aspects of the camera Flashcards
Aperture
The hole within a lens, through which light travels into the camera body. Larger hole = more light. expressed in “f” numbers
Aspect Ratio
defines the relationship between an image’s lengths, represented as width:height.
ISO
represents the sensor’s sensitivity to the light and resulting effect on the image. Higher ISO = more sensitivity to light, but more grain.
Shutter Speed
the length of time a camera shutter is open to expose light to the camera sensor.
Slow shutter speeds allow more light into the sensor, fast speeds help freeze motions.
Focal Length
is the distance in millimeters between the center of a lens and the camera sensor. It determines the angle of view as well as the magnification of the subject.
Focus
the sharpest area of the image. It is the area where the lens works to highlight an object, a person, or a situation.
Depth of Field
Aperture controls this.
it is the portion of a scene that appears to be sharp. If the aperture is very small, the depth of field is large, while if the aperture is large, the depth of field is small
Exposure
amount of light that reaches the camera sensor and it determines how light or dark an image is.
determined by the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.
Pixel
Pixel is the smallest unit of programmable color represented on a digital display.
Resolution
the dimension in megapixels that a camera sensor is able to capture.
PPI
pixels per inch, refers both to the fixed number of pixels that a screen can display and the density of pixels within a digital image. (Not the same as pixel count)
DPI
dots per inch, refers to the resolution value of a physical printer. Printers reproduce an image by spitting out tiny dots, and the number of dots per inch affects the amount of detail and overall quality of the print.
Lossy Compression
Lossy compression means that the image size is reduced while some data from the original image file is eliminated. The lossy image process is irreversible.
Lossless Compression
Lossless compression means that you reduce the size of an image without any quality loss.
F-Stop/F-Number
the ratio of the lens focal length to the diameter of the entrance pupil. the number that your camera shows you when you change the size of the lens aperture.
Histogram
Histogram is the visual representation of the luminance of an image. The left side of the graph represent the shadows, while the right side belongs to the highlights. The height of the histogram shows how many pixels there are for each specific luminance level.
Metadata
also known as EXIF, is the essential information about the image. This includes dimensions, resolution, keywords, camera settings, focal length, copyright owner, etc
Dead Pixels
A dead pixel is a permanently damaged pixel that does not receive any power, which often results in a black spot on the camera LCD.
Hot Pixels
hot pixels only show up when the camera sensor gets hot during long exposures or when the ISO is cranked up above 400-800. Hot pixels are very normal and they will show up even on brand new cameras.
Stuck Pixels
they always receive power, which results in a colored pixel that shows up in the same spot on the camera LCD or on the sensor/images. Stuck pixels are very common, but not permanent like dead pixels
Banding
Color banding in photos is distracting discolorations—colors that should gradually move from one shade to the next instead jump to the next color. You see distinct bands or rows of color instead of a gradual transition.
Blooming
When shooting a bright light source such as direct sunlight, the source of the light may appear as a bright halo with column or line defects around the highlight.
Firmware
Firmware refers to the software your camera uses to operate. It exists on a microprocessor inside your camera, and it controls the features and functions attached to camera menus and buttons, as well as autofocus algorithms, image processing, noise reduction, and more.
Light Meter
measures the scene’s luminosity in order to determine the best exposure value.
Metering
describes the process of how your camera decides to assign the right shutter speed and aperture based on the amount of light the camera can pick up.
HDR (High Dynamic Range)
a technique that gives images a wider dynamic range than the one captured by the camera.
Bulb
Bulb is a camera setting that holds the shutter open for as long as the shutter release button is pressed. In some cases, the shutter release needs to be pressed once to open the shutter and once to close it, rather than remaining pushed down.
Contrast
Contrast defines the range of tonal difference between the shadows and lights of an image.
Noise
a visual distortion that looks like tiny colored specs on a photo. It is especially visible in images shot at high ISO or very slow shutter speeds.
DSLR
Digital single lens reflex.
A digital camera that uses a mechanical mirror system to direct light
