


----------



## MlHazim

Very useful information for beginners like my self around here, thanks for putting it all together :thumbup:


----------



## JackSproxton

This is very useful! Thank you! Very excited to be a part of the community.

Follow me on instagram @jacksproxton


----------



## SmilingTears

Jaszek said:


> For you people that don't know the terms we use . And yes some of these are going to sound stupid  (the things in brackets are dummy definitions , if no brackets then its just my definition) (Sticky much?)*
> Ambient Light*
> The available light completely surrounding a subject. Light already existing in an indoor or outdoor setting that is not caused by any illumination supplied by the photographer. [Light the photographer didn't create ie. Sunlight, lightbulbs already in the room etc.]*
> Angle Of View*
> The area of a scene that a lens covers or sees. Angle of view is determined by the focal length of the lens. A wide-angle lens (short-focal-length) includes more of the scene-a wider angle of view-than a normal (normal-focal-length) or telephoto (long-focal-length) lens. [What the lens sees, kind of like what you see when you look at something]*
> Aperture*
> Lens opening. The opening in a camera lens through which light passes to expose the film or sensor. The size of aperture is either fixed or adjustable. Aperture size is usually calibrated in _f_-numbers-the larger the number, the smaller the lens opening.[the f/ number thing, controls exposure and depth of field, also know as the blade things inside the lens]
> *Bokeh*
> The blurry part of the photo achieved with a narrow depth of field.
> *Bracketing*
> Shooting 3 or more shots with an equal stop difference between each one, usually used for HDR's
> *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.
> *Composition*
> The pleasing arrangement of the elements within a scene-the main subject, the foreground and background, and supporting subjects.[How you set up subject and props of the photo]*
> Crop Factor Sensor*
> Size of the sensor is smaller than a 35mm film frame. Most common crops are 1.3X, 1.5X (Nikon), 1.6X(Canon), and 2.0X(3/4ths systems)
> *Cropping*
> Printing only part of the image that is in the negative or slide, usually for a more pleasing composition. May also refer to the framing of the scene in the viewfinder.[Cutting out parts of the image by decreasing what you see on the sides]*
> Depth of Field*
> The amount of distance between the nearest and farthest objects that appear in acceptably sharp focus in a photograph. Depth of field depends on the lens opening, the focal length of the lens, and the distance from the lens to the subject.[Blurry Background]
> *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 *
> Exposure*
> The quantity of light allowed to act on a photographic material; a product of the intensity (controlled by the lens opening) and the samsung mobiles duration (controlled by the shutter speed or enlarging time) of light striking the film or paper.[Brightness/Darkness of the final photo]
> *Exposure Compensation*
> a technique for adjusting the exposure indicated by a photographic exposure meter, in consideration of factors that may cause the indicated exposure to result in a less-than-optimal image.[adjusting the brightness of an image with one move]
> *Fast lens*
> Refers to a lens that has a very wide aperture ... ie f/1.8 or f/2.8
> *Fill flash*
> A technique used to to brighten shadow areas by using a flash.
> *Fisheye Lens*
> Lens that gives a 180 degree field of view
> *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.
> *Focal Length*
> The distance between the film and the optical center of the lens when the lens is focused on infinity. The focal length of the lens on most adjustable cameras is marked in millimeters on the lens mount.[the amount of zoom of the lens, more mm more zoom]*
> Focus*
> Adjustment of the distance setting on a lens to define the subject sharply.[sharpness]*Focus Point(s)*
> The dots/boxes inside your viewfinder where you select the camera to focus at, can be set to manual or automatic.
> *Full Frame Sensor
> * Size of the sensor is the same as a 35mm Film Frame.
> *Graininess*
> The sand-like or granular appearance of a negative, print, or slide.    Graininess becomes more pronounced with faster film and the degree of enlargement.[Pixel dots on image from film]
> *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.
> *Histogram*
> A graph Showing you if the image is under/over exposed.
> *Hyperfocal distance*
> The focus point where all objects can be brought into acceptable focus up to infinity at a given aperture.
> *IF - rear or internal focusing*
> Focusing mechanism in which the front lens group is not moved.
> *ISO Speed*
> The emulsion speed (sensitivity) of the film as determined by the standards of the International Standards Organization. In these standards, both arithmetic (ASA) and logarithmic (DIN) speed values mobiles prices in pakistan are expressed in a single ISO term. For example, a film with a speed of ISO 100/21° would have a speed of ASA 100 or 21 DIN.[sensitivity of sensor/film. Higher ISO Brighter exposure and more noise/grain]
> *Lens*
> One or more pieces of optical glass or similar material designed to collect and focus rays of light to form a sharp image on the film, paper, or projection screen.[The thing you mount on a dSLR]*
> Lens Shade/Hood
> * A collar or hood at the front of a lens that keeps unwanted light from striking the lens and causing image flare. May be attached or detachable, and should be sized to Nokia Mobiles prices the particular lens to avoid vignetting.[The black thing on top of lens to block light entering from the sides of the lens, professionals put it on to make their lens look bigger ]
> *Lens Speed*
> The largest lens opening (smallest f-number) at which a lens can be set. A fast lens transmits more light and has a larger opening than a slow lens.[See Aperture]
> *Looking Space*
> Commonly associated with portrait and automotive photography, also links in with "Rule of Thirds". Making sure your subject has looking space means to allow some blank space in front of your model or car's face for them or it to "look" into.[Also referred to as breathing space]
> *Macro Lens*
> A lens that provides continuous focusing from infinity to extreme close-ups, often to a reproduction ratio of 1:2 (half life-size) or 1:1 (life-size).[Lens to shoot really close, great for bugs and flowers]
> *Metering*
> Measurement of light on the subject using desired setting in camera or an external light meter. Helps determine exposure.
> *Monopod
> *A single leg usually used for heavier lenses while shooting for a long time. Used to take the weight off of one arm.*Noise*
> Colorful dots you see on the photo when using too high of an ISO.
> *Normal Lens
> * A lens that makes the image in a photograph appear in perspective similar to that of the original scene. A normal lens has a shorter focal length and a wider field of view than a telephoto lens, and a longer focal length and narrower field of view than a wide-angle lens.[Usually a 50mm lens on a Full Frame Body]*
> Overexposure*
> A condition in which too much light reaches the film, producing a dense negative or a very light print or slide.[Too Bright]*Panning
> *Using a longer exposure to show motion in a photo, usually used for fast moving objects like Mobiles prices Pakistan, sports players. Focus is on the subject and the background is "smeared".*Post Processing
> *Editing.*
> 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.
> *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.
> *Prime Lens
> *Lens that you can't zoom on, usually has great image quality.
> *Rule of Thirds*
> The common technique of putting the subject slightly off-centre, about a third of the way from either the left, right, upper or lower part of the photograph. Not always the best free arcade gamesoption, but generally can help a photograph's composition. [For example, if your subject was a tree, you might have the trunk a third of the way from the right-hand side of the viewfinder to help composition].
> *Stopping Down*
> Changing the lens aperture to a smaller opening; for example, from f/8 to f/11.[Changing the aperture down]*Teleconverter
> *Something you mount between the lens to increase the focal length of a lens. Usually come in 1.4X and 2.0 flavors. The benefit is that you have a longer focal length without buying a new lens, the draw back is that you lose 1 stop of light with the 1.4X and 2 stops of light with the 2.0X.
> *Sync speed*
> Usually referred to as the maximum shutter speed usable for flash photography.
> * Telephoto lens
> *A long lens, usually above 70mm, also meaning the physical lens is shorter than it's focal length.*Tripod
> *Three legged thing that you put your camera on. Used for heavy lenses or night shots to prevent motion shake.*Vignetting*
> A fall-off in brightness at the edges of an image, slide, or print. Can be caused by poor lens design, using a lens hood not matched to the lens, or attaching too many filters to the front of the lens.[Black thing in the corners of photos]*
> Wide-Angle Lens*
> A lens that has a shorter focal length and a wider field of view (includes more subject area) than a normal lens.[What people call fisheye...and they are wrong]
> *White Balance*
> Color Temperature of the image. Setting depend on the lighting available.
> *Zoom Lens*
> A lens in which you adjust the focal length over a wide range. In effect, this gives you lenses of many focal lengths.[Not Prime lens]
> Acronyms used on TPF
> If I missed something tell me
> 
> f/#= f/ number/aperture
> OOF= Out of Focus
> PP= Post Processing
> C&C= Critique and Comments
> CC=Same as above
> ROT= Rule of Thirds
> TPF=The Photo Forum
> IQ=Image Quality
> PS=Photoshop
> LR=Lightroom
> IS=Image Stabilization(Canon)    \
> VR=Vibration Reduction(Nikon)  -- These are all the same ;D
> OS=Optical Stabilization(Sigma) /
> AWB=Auto White Balance
> CA=Chromatic aberration
> ETTL=Evaluative through-the-lens(Canon)  \
> iTTL=intelligent through-the-lens(Nikon)     -- Also same thing
> TTL=Through the lens
> P&S=Point and Shoot
> EXIF=Exchangeable image file format
> SLR=Single Lens Reflex
> 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)
> 
> 
> If You have any other questions ask them.



Thanks for sharing this information about TPF here, it ll help newbies like me!


----------



## Britanica

This will come in handy for me. I will check back on this often lol
I have to learn all the terms and what they do so I know exactly what I am looking for while shooting.


----------



## Just me

Thank you for providing this list. It may be unnecessary for many members, but for those of us starting at the bottom end of the "experienced" list, it's a god send.


----------



## Georg P.

Jaszek said:


> For you people that don't know the terms we use . And yes some of these are going to sound stupid  (the things in brackets are dummy definitions , if no brackets then its just my definition) (Sticky much?)
> *Ambient Light*
> The available light completely surrounding a subject. Light already existing in an indoor or outdoor setting that is not caused by any illumination supplied by the photographer. [Light the photographer didn't create ie. Sunlight, lightbulbs already in the room etc.]
> *Angle Of View*
> The area of a scene that a lens covers or sees. Angle of view is determined by the focal length of the lens. A wide-angle lens (short-focal-length) includes more of the scene-a wider angle of view-than a normal (normal-focal-length) or telephoto (long-focal-length) lens. [What the lens sees, kind of like what you see when you look at something]
> *Aperture*
> Lens opening. The opening in a camera lens through which light passes to expose the film or sensor. The size of aperture is either fixed or adjustable. Aperture size is usually calibrated in _f_-numbers-the larger the number, the smaller the lens opening.[the f/ number thing, controls exposure and depth of field, also know as the blade things inside the lens]
> *Bokeh*
> The visual aesthetic quality of the out of focus part of the photo achieved with a shallow depth of field.
> *Bracketing*
> Shooting 3 or more shots with an equal exposure difference between each one to ensure at least one of the 3 exposures is accurate. Many DSLR cameras have an automatic bracketing feature.
> *Chromatic aberration*
> Commonly seen as color fringes at the edge of subjects caused by the inability of the lens to focus all wavelengths 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.
> *Composition*
> The pleasing arrangement of the elements within a scene - the main subject, the foreground and background, and supporting subjects. There are various composition guidelines like the Rule of Thirds, Golden Spiral, Golden Triangles, Golden Section, and otyhers.
> *Crop Factor Sensor*
> Size of the sensor is smaller than a 35mm film frame. Most common crops are 1.3X, 1.5X (Nikon), 1.6X(Canon), and 2.0X(3/4ths systems)
> *Cropping*
> Cutting away part of the original image, usually for a more pleasing composition. May also refer to the framing of the scene in the viewfinder.
> *Depth of Field*
> The amount of distance between the nearest and farthest distance from the camera that appear in acceptably sharp focus in a photograph. Depth of field depends on the lens aperture, the focal length of the lens, the distance to the point of focus, and the size of the image sensor in the camera.
> *Exposure*
> The quantity of light allowed to act on a photographic material; a product of the intensity (controlled by the lens opening) and the duration (controlled by the shutter speed or enlarging time) of light striking the film or paper, and the light sensitivity (ASA or ISO) of the film, paper, or image sensor.
> *Exposure Compensation*
> A technique for adjusting the exposure indicated by the in-the-camera exposure meter.
> *Fast lens*
> Refers to a lens that has a very wide maximum aperture ... generally f/1 to f/2.8 ... In general, the faster a lens the more it costs.
> *Fill flash*
> A technique used to to brighten shadow areas by using a flash.
> *Fisheye Lens*
> Lens that gives a distorted (a lot of field curvature or barrel distortion) very wide angle view.
> *Flare*
> Internal reflection or scrattering of light caused by air gaps between 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 and help minimize lens flare. Adding a filter(s) to the front of a lens often promotes lens flare by adding an additional air gap(s).
> *Focal Length*
> The distance between the film and the optical center of the lens when the lens is focused on infinity. The focal length of the lens on most adjustable cameras is marked in millimeters on the lens mount.[the amount of zoom of the lens, more mm more zoom]
> *Focus*
> Adjustment of the distance setting on a lens to define the subject sharply.[sharpness]
> *Focus Point(s)*
> The dots/boxes inside your viewfinder where you select the camera to focus at, can be set to manual or automatic. The boxes in the viewfinder indicate the approximate location in the scene of the actual focus sensors which are in the auto focus module, which is usually in the bottom of the camera.
> *Full Frame Sensor*
> Size of the sensor is the same as a 35mm Film Frame (135 format).
> *Film Grain*
> The sand-like or granular appearance of the light sensitive sliver halide crystals embedded in the film emulsion. Graini becomes more pronounced with faster film and the degree of enlargement. Digital photos are not made using silver halide crystals and cannot have grain.
> *Grey card*
> Usually a flat card colored neutral grey having a 18% reflectance across the visible spectrum. Used to provide a standard reference for exposure. Also used for white balance. Neutral gray means all 3 of the RGB color model colors - Red, Green, Blue - have the same value so none of the 3 dominates.
> *Histogram*
> A graph showing the distribution of the pixels in a digital photo. The vertical axis of the graph shows how many pixels and the horizontal axis shows luminosity bright on the right and dark on the left.
> *Hyperfocal distance*
> The focus point where all objects from some distance from the camera to infinity can be brought into acceptable focus..
> *IF - internal focusing*
> Focusing mechanism in which the front lens group is not moved making the lens longer. A further consideration for lens filter uses is if the front lens element rotates or not as the lens is focused.
> *ISO Speed*
> The sensitivity of the recording medium (film or digital) as determined by the standards of the International Standards Organization.
> *Lens*
> One or more pieces of optical glass or similar material designed to collect and focus rays of light to form a sharp image on the film, paper, or projection screen.[The thing you mount on a dSLR]
> *Lens Shade/Hood*
> A collar or hood at the front of a lens that keeps unwanted light from striking the lens and causing image flare and/or a loss of contrast. May be attached or detachable, and should be sized and shaped to the particular lens to avoid vignetting.
> *Lens Speed*
> The largest lens opening (smallest f-number) at which a lens can be set. A fast lens transmits more light and has a larger opening than a slow lens.[See Aperture]
> *Looking Space*
> Commonly associated with portrait and automotive photography, also links in with "Rule of Thirds". Making sure your subject has looking space means to allow some blank space in front of your model or car's face for them or it to "look" into.[Also referred to as breathing space]
> *Macro Lens*
> A lens that provides continuous focusing from infinity to extreme close-ups, often to a reproduction ratio of 1:2 (half life-size) or 1:1 (life-size).[Lens to shoot really close, great for bugs and flowers]
> *Metering*
> Measurement of light on the subject using desired setting in camera or an external light meter. Helps determine exposure.
> *Monopod*
> A single leg usually used for heavier lenses while shooting for a long time. Used to take the weight off of one arm.*Noise*
> Colorful dots you see on the photo when using too high of an ISO.
> *Normal Lens*
> A lens that makes the image in a photograph appear in perspective similar to that of the original scene. A normal lens has a shorter focal length and a wider field of view than a telephoto lens, and a longer focal length and narrower field of view than a wide-angle lens.[Usually a 50mm lens on a Full Frame Body]
> *Overexposure*
> A condition in which too much light reaches the film, producing a dense negative or a very light print or slide.[Too Bright]*Panning*
> Using a longer exposure to show motion in a photo, usually used for fast moving objects like cars, sports players. Focus is on the subject and the background is "smeared".*Post Processing*
> Editing.
> *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.
> *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.
> *Prime Lens*
> Lens that you can't zoom on, usually has great image quality.
> *Rule of Thirds*
> The common technique of putting the subject slightly off-centre, about a third of the way from either the left, right, upper or lower part of the photograph. Not always the best option, but generally can help a photograph's composition. [For example, if your subject was a tree, you might have the trunk a third of the way from the right-hand side of the viewfinder to help composition].
> *Stopping Down*
> Changing the lens aperture to a smaller opening; for example, from f/8 to f/11.[Changing the aperture down]*Teleconverter*
> Something you mount between the lens to increase the focal length of a lens. Usually come in 1.4X and 2.0 flavors. The benefit is that you have a longer focal length without buying a new lens, the draw back is that you lose 1 stop of light with the 1.4X and 2 stops of light with the 2.0X.
> *Sync speed*
> Usually referred to as the maximum shutter speed usable for flash photography.
> * Telephoto lens*
> A long lens, usually above 70mm, also meaning the physical lens is shorter than it's focal length.*Tripod*
> Three legged thing that you put your camera on. Used for heavy lenses or night shots to prevent motion shake.*Vignetting*
> A fall-off in brightness at the edges of an image, slide, or print. Can be caused by poor lens design, using a lens hood not matched to the lens, or attaching too many filters to the front of the lens.[Black thing in the corners of photos]
> *Wide-Angle Lens*
> A lens that has a shorter focal length and a wider field of view (includes more subject area) than a normal lens.[What people call fisheye...and they are wrong]
> *White Balance*
> Color Temperature of the image. Setting depend on the lighting available.
> *Zoom Lens*
> A lens in which you adjust the focal length over a wide range. In effect, this gives you lenses of many focal lengths.[Not Prime lens]
> Acronyms used on TPF
> If I missed something tell me
> 
> f/#= f/ number/aperture
> OOF= Out of Focus
> PP= Post Processing
> C&C= Critique and Comments
> CC=Same as above
> ROT= Rule of Thirds
> TPF=The Photo Forum
> IQ=Image Quality
> PS=Photoshop
> LR=Lightroom
> IS=Image Stabilization(Canon)    \
> VR=Vibration Reduction(Nikon)  -- These are all the same ;D
> OS=Optical Stabilization(Sigma) /
> AWB=Auto White Balance
> CA=Chromatic aberration
> ETTL=Evaluative through-the-lens(Canon)  \
> iTTL=intelligent through-the-lens(Nikon)     -- Also same thing
> TTL=Through the lens
> P&S=Point and Shoot
> EXIF=Exchangeable image file format
> SLR=Single Lens Reflex
> 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)
> 
> 
> If You have any other questions ask them.


----------



## Just me

Thank you so much George P, very helpful.  I had read that, but there's a lot to take in.   Think I'll print it out  so I can keep referring back to it.


----------



## Jabberwocky

Printing out is a way to go! Very helpful thread and what is important - not only for the beginners. I think everyone can find something for themselves here because it's comprehensive and well served. Thank you.


----------



## Paul Josaph

dxqcanada said:


> You forgot:
> 
> Bracketing
> Exposure Compensation
> Histogram
> Telephoto Lens
> "IQ"
> "PP"
> "PS"



Thanks for the sharing.


----------



## weddinglight

Nice Jaszak,


Easy understandable description.thanks alot for that.


----------



## weddinglight

Thanks Jaszak!!

You are doing great job here


----------



## mcap1972

How about ICM = Intentional Camera Movement


----------



## kareen21

Aha, now i know the different between *ISO Speed and Lens Speed*.

Very helpful for newbie like me. Thanks a alot.


----------



## Belindalynn

Jaszek said:


> For you people that don't know the terms we use . And yes some of these are going to sound stupid  (the things in brackets are dummy definitions , if no brackets then its just my definition) (Sticky much?)
> *Ambient Light*
> The available light completely surrounding a subject. Light already existing in an indoor or outdoor setting that is not caused by any illumination supplied by the photographer. [Light the photographer didn't create ie. Sunlight, lightbulbs already in the room etc.]
> *Angle Of View*
> The area of a scene that a lens covers or sees. Angle of view is determined by the focal length of the lens. A wide-angle lens (short-focal-length) includes more of the scene-a wider angle of view-than a normal (normal-focal-length) or telephoto (long-focal-length) lens. [What the lens sees, kind of like what you see when you look at something]
> *Aperture*
> Lens opening. The opening in a camera lens through which light passes to expose the film or sensor. The size of aperture is either fixed or adjustable. Aperture size is usually calibrated in _f_-numbers-the larger the number, the smaller the lens opening.[the f/ number thing, controls exposure and depth of field, also know as the blade things inside the lens]
> *Bokeh*
> The visual aesthetic quality of the out of focus part of the photo achieved with a shallow depth of field.
> *Bracketing*
> Shooting 3 or more shots with an equal exposure difference between each one to ensure at least one of the 3 exposures is accurate. Many DSLR cameras have an automatic bracketing feature.
> *Chromatic aberration*
> Commonly seen as color fringes at the edge of subjects caused by the inability of the lens to focus all wavelengths 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.
> *Composition*
> The pleasing arrangement of the elements within a scene - the main subject, the foreground and background, and supporting subjects. There are various composition guidelines like the Rule of Thirds, Golden Spiral, Golden Triangles, Golden Section, and otyhers.
> *Crop Factor Sensor*
> Size of the sensor is smaller than a 35mm film frame. Most common crops are 1.3X, 1.5X (Nikon), 1.6X(Canon), and 2.0X(3/4ths systems)
> *Cropping*
> Cutting away part of the original image, usually for a more pleasing composition. May also refer to the framing of the scene in the viewfinder.
> *Depth of Field*
> The amount of distance between the nearest and farthest distance from the camera that appear in acceptably sharp focus in a photograph. Depth of field depends on the lens aperture, the focal length of the lens, the distance to the point of focus, and the size of the image sensor in the camera.
> *Exposure*
> The quantity of light allowed to act on a photographic material; a product of the intensity (controlled by the lens opening) and the duration (controlled by the shutter speed or enlarging time) of light striking the film or paper, and the light sensitivity (ASA or ISO) of the film, paper, or image sensor.
> *Exposure Compensation*
> A technique for adjusting the exposure indicated by the in-the-camera exposure meter.
> *Fast lens*
> Refers to a lens that has a very wide maximum aperture ... generally f/1 to f/2.8 ... In general, the faster a lens the more it costs.
> *Fill flash*
> A technique used to to brighten shadow areas by using a flash.
> *Fisheye Lens*
> Lens that gives a distorted (a lot of field curvature or barrel distortion) very wide angle view.
> *Flare*
> Internal reflection or scrattering of light caused by air gaps between 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 and help minimize lens flare. Adding a filter(s) to the front of a lens often promotes lens flare by adding an additional air gap(s).
> *Focal Length*
> The distance between the film and the optical center of the lens when the lens is focused on infinity. The focal length of the lens on most adjustable cameras is marked in millimeters on the lens mount.[the amount of zoom of the lens, more mm more zoom]
> *Focus*
> Adjustment of the distance setting on a lens to define the subject sharply.[sharpness]
> *Focus Point(s)*
> The dots/boxes inside your viewfinder where you select the camera to focus at, can be set to manual or automatic. The boxes in the viewfinder indicate the approximate location in the scene of the actual focus sensors which are in the auto focus module, which is usually in the bottom of the camera.
> *Full Frame Sensor*
> Size of the sensor is the same as a 35mm Film Frame (135 format).
> *Film Grain*
> The sand-like or granular appearance of the light sensitive sliver halide crystals embedded in the film emulsion. Graini becomes more pronounced with faster film and the degree of enlargement. Digital photos are not made using silver halide crystals and cannot have grain.
> *Grey card*
> Usually a flat card colored neutral grey having a 18% reflectance across the visible spectrum. Used to provide a standard reference for exposure. Also used for white balance. Neutral gray means all 3 of the RGB color model colors - Red, Green, Blue - have the same value so none of the 3 dominates.
> *Histogram*
> A graph showing the distribution of the pixels in a digital photo. The vertical axis of the graph shows how many pixels and the horizontal axis shows luminosity bright on the right and dark on the left.
> *Hyperfocal distance*
> The focus point where all objects from some distance from the camera to infinity can be brought into acceptable focus..
> *IF - internal focusing*
> Focusing mechanism in which the front lens group is not moved making the lens longer. A further consideration for lens filter uses is if the front lens element rotates or not as the lens is focused.
> *ISO Speed*
> The sensitivity of the recording medium (film or digital) as determined by the standards of the International Standards Organization.
> *Lens*
> One or more pieces of optical glass or similar material designed to collect and focus rays of light to form a sharp image on the film, paper, or projection screen.[The thing you mount on a dSLR]
> *Lens Shade/Hood*
> A collar or hood at the front of a lens that keeps unwanted light from striking the lens and causing image flare and/or a loss of contrast. May be attached or detachable, and should be sized and shaped to the particular lens to avoid vignetting.
> *Lens Speed*
> The largest lens opening (smallest f-number) at which a lens can be set. A fast lens transmits more light and has a larger opening than a slow lens.[See Aperture]
> *Looking Space*
> Commonly associated with portrait and automotive photography, also links in with "Rule of Thirds". Making sure your subject has looking space means to allow some blank space in front of your model or car's face for them or it to "look" into.[Also referred to as breathing space]
> *Macro Lens*
> A lens that provides continuous focusing from infinity to extreme close-ups, often to a reproduction ratio of 1:2 (half life-size) or 1:1 (life-size).[Lens to shoot really close, great for bugs and flowers]
> *Metering*
> Measurement of light on the subject using desired setting in camera or an external light meter. Helps determine exposure.
> *Monopod*
> A single leg usually used for heavier lenses while shooting for a long time. Used to take the weight off of one arm.*Noise*
> Colorful dots you see on the photo when using too high of an ISO.
> *Normal Lens*
> A lens that makes the image in a photograph appear in perspective similar to that of the original scene. A normal lens has a shorter focal length and a wider field of view than a telephoto lens, and a longer focal length and narrower field of view than a wide-angle lens.[Usually a 50mm lens on a Full Frame Body]
> *Overexposure*
> A condition in which too much light reaches the film, producing a dense negative or a very light print or slide.[Too Bright]*Panning*
> Using a longer exposure to show motion in a photo, usually used for fast moving objects like cars, sports players. Focus is on the subject and the background is "smeared".*Post Processing*
> Editing.
> *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.
> *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.
> *Prime Lens*
> Lens that you can't zoom on, usually has great image quality.
> *Rule of Thirds*
> The common technique of putting the subject slightly off-centre, about a third of the way from either the left, right, upper or lower part of the photograph. Not always the best option, but generally can help a photograph's composition. [For example, if your subject was a tree, you might have the trunk a third of the way from the right-hand side of the viewfinder to help composition].
> *Stopping Down*
> Changing the lens aperture to a smaller opening; for example, from f/8 to f/11.[Changing the aperture down]*Teleconverter*
> Something you mount between the lens to increase the focal length of a lens. Usually come in 1.4X and 2.0 flavors. The benefit is that you have a longer focal length without buying a new lens, the draw back is that you lose 1 stop of light with the 1.4X and 2 stops of light with the 2.0X.
> *Sync speed*
> Usually referred to as the maximum shutter speed usable for flash photography.
> * Telephoto lens*
> A long lens, usually above 70mm, also meaning the physical lens is shorter than it's focal length.*Tripod*
> Three legged thing that you put your camera on. Used for heavy lenses or night shots to prevent motion shake.*Vignetting*
> A fall-off in brightness at the edges of an image, slide, or print. Can be caused by poor lens design, using a lens hood not matched to the lens, or attaching too many filters to the front of the lens.[Black thing in the corners of photos]
> *Wide-Angle Lens*
> A lens that has a shorter focal length and a wider field of view (includes more subject area) than a normal lens.[What people call fisheye...and they are wrong]
> *White Balance*
> Color Temperature of the image. Setting depend on the lighting available.
> *Zoom Lens*
> A lens in which you adjust the focal length over a wide range. In effect, this gives you lenses of many focal lengths.[Not Prime lens]
> Acronyms used on TPF
> If I missed something tell me
> 
> f/#= f/ number/aperture
> OOF= Out of Focus
> PP= Post Processing
> C&C= Critique and Comments
> CC=Same as above
> ROT= Rule of Thirds
> TPF=The Photo Forum
> IQ=Image Quality
> PS=Photoshop
> LR=Lightroom
> IS=Image Stabilization(Canon)    \
> VR=Vibration Reduction(Nikon)  -- These are all the same ;D
> OS=Optical Stabilization(Sigma) /
> AWB=Auto White Balance
> CA=Chromatic aberration
> ETTL=Evaluative through-the-lens(Canon)  \
> iTTL=intelligent through-the-lens(Nikon)     -- Also same thing
> TTL=Through the lens
> P&S=Point and Shoot
> EXIF=Exchangeable image file format
> SLR=Single Lens Reflex
> 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)
> 
> 
> If You have any other questions ask them.


Thank you This is just what I need to understand what I have found somthing I love to do. Now I know my camera and her adjustments. I always love to learn new things and this is my fav.


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## sashbar

*finder *is short for viewfinder


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## mcap1972

what's "electro" focus? The same as focus by wire like 85 1.2?


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## andmart1

thank you. Some of these I didn't know =)


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## kszymczak

this is GREAT! Thank you for posting, I even printed it out to help me learn!  just what i needed!


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## photographer93

This is awesome! As someone who learned by doing, I never really focused on terms and such. While that worked in the past, I'm at a point now where I realize that certain shows can be made or broken depending on things that are in my control.


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## charchri4

Anyone keeping up the first post?  Looks like lots of comments after it are not it in.  I came here wondering what wide open means. I see the term used a lot but will just google it.


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## Dave442

charchri4 said:


> I came here wondering what wide open means.


Don't google it, it just means the lens aperture is set to its largest opening size, i.e. the smallest f/stop value.
This is easy to know with a fixed aperture lens, however most "kit" lenses are of the variable aperture zoom type so the available "wide open" aperture of that type of lens will depend on the focal length you are using at the time of the shot.


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## desertrattm2r12

Quick and dirty -- get it done now, not perfectly. Olde Tyme newspaper talk,  meaning the deadline is in 10 minutes and you have to have a photo print just good enough or better in ten minutes. Take an hour to make it perfect and you fail. And you are fired.


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## Chris1980

Very Helpful thanks for the help


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## table1349

One that might be good to add is 

Measurebator - Someone who gets so caught up in the technical specs of a camera to the point of endlessly repeating stats in online forum postings and arguing which camera is better solely on specs.


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## Greg_Angeles_1018

This is very helpful for newbie like me .. thanks for posting.


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## buzzbuz

Thanks for this, some terms are not that self-explanatory


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