Third Powerpoint Summary

Question 1

What does SLR stand for?

Answer 1

Single Lens Reflex

Question 2

How does an SLR camera work?

Answer 2

An SLR camera is one which a mirror and a prism (or secondary mirror) are used to deflect light passing through then lens to the sensor or Film. This means you are able to see the image through the viewfinder.

As the shutter is deployed the mirror is retracted to expose the sensor.

Question 3

What does the M stand for on the mode dial of the camera?

Answer 3

This M stands for manual this means you will adjust all the settings yourself. So shutter-speed, aperture, ISO etc

Question 4

What does P stand for on the camera mode dial?

Answer 4

Program mode is similar to Auto but gives you a little more control over some other features including flash, white balance, ISO etc.

Question 5

What does TV as a camera mode stand for?

Answer 5

Shutter priority is where you select a shutter speed and the camera then chooses all of the other settings.

Often used for fast moving photography e.g sport

Question 6

What does AV camera mode stand for?

Answer 6

This mode is really a semi-automatic (or semi-manual) mode where you choose the aperture and where your camera chooses the other settings (shutter speed, white balance, ISO etc) so as to ensure you have a well balanced exposure.

Aperture priority mode is useful when you’re looking to control the depth of field in a shot (usually a stationary object where you don’t need to control shutter speed).

Question 7

What is focal length?

Answer 7

The focal length of the lens is the distance between the lens and the image sensor when the subject is in focus, usually stated in millimeters (e.g., 28 mm, 50 mm, or 100 mm)

This is simply the optical length of a lens and relates to the range of focus (both longitude and latitude)

Question 8

What focal lengths are though to be how the human eye sees?

Answer 8

50mm is a good ‘average’

Question 9

When focal length begins getting shorter e.g 16mm

Answer 9

The image begins to distort, the edges curving. Because you see more than the human eye sees so items will be further apart. And fish eye effect begins at 8mm

Question 10

What happens as you use a longer focal length e.g 100mm?

Answer 10

This distorts the image, pushing elements closer together. Popular for portrait and macro photography.

Question 11

What is the difference between a prime and zoom lens?

Answer 11

Prime lenses have a fixed focal length and zoom lenses have variable focal lengths.

Question 12

What is the advantage of a zoom lens?

Answer 12

The advantage of the zoom lens is its versatility. - ideal when you are photographing a variety of subjects such as landscapes and portraits,
- Using a zoom lens also reduces the number of times you need to change the lens.

Question 13

What is the advantages of prime lens?

Answer 13

• more compact and lightweight than zoom lenses.

Prime lenses also tend to have a larger maximum aperture (f/1.4 to f/2.8).
This is an advantage when shooting in low light conditions as it will increase the possibility of hand holding the camera and freezing the subject without shake or blur caused by the longer exposures.

Question 14

What four things effect Depth of field?

Answer 14

1. Aperture
2. Focal length (longer the lens greater the shallow depth of field effect)
3. The size of the cameras sensor (the larger the sensor the greater the depth of field effect)
4. Distance (from the subject / camera - how you frame the shot)

Question 15

What is a fast lens?

Answer 15

Lenses are described as fast when they have maximum aperture of f/2.8 or f1.8

Fast lenses are often fixed focal lengths so prime lenses. This means you have greater control over your aperture.

Question 16

What can a fast lens do?

Answer 16

a wider aperture allows more light to reach the cameras sensor meaning you can use a faster shutter speed in low light conditions.

Question 17

What is a slow lens?

Answer 17

A slow lens may only have a maximum aperture of f/5.6

An example would be a 18-55 mmm lens which has a variable maximum aperture of f3.5 at 18mm and f5.6 at 55mm

Flexible, affordable, light and compact.

Question 18

What is white balance?

Answer 18

White balance (WB) is the process of removing unrealistic color casts, so that objects which appear white in person are rendered white in your photo. Proper camera white balance has to take into account the “color temperature” of a light source, which refers to the relative warmth or coolness of white light.

Question 19

What is RAW?

Answer 19

Raw is an unfinished image file so it’s just data which hasn’t been processed yet. Photoshop or another software is needed to process it.

Question 20

What are the positives of RAW?

Answer 20

It’s unprocessed so you can control every element of the image.
You can adjust things such as white balance and exposure from the data.
You have more flexibility with adjustments you can make.

Question 21

What are the negatives of Raw?

Answer 21

Large file sizes
Less photos per card
This means more memory on SD card and hard drive needed.
Needs an editing software to be read. You cannot preview it without that.

Question 22

What is a JPEG

Answer 22

It’s a finished and processed photo captured by the camera. You can add changes but the camera has already made the majority of the decisions.

Question 23

What are the positives of a JPEG

Answer 23

Smaller file size
More photos per card
Can be viewed easily on computers
Good quality but relies on a good exposure.

Question 24

What are the negatives of using JPEG

Answer 24

You cannot change the exposure of the image you can only add to it.
You age less flexibility to correct mistakes
It is a locked finished photo

Each time you save a jpeg as a native format jpeg you lose quality as it compressed the data so save it as a photoshop file when editing.

Question 25

What are the three focus modes?

Answer 25

One shot
Servo
Manual

Question 26

What is metering?

Answer 26

Metering (Viewfinder Photography) Metering is used to measure the brightness of the subject. The camera optimizes exposure by adjusting shutter speed, aperture (f-number), and ISO sensitivity according to the brightness of the subject, which is measured using the camera’s built-in metering sensor.

Question 27

What does evaluative metering do?

Answer 27

The exposure is worked out across the whole image.
It divides the image into equal segments and takes a separate reading from each to then analyse and get a final exposure.

The camera will automatically compensate for any specific bright or dark areas of the scene and adjusts accordingly - thus good for a range of lighting conditions.

Question 28

What is spot/ partial metering?

Answer 28

Spot Metering only evaluates the light around your focus point and ignores everything else. It evaluates a single zone/cell and calculates exposure based on that single area, nothing else.
The key is to select a mid tone to take your reading from.

Question 29

What is Centre - weighted average?

Answer 29

Center-weighted Metering evaluates the light in the middle of the frame and its surroundings and ignores the corners.

Question 30

How does the camera work out the correct exposure?

Answer 30

A light sensitive cell in the camera measures the amount of light reflected by the scene and generates and average.

The meters reading will only give you a correct exposure setting to record the scene as an average mid tone. The exposure is biased towards the centre of the frame so helps prevent the exposure being affected by dark or light areas in foreground or background.

Question 31

What does metering do if you point the camera at a completely dark or light zone?

Answer 31

The meter will still assume you want to record it as a mid tone and give a meter reading accordingly.

Remember every meter on a different type of DSLR is different.

Question 32

What does DSLR stand for?

Answer 32

Digital single lens reflex.

a digital camera that combines the optics and the mechanisms of a single-lens reflex camera with a digital imaging sensor, as opposed to photographic film.