Lesson 2 Vocal List Flashcards
Aperture
The opening within a lens that controls the amount of light that reaches the film/sensor
Bellows
A flexible accordion-style material that connects the front and rear standard of a view camera
Blackout
The sudden loss of viewfinder vision caused by the mirror disengaging from the optical path.
Box Camera
The simplest form of camera, with no adjustable settings; fixed focus, fixed shutter speed, fixed aperture
Bulb Setting
One of the longest shutter speeds on a camera, the shutter stays open as long as the release is depressed.
Camera obscura
The original “camera”, meaning dark room. An image is projected upon a ground glass, for viewing and drawing, through a small hole in a dark space. The image is reversed left to right and top to bottom
Cartridge cassette
A preloaded cassette of film that can be fitted to any standardized camera within its format.
Dark slide
A light-proof rigid sheet that protects unexposed film when it is in a film carrier.
Depth of field
The distance along a lens’s optical axis that is in acceptable focus at a given aperture, focal length, and focusing distance.
Develop
The chemical process of permanently fixing an exposed image on a photo-sensitive material
Diaphragm
The mechanism that controls the intensity of light within a camera.
Diaphragm control
The device that changes how open or closed the diaphragm is.
Diaphragm opening
The opening that controls the intensity of light within a camera
Diaphragm scale
The range of aperture settings available to a given camera, where each setting is twice as bright and dark as its neighbors.
Double-frame camera
Also known as a full-frame camera, any camera that uses the full 35mm film format. It uses double the area of a half-frame camera.
Eye-level viewing
Using a camera at “eye level”.
f/number or f/stop
The universal scale of aperture settings available to a given camera, where each setting is one stop faster and slower than its neighbors.
Film
A flexible substrate coated with photosensitive emulsion, available in a variety of formats.
Film back
A removable camera back that can be loaded with film.
Film-holding mechanism
The mechanism that holds film flat at a specific distance from the lens.
Film insert
Film leader
A precut tab of film that extends from a 35mm cartridge, aids film loading.
Film pack
Fixed-focus lens
A lens that has a set focusing distance, that cannot be manually changed.
Focal-plane aperture
A
Focusing aid
A system that aids focusing, including rangefinder systems and viewfinder aids.
Focusing control
A mechanism on a camera, usually a ring around the lens, that allows for the plane of focus to be manually adjusted.
Focusing scale
A distance scale that shows the range of acceptable sharpness for a given aperture setting.
Focusing screen
The flat optical element that the lens image is projected onto via the reflex mirror, used to focus the lens.
Frame lines
A rectangular frame superimposed on the viewfinder image of a rangefinder-style camera, showing the imaged area for a given focal length.
Fresnel lens
An optical element that is used in combination with or that replaces the ground glass as the focusing screen. Results in a brighter image than ground glass alone.
Full-frame camera
Any camera that uses the 35mm film format.
Ground glass
A flat optical element that the lens image is projected onto, aids framing and focus.
Half-frame camera
A camera that uses half the area of the 35mm film format.
Hood
A device used to block stray light.
Infinity
The farthest marked distance on any distance scale.
Instant-return mirror
A mirror that automatically flips back down after an exposure in a single lens reflex camera.
Invert
When an image is flipped top to bottom.
Iris diaphragm
The opening within a lens that controls the amount of light that reaches the film/sensor
Lens
An optical element that can bend light.
Lens board
A board for mounting large-format lenses, to be used with large-format cameras.
Lens standard
The front standard of a view camera, containing the lens, lens board, and shutter.
Lighten-darken control
An adjustable dial on instant-type developing cameras, which can brighten or darken the final image relative to the original exposure.
Magnifier
An optical device that magnifies an image, usually to aid in focusing.
Medium-format camera
Any camera that uses film formats larger than 35mm, but smaller than sheet film. This includes 120mm and 220mm roll film.
Metering
The electronic process of determining suitable camera settings for a given scene.
Microprism focusing aid
A viewfinder area that aids in focusing, containing small prisms that noticeably split the out-of-focus image.
Miniature camera
Any camera that uses film smaller than 35mm.
Mirror
A reflective plane used to divert light within a camera to the viewfinder in single-lens reflex cameras.
Mirror cage
The camera housing that contains the mirror, ground-glass, and shutter.
Mirror-lock-up control
A mechanism that allows for the mirror of a single-lens reflex camera to lock up prior to exposure, removing mirror vibrations at lower shutter speeds. This will however blackout the viewfinder.
Motor drive
An attachable battery-powered unit for 35mm film cameras, allowing for fast film advance and shutter cocking.
Parallax
The difference in perspective and framing between two viewpoints, commonly discussed when referring to the frame lines of rangefinder-style cameras.
Pentaprism
The optical element in a single lens reflex camera that corrects the image from the ground glass, inverting it top to bottom and reverting it left to right.
Perforation holes
The holes along the sides of 35mm film, used in combination with a sprocket and a film take-up spool to advance film at regular intervals.
Perspective distortion
The visual distortion that accompanies the projected image of any rigid body camera. Can be corrected with view camera adjustments.
Pin hole
The simplest method of introducing light into a camera, producing a dim image with “infinite” focus.
Plate
The substrate for photosensitive chemicals before flexible substrates were used.
Pocket Instamatic
A small box camera that offers automatic metering and often flash.
Polaroid back
A modular back that can be attached to non-Polaroid camera systems, used to visually check camera settings.
Press camera
Any medium or large format camera with “press” in the name, denoting a design that prioritizes operating speed.
Press-focus lever
A lever on the integrated shutter of a large format camera that opens up a lens to its maximum aperture, allowing for a brighter image when focusing.
Process camera
A specialized monorail view camera used exclusively for the reproduction of 2D media. Process cameras used process lenses, which are optimized for field flatness.
Prism
An optical element that diverts light.
Rangefinder
An optical assembly that uses the alignment of two superimposed images to indicate proper focus of an image.
Rangefinder-type camera
A camera that uses a rangefinder device to focus the lens. This includes 35mm, medium format, and large format cameras.
Rapid-rewind crank
A crank used to rewind 35mm film back into the metal cassette.
Release button
The button used to release the shutter on a camera. If used on a single-lens reflex camera, the button swings up the mirror before the shutter is released.
Revert
To flip an image left to right.
Rewind
The process of returning film to a 35mm canister.
Rewind button
The button is used to disengage the sprocket of a 35mm film camera, allowing for the film to be rewound.
Rewind knob
A knob, used in conjunction with the rewind button, to rewind film in a 35mm camera.
Roll-film camera
Any camera that uses roll film, rather than sheet film, including 35mm and medium format.
Sheet film
Film that is made in large sheets rather than a continuous roll, used in view cameras.
Shutter
A camera mechanism used to control how long film is exposed to light.
Shutter speed
The duration that a shutter remains open.
Shutter-speed control
A mechanism to control how long the shutter remains open.
Shutter-speed scale
The range of shutter speeds available to a given camera, where each setting is twice as fast and slow as its neighbors.
Single-frame camera
A camera that uses half the area of a 35mm frame.
Single-lens reflex
A camera type that uses the same lens for both viewing and taking.
Split-image focusing aid
An optical aid on a ground-glass screen, seen in the viewfinder, that breaks straight lines when they are out of focus.
Split-image rangefinder
A rangefinder device that uses the visual continuity of an image to indicate perfect focus of a given subject.
Sprocket
A column in a 35mm camera that meters the amount of film that gets wound by the film advance, also aids in film flatness.
Subminiature camera
Any camera using film smaller than the 110 format.
Superimposed-image rangefinder
A rangefinder device that uses the alignment of two identical images to indicate perfect focus of a given subject.
Supply chamber
The area where film is loaded into a camera.
System
A camera “system” refers to the versatility of a given brand due to its range of customizations and accessories.
T(ransmission)/stop
A more exacting measure of aperture performance, based on the light transmitted for a given aperture rather than its mathematical transmission.
Take-up chamber
The area where the leading portion of a film roll is wound, containing a sprocket and a take-up spool.
Take-up spool
The column that a film leader or tab is threaded through.
Thumb slide
A winding mechanism on early box cameras, used to advance the film and recock the shutter.
Time setting
One of the longest shutter speeds on a camera, the shutter opens on the first press and closes on the second.
Twin-lens reflex
A medium format camera that uses two
coupled lenses, one with a mirror for focusing and composing, another for taking.
Underwater camera
Any camera that has been constructed for use underwater.
View camera
A camera that uses large-format film, capable of perspective control unavailable to other formats.
Viewfinder
The optical assembly used to aid in framing and/or focusing.
Viewfinder-type camera
A camera that uses a separate viewfinder for focusing/composing instead of looking through the lens.
Waist-level viewing
Using a camera at “waist level”, either by using a waist-level attachment or native functionality.
Waterhouse stop
The original way to control the intensity of light in a camera, offering a small range of machined “stops” to be inserted into a camera.
Wind crank
A crank used to advance film and wind the shutter of a camera, common on medium format cameras.
Wind lever
A lever used to advance film and wind the shutter of a camera, common on 35mm cameras and medium format cameras.
Zone focusing
Anticipatory focusing that uses a predetermined depth of field, or zone, to control image focus.
