Glossary of Digital Photography Terms

<html> <head><script type="text/javascript" src="https://web-static.archive.org/_static/js/bundle-playback.js?v=7YQSqjSh" charset="utf-8"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web-static.archive.org/_static/js/wombat.js?v=txqj7nKC" charset="utf-8"></script> <script>window.RufflePlayer=window.RufflePlayer||{};window.RufflePlayer.config={"autoplay":"on","unmuteOverlay":"hidden"};</script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web-static.archive.org/_static/js/ruffle/ruffle.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> __wm.init("https://web.archive.org/web"); __wm.wombat("http://www.photoxels.com:80/glossary.html","20080220152458","https://web.archive.org/","web","https://web-static.archive.org/_static/", "1203521098"); </script> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="https://web-static.archive.org/_static/css/banner-styles.css?v=p7PEIJWi" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="https://web-static.archive.org/_static/css/iconochive.css?v=3PDvdIFv" />  <link rel="SHORTCUT ICON" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/photoxels.ico"/> <title>Glossary of Digital Photography Terms - Photoxels</title> <link rel="SHORTCUT ICON" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/photoxels.ico"/> <link rel="STYLESHEET" type="text/css" href="/web/20080220152458cs_/http://www.photoxels.com/photoxels.css" title="Normal"/> <script src="/web/20080220152458js_/http://www.photoxels.com/photoxels.js" language="Javascript"></script> <base target="_top"/> <script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">  </script> </head> <body bgcolor="white" text="#000000" link="#0000FF" vlink="#009900" alink="#FF6600" topmargin="5" leftmargin="5" marginheight="5" marginwidth="5">  <table width="786" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td>  <script type="text/javascript"> e9 = new Object(); e9.size = "728x90,468x60"; e9.noAd = 1; </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458js_/http://tags.expo9.exponential.com/tags/Photoxels/ROS/tags.js"></script>  </td> </tr> </table> <font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="1">Photoxels brings you fact sheets on the best digital cameras.</font> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" cols="1" width="786" align="left"> <tr valign="top"> <td> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" cols="1" width="100%" align="center"> <tr> <td> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" cols="1" width="100%" align="center"> <tr> <td height="5"></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="786"> <style type="text/css">  </style> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" cols="6" width="786"> <tr> <td width="005" height="1"><img src="/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/transparent.gif" width="1" height="1"/></td> <td width="214" height="1"><img src="/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/transparent.gif" width="1" height="1"/></td> <td width="005" height="1"><img src="/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/transparent.gif" width="1" height="1"/></td> <td width="018" height="1"><img src="/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/transparent.gif" width="1" height="1"/></td> <td width="143" height="1"><img src="/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/transparent.gif" width="1" height="1"/></td> <td width="401" height="1"><img src="/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/transparent.gif" width="1" height="1"/></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="005" height="60"></td> <td width="214" height="60"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/"><img src="/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/photoxels-logo-new.gif" border="0" alt="Fact Sheets on the Best Digital Cameras" width="214" height="62"/></a></td> <td width="005" height="1"></td> <td width="018" height="1"></td> <td colspan="2" align="right"> <div align="center"> <script type="text/javascript"></script> <script src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458js_/http://scripts.chitika.net/eminimalls/mm.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> </div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="5">  <table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <form id="googlesearch" method="get" action="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.google.com/custom" target="google_window"> <tr> <td nowrap valign="top" align="left"> <input type="hidden" name="domains" value="www.photoxels.com"/> <input type="text" name="q" size="38" maxlength="2048" value=""/> <input type="submit" name="sa" value="Google Search" class="smalltext"/> </td> </tr> <tr> <td nowrap> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="smalltext"> <tr> <td> Search for digital cameras on:  <input type="radio" name="sitesearch" value="" checked/> Web  </td> <td> <input type="radio" name="sitesearch" value="www.photoxels.com"/> Photoxels</td> </tr> </table> <input type="hidden" name="client" value="pub-3852363000542902"/> <input type="hidden" name="forid" value="1"/> <input type="hidden" name="channel" value="3613770775"/> <input type="hidden" name="ie" value="ISO-8859-1"/> <input type="hidden" name="oe" value="ISO-8859-1"/> <input type="hidden" name="flav" value="0000"/> <input type="hidden" name="sig" value="IvvAk74QI1RCoxsA"/> <input type="hidden" name="cof" value="GALT:#008000;GL:1;DIV:#336699;VLC:663399;AH:center;BGC:FFFFFF;LBGC:D6E0E9;ALC:0000FF;LC:0000FF;T:000000;GFNT:0000FF;GIMP:0000FF;LH:50;LW:173;L:http://www.photoxels.com/images/photoxels2004b.gif;S:http://www.photoxels.com/;FORID:1;"/> <input type="hidden" name="hl" value="en"/> </td> </tr> </form> </table>  </td> <td width="401" align="right"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://technorati.com/faves?sub=addfavbtn&add=http://www.photoxels.com"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458im_/http://static.technorati.com/pix/fave/tech-fav-1.png" border="0" alt="Add to Technorati Favorites"/></a></td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="5"></td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="20"> <table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" background="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/tab_bg.gif"> <tr> <td width="10"> </td> <td width="578"> <table width="578" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td width="67"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/welcome_unsel.gif" name="Welcome" width="66" height="20" border="0" id="Welcome"/></td> <td width="49"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/" onmouseout="MM_swapImgRestore()" onmouseover="MM_swapImage('News','','https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/images/home_sel.gif','Submenu','','https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/images/home_sub.gif',1)"><img name="News" border="0" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/home_unsel.gif" width="48" height="20"/></a></td> <td width="67"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/best-digital-cameras.html" onmouseout="MM_swapImgRestore()" onmouseover="MM_swapImage('Cameras','','https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/images/cameras_sel.gif',1);MM_swapImage('Cameras','','https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/images/cameras_sel.gif','Submenu','','https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/images/cameras_sub.gif',1)"><img name="Cameras" border="0" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/cameras_unsel.gif" width="66" height="20"/></a></td> <td width="62"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/digital-camera-reviews.html" onmouseout="MM_swapImgRestore()" onmouseover="MM_swapImage('Reviews','','https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/images/reviews_sel.gif','Submenu','','https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/images/reviews_sub.gif',1);return document.MM_returnValue"><img name="Reviews" border="0" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/reviews_unsel.gif" width="61" height="20"/></a></td> <td width="67"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/digital-photography-tutorials.html"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/tutorial_sel.gif" width="66" height="20" border="0"/></a></td> <td width="67"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/special.html" onmouseout="MM_swapImgRestore()" onmouseover="MM_swapImage('Special','','https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/images/special_sel.gif',1);MM_swapImage('Special','','https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/images/special_sel.gif','Submenu','','https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/images/special_sub.gif',1)"><img name="Special" border="0" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/special_unsel.gif" width="66" height="20"/></a></td> <td width="49"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/about.html" onmouseout="MM_swapImgRestore()" onmouseover="MM_swapImage('About','','https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/images/about_sel.gif','Submenu','','https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/images/about_sub.gif',1)"><img name="About" border="0" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/about_unsel.gif" width="48" height="20"/></a></td> <td width="49"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/shop.html" onmouseout="MM_swapImgRestore()" onmouseover="MM_swapImage('Shop','','https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/images/shop_sel.gif','Submenu','','https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/images/shop_sub.gif',1)"><img name="Shop" border="0" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/shop_unsel.gif" width="48" height="20"/></a></td> <td width="101"> </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td> </td> <td width="164" align="center" background="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/daydate.gif" valign="middle"><script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript"> document.write ("<font face = 'Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif' SIZE = '1' color = '#000000'>" + dayNames[day] + " " + monthNames[month] + " " + date + ", " + time + "</font>");</script> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="20" background="/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/submenu_bg.gif"> <table width="786" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr valign="top"> <td width="005"> </td> <td width="488"><img src="/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/tutorial_sub.gif" width="470" height="20" border="0" name="Submenu"/></td> <td width="020"> </td> <td width="268" align="right"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><a href="javascript:void(null)" onclick="window.open('tellaFriend.html?tag=srch','friendWin','width=240,height=370,status=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no');"><b><font color="#FF9900">Tell a friend about us!</font></b></a></font></td> <td width="005"> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="5"></td> </tr> <tr> </tr> <tr> <td> <table width="786" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr valign="top">  <td width="141"> <div align="center" style="background-color:#5B84AD; width:141px; height:70px; padding-top:5px;"><a href="gift-guide-2007.html"><img src="/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/gift-guide-2007-130.gif" width="130" height="78" border="0" alt="Photoxels Gift Guide 2007" title="Photoxels Gift Guide 2007"/></a></div> <table width="141" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" bgcolor="#5B84AD"> <tr> <td align="center" valign="middle"> <div align="center"> <script language="JavaScript1.2" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458js_/http://www.altavista.com/static/scripts/translate_engl.js"></script> </div> </td> </tr> </table> <table width="141" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" class="smalltext" bgcolor="#5B84AD"> <tr> <td height="27" width="141" background="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/homeUnsel.gif"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><a class="white" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/"><b><font color="#FFFFFF">Home</font></b></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><a class="white" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/editorial.html"><font color="#FFFFFF"><b>Editorial</b></font></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><a class="white" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/news.html"><font color="#FFFFFF"><b>News</b></font></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><a class="white" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/articles.html"><font color="#FFFFFF"><b>Articles</b></font></a> <font size="1" color="#FFFFFF">(RSS Feed)</font></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><a class="white" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/press_releases.html"><font color="#FFFFFF"><b>Press Releases</b></font></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><a class="white" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/sitemap.html"><font color="#FFFFFF"><b>Site Map</b></font></a></td> </tr> </table> <table width="141" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" class="smalltext" bgcolor="#5B84AD"> <tr> <td height="28" background="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/camerasUnsel.gif" width="141"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><a class="white" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/best-digital-cameras.html"><font color="#FFFFFF"><b>Best Digital Cameras</b></font></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><a class="white" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/buyersGuide.html"><font color="#FFFFFF"><b>Buyer's Guide</b></font></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><a class="white" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/cameras_pointandshoot.html"><font color="#FFFFFF"><b>Point-and-Shoot</b></font></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><a class="white" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/cameras_beginner.html"><font color="#FFFFFF"><b>Beginner</b></font></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><a class="white" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/cameras_serious.html"><font color="#FFFFFF"><b>Serious</b></font></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><a class="white" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/cameras_advanced.html"><font color="#FFFFFF"><b>Advanced</b></font></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><a class="white" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/cameras-compact.html"><font color="#FFFFFF"><b>Ultra Compact</b></font></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><a class="white" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/cameras_ultra_zoom.html"><font color="#FFFFFF"><b>Ultra Zoom</b></font></a></td> </tr> </table> <table width="141" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" background="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/nav_solid_bg.gif" class="smalltext"> <tr> <td height="28" background="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/reviewsUnsel.gif" width="141"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><a class="white" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/digital-camera-reviews.html"><b><font color="#FFFFFF">Digital Camera Reviews</font></b></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7" bgcolor="#FFFFCC"><a class="white" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/reviews-matrix.html"><b><font color="#FFFFFF"> <font color="#0000FF">Reviews Matrix</font></font></b></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><a class="white" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/awards.html"><font color="#FFFFFF"><b>Photoxels Awards</b></font></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><select name="menu1" onchange="MM_jumpMenu('parent',this,0)" size="1" class="smalltext"> <option value="#" selected>- Photo Galleries -</option> <option value="#">--- 2007 ---</option> <option value="fujifilm-s8000fd-photo-gallery.html">Fujifilm S8000fd</option> <option value="fujifilm-s9100-photo-gallery.html">Fujifilm S9100</option> <option value="kodak-v803-photo-gallery.html">Kodak V803</option> <option value="nikon-d40-photo-gallery.html">Nikon D40</option> <option value="nikon-d80-photo-gallery.html">Nikon D80</option> <option value="nikon-p5100-photo-gallery.html">Nikon P5100</option> <option value="nikon-p5000-photo-gallery.html">Nikon P5000</option> <option value="nikon-s500-photo-gallery.html">Nikon S500</option> <option value="olympus-sp-560-photo-gallery.html">Olympus SP-560</option> <option value="olympus-sp-550-photo-gallery.html">Olympus SP-550</option> <option value="olympus-stylus-830-photo-gallery.html">Olympus 830</option> <option value="olympus-stylus-790-sw-photo-gallery.html">Olympus 790SW</option> <option value="olympus-stylus-770-sw-photo-gallery.html">Olympus 770SW</option> <option value="panasonic-fz18-photo-gallery.html">Panasonic FZ18</option> <option value="panasonic-fx30-photo-gallery.html">Panasonic FX30</option> <option value="#">--- 2006 ---</option> <option value="canon-a620-photo-gallery.html">Canon A620</option> <option value="canon-sd700-is-photo-gallery.html">Canon SD700 IS</option> <option value="canon-sd550-photo-gallery.html">Canon SD550</option> <option value="canon-sd30-photo-gallery.html">Canon SD30</option> <option value="fujifilm-s6000fd-photo-gallery.html">Fujifilm S6000fd</option> <option value="fujifilm-f30-photo-gallery.html">Fujifilm F30</option> <option value="fujifilm-f470-photo-gallery.html">Fujifilm F470</option> <option value="kodak-z612-photo-gallery.html">Kodak Z612</option> <option value="kodak-v705-photo-gallery.html">Kodak V705</option> <option value="kodak-v610-photo-gallery.html">Kodak V610</option> <option value="kodak-v570-photo-gallery.html">Kodak V570</option> <option value="nikon-d200-photo-gallery.html">Nikon D200</option> <option value="nikon-p3-photo-gallery.html">Nikon P3</option> <option value="nikon-s6-photo-gallery.html">Nikon S6</option> <option value="nikon-l2-photo-gallery.html">Nikon L2</option> <option value="olympus-evolt-e330-photo-gallery.html">Olympus E-330</option> <option value="olympus-sp-500-photo-gallery.html">Olympus SP-500</option> <option value="olympus-stylus-720-sw-photo-gallery.html">Olympus 720SW</option> <option value="panasonic-l1-photo-gallery.html">Panasonic L1</option> <option value="panasonic-fz50-photo-gallery.html">Panasonic FZ50</option> <option value="panasonic-fz7-photo-gallery.html">Panasonic FZ7</option> <option value="panasonic-lx2-photo-gallery.html">Panasonic LX2</option> <option value="panasonic-ls2-photo-gallery.html">Panasonic LS2</option> <option value="#">--- 2005 ---</option> <option value="canon-a520-photo-gallery.html">Canon A520</option> <option value="fujifilm-s9000-photo-gallery.html">Fujifilm S9000</option> <option value="fujifilm-s5200-photo-gallery.html">Fujifilm S5200</option> <option value="fujifilm-e900-photo-gallery.html">Fujifilm E900</option> <option value="fujifilm-f10-photo-gallery.html">Fujifilm F10</option> <option value="fujifilm-e550-photo-gallery.html">Fujifilm E550</option> <option value="kodak-z740-photo-gallery.html">Kodak Z740</option> <option value="kodak-v550-photo-gallery.html">Kodak V550</option> <option value="nikon-7900-photo-gallery.html">Nikon 7900</option> <option value="nikon-5600-photo-gallery.html">Nikon 5600</option> <option value="olympus-evolt-e300-photo-gallery.html">Olympus E-300</option> <option value="olympus-c7070-photo-gallery.html">Olympus C-7070</option> <option value="olympus-c7000-photo-gallery.html">Olympus C-7000</option> <option value="olympus-c5500-photo-gallery.html">Olympus C-5500</option> <option value="panasonic-fz5-photo-gallery.html">Panasonic FZ5</option> <option value="#">--- 2004 ---</option> <option value="canon_pro1_gallery.html">Canon Pro1</option> <option value="canon-s1-photo-gallery.html">Canon S1 IS</option> <option value="canon_s500_gallery.html">Canon S500</option> <option value="fujifilm_s7000_gallery.html">Fujifilm S7000</option> <option value="kodak-ls753_gallery.html">Kodak LS753</option> <option value="minolta_a2_gallery.html">Konica Minolta A2</option> <option value="nikon_8700_gallery.html">Nikon 8700</option> <option value="olympus_8080_gallery.html">Olympus C-8080</option> <option value="olympus_770_gallery.html">Olympus C-770</option> <option value="olympus-stylus-600-photo-gallery.html">Olympus 600</option> <option value="olympus_d535_gallery.html">Olympus D-535</option> <option value="sony_p150_gallery.html">Sony DSC-P150</option> <option value="sony_p100_gallery.html">Sony DSC-P100</option> </select></td> </tr> </table> <table width="141" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" class="smalltext" bgcolor="#5B84AD"> <tr> <td height="28" background="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/tutorialUnsel.gif" width="141"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><a class="white" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/fundamentals.html"><font color="#FFFFFF"><b>Fundamentals</b></font></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><a class="white" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/digital-photography-tutorials.html"><font color="#FFFFFF"><b>Tutorials</b></font></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><a class="white" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/glossary.html"><font color="#FFFFFF"><b>Glossary</b></font></a></td> </tr> </table> <table width="141" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" class="smalltext" bgcolor="#5B84AD"> <tr> <td height="28" background="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/specialUnsel.gif" width="141"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><a class="white" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/history.html"><font color="#FFFFFF"><b>History of Cameras</b></font></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><a class="white" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/featured-sites.html"><font color="#FFFFFF"><b>Featured Sites</b></font></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><a class="white" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/contests.html"><font color="#FFFFFF"><b>Contests</b></font></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><a class="white" href="digital-camera-manuals.html"><font color="#FFFFFF"><b>User Manuals</b></font></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><a class="white" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/links.html"><font color="#FFFFFF"><b>Links</b></font></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><a class="white" href="special-relax-lounge.html"><font color="#FFFFFF"><b>Relax Lounge</b></font></a></td> </tr> </table> <table width="141" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" class="smalltext" bgcolor="#5B84AD"> <tr> <td height="28" background="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/aboutUnsel.gif" width="141"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><a class="white" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/about.html"><font color="#FFFFFF"><b>About Us</b></font></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><a class="white" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/privacy.html"><font color="#FFFFFF"><b>Privacy Statement</b></font></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><a class="white" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/contact.html"><font color="#FFFFFF"><b>Contact</b></font></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><a class="white" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/subscribe.html"><font color="#FFFFFF"><b>Subscribe</b></font></a></td> </tr> </table> <table width="141" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" class="smalltext" bgcolor="#5B84AD"> <tr> <td height="28" background="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/shopUnsel.gif" width="141"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><a class="white" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/shop.html"><font color="#FFFFFF"><b>Photo Store</b></font></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><a class="white" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://astore.amazon.com/photoxels-20"><font color="#FFFFFF"><b>Digital Cameras</b></font></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><a class="white" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/shop_accessories.html"><font color="#FFFFFF"><b>Accessories</b></font></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><a class="white" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/shop_books.html"><font color="#FFFFFF"><b>Photography Books</b></font></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><a class="white" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/shop_posters.html"><font color="#FFFFFF"><b>Posters</b></font></a></td> </tr> </table> <table width="141" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" bgcolor="#5B84AD" class="smalltext"> <tr> <td background="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/adsBox.gif" height="22"> <div align="center"><b><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="1">Sponsors</font></b></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><a class="white" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.shopbot.ca/"><font color="#FFFFFF"><b>Shopbot.ca -- Comparison Shopping</b></font></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td> <br/> <div align="center"><br/> <script type="text/javascript"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458js_/http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> </div> <p align="center"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home/photoxels-20"><br/> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/affiliates/home-btn-120x90.gif" border="0" height="90" width="120" alt="In Association with Amazon.com"/></a></p>  <div align="center"> <form action="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search"> <table class="normal" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td style="background-color:#fff;"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" align="top" height="90" width="120" style="border: 1px solid #000000 !important;"> <tr> <td style="background-color:#fff;" height="20" valign="bottom" align="center"><span style="font-family: verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:10px !important; font-weight:bold !important;">Search Now:</span></td> <td style="background-color:#fff;"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="background-color:#fff;" align="center" height="30" valign="top"> <input type="text" name="keyword" size="10" value=""/> </td> <td style="background-color:#fff;" height="20" valign="top" align="left"> <input type="hidden" name="mode" value="blended"/> <input type="hidden" name="tag" value="photoxels-20"/> <input type="image" width="21" height="21" border="0" value="Go" name="Submit" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458im_/http://g-images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/build-links/ap-search-go-btn.gif" align="absmiddle"/> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="background-color:#000;" height="40"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home/photoxels-20"> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458im_/http://g-images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/build-links/ap-search-logo-126x32.gif" height="36" border="0" width="126"/></a></td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </form>  </div> <br/> <p align="center"><iframe scrolling="no" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" width="120" height="150" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458if_/http://rcm-ca.amazon.ca/e/cm?t=photoxels03-20&l=bn1&browse=1008174&mode=books-ca-fr&p=6&o=15&lc1=<1=_blank&f=ifr"> <map name="boxmap6"> <area shape="RECT" coords="1, 140, 83, 150" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://rcm-ca.amazon.ca/e/cm/privacy-policy.html?o=15"/> <area coords="0,0,10000,10000" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/redirect-home?tag=photoxels03-20&site=amazon"/> </map> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458im_/http://g-images.amazon.com/images/G/15/associates/amzn_recommends/default_p6.gif" width="120" height="150" border="0" usemap="#boxmap6"/> </iframe></p> <div align="center"><br/> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/redirect-home?tag=photoxels-21&site=amazon"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/affiliates/uk_blk_logo2.gif" alt="In Association with Amazon.co.uk" border="0"/></a></div> <p align="center"> </p> <p align="center"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/photoxels.rss"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/xml.gif" width="36" height="14" border="0" title="Syndicate this feed (RSS 2.0)"/></a></p> <p align="center"> </p> <hr noshade size="1"/> </td> </tr> </table> <table width="141" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" bgcolor="#5B84AD" class="smalltext"> <tr> <td background="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/adsBox.gif" height="22"> <div align="center"><b><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="1">Partners</font></b></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" valign="middle"> <font size="1" color="#FFFFFF"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.diwa-awards.com/" target="eS"><b><font color="#FFFFFF">DIWA Awards</font></b></a></font> <br/> <select name="diwa" onchange="MM_jumpMenu('parent',this,0)" class="smalltext"> <option value="#" selected>- DIWA Members -</option> <option value="#">---------------</option> <option value="http://www.diwa-awards.com/">DIWA Awards</option> <option value="#">---------------</option> <option value="http://www.letsgodigital.org/en/index.html">LetsGoDigital</option> <option value="http://www.digit.no/">DigIT</option> <option value="http://www.e-fotografija.com/">e-Fotografija</option> <option value="http://www.digitalmagasinet.dk/">Digitalmagasinet</option> <option value="http://www.fotoaparat.cz/">FotoAparat</option> <option value="http://www.fotopolis.pl/">Fotopolis</option> <option value="http://www.fotovilag.hu/">Fotovilag</option> <option value="http://www.digitalkamera.de/">digitalkamera.de</option> <option value="http://www.nuevafotografia.com/">Neuvafotografia</option> <option value="http://www.photographyblog.com/">PhotographyBLOG</option> </select><br/> <br/></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><a class="white" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.pma-show.com/"><font color="#FFFFFF"><b>PMA</b></font></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><a class="white" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.letsgomobile.org/"><font color="#FFFFFF"><b>Mobile Phone</b></font></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><a class="white" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.letsgodigital.org/en/index.html"><font color="#FFFFFF"><b>Digital Camera</b></font></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"> </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td width="011" background="/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/dots2.gif"> </td> <td width="634"> <table width="634" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" height="603"> <tr> <td valign="top"> <table width="634" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="normaltext"> <tr valign="top"> <td width="468"> <table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" background="/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/path.gif" class="smalltext"> <tr> <td height="20"><img src="/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/transparent.gif" width="5" height="1"/><b>You are here</b>: <a href="index.html">Home</a> > Glossary of Digital Photography Terms</td> </tr> </table> <div style="border-top: 1px dotted #999;"></div> <p> </p><h1 class="main">Glossary of Digital Photography Terms</h1> <p>The following glossary is not a precise technical definition of terms, but instead is an attempt at explaining photography terms in simple layman's language.</p> <table width="100%" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="normaltext"> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top"><b>Term</b></td> <td width="63%" valign="top"><b>Explanation</b></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top"> <p>35mm Equivalent</p> <p>(also:<br/> Crop Factor<br/> Focal Length Multiplier)</p> </td> <td width="63%" valign="top">see <a href="glossary.html#cropfactor">Crop Factor</a></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top"> </td> <td width="63%" valign="top"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top"> <p><a name="antiblur"></a>Anti-Blur</p> </td> <td width="63%" valign="top"> <p>A camera mode that attempts to use a fast enough shutter speed (by upping the ISO) to prevent camera shake.</p> <p>Using a higher ISO usually results in higher noise in your images.</p> <p>Do not confuse with "optical image stabilization" or "image sensor shift" technology where either the lens or CCD image sensor is stabilized to prevent camera shake. This is known as mechanical or true image stabilization. (see <a href="glossary.html#ois">Image Stabilization</a>)</p> <p>A new take on this feature is the "electronic" blur reduction that can be performed in-camera after the picture has been taken. This uses software to basically "sharpen" the image so it appears sharper. Again, do not confuse with true image stabilization.</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top"> <p><a name="antishake"></a>Anti-Shake</p> <p>(also:<br/> Image Stabilization,<br/> Vibration Reduction)</p> </td> <td width="63%" valign="top"> <p>see <a href="glossary.html#ois">Image Stabilization</a></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top"><a name="aperture"></a><a href="tutorial_aperture.html">Aperture</a></td> <td width="63%" valign="top">Also refered to as f/stop, f/value, aperture value. The size the lens opens to allow in light. A large aperture is denoted by a small number, e.g. F1.8, while a small aperture is denoted by a large number, e.g. F16. A "<a href="tutorial_aperture.html#fast">fast</a>" lens is one with a large maximum aperture.</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top">Aperture-Priority</td> <td width="63%" valign="top">Select an aperture (f/stop) and the camera chooses the best shutter speed. Use this mode to control the depth of field, e.g. select a small f/stop for landscape photography to ensure maximum depth of field, and a large f/stop for portrait photography to throw everything, except the subject, out of focus.</td> </tr> <tr> <td> </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top"><a name="boke"></a>Boke (pronounced BOH-KEH), and increasingly referred to in print as "Bokeh"</td> <td width="63%" valign="top">Japanese word meaning "fuzzy" and referring to the out-of-focus (OOF) portions of a picture. A lens is said to have "good boke" if the OOF is pleasant and does not detract from the main subject. A lens with good boke produces out of focus smooth-edged highlights and reproduces an out of focus point of light as bright in the middle and progressively getting fainter with a fuzzy edge.</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top">Bulb (shutter speed)</td> <td width="63%" valign="top">When set to the Bulb setting, the shutter remains open as long as the shutter release button is depressed. This allows for real night photography, and is ideal for taking multiple bursts of fireworks on one frame.</td> </tr> <tr> <td> </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top"><a name="crop"></a>Crop</td> <td width="63%" valign="top">Cropping a picture simply means to cut out a portion of the picture. For example, you may have extraneous details in your picture you do not want to display or print, so you "crop" it out. Notice, no enlargement is performed when you crop a picture. Often, you will read the term "100% crop" and all it means is that the photographer does not want to post the complete picture (could be 3MB+ in size) and so crops out the relevant part and post that as a "100% crop." No enlargement or reduction performed.</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top"> <p><a name="cropfactor"></a>Crop Factor</p> <p>(also:<br/> Focal Length Multiplier<br/> 35mm Equivalent)</p> </td> <td width="63%" valign="top"> <p>Not to be confused with "Crop" of a picture, these terms are exclusively used in the context of relating focal length to field of view (FOV), using a full-frame sensor size (24x36mm) as a reference.</p> <p>When a 35mm lens is used on a digital SLR using an image sensor that is smaller than full-frame, the smaller sensor records only a "crop" of what a full-frame sensor can, thus recording a narrower field of view.</p> <p>For example, an APS-sized image sensor is about half-frame and therefore has a crop factor, or focal length multiplier, of 2x (more accurately, 1.6x).</p> <p>The term focal length multiplier is commonly used because, to obtain an accurate indication of the actual field of view covered, we multiply the 35mm focal length of the lens by the crop factor (focal length multiplier) to obtain a 35mm focal length equivalent.</p> <p>Technically, lenses made specifically for a smaller than full-frame image sensor has no crop factor. Thus, we don't specifically speak of a crop factor for P&S cameras.</p> <p> However, because image sensors in P&S cameras come in many different sizes, the specified focal lengths of the lenses do not accurately represent the actual field of view recorded and cannot be directly compared one to another. They do not really make any sense until we can relate all of them to a standard reference. By using a full-frame sensor and the lenses made for them as our reference, we can then assign a "35mm Equivalent" focal length to each lens/sensor size combination to obtain an accurate indication of the field of view covered.</p> <p>Using "35mm Equivalent" focal lengths, a 35mm-50mm lens is considered normal (35mm is a slight wide-angle, but pretty much the norm in today's P&S cameras), a 28mm or less is a wide-angle, a 100mm-200mm is a medium telephoto, a 300mm-400mm (and longer) is a long telephoto.</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top"><a name="DOF"></a><a href="tutorial_learn_basics.html#DOF">Depth of Field</a></td> <td width="63%" valign="top">The distance wherein objects are in focus. The smaller the aperture, the greater the depth of field achieved. [<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.cs.mtu.edu/%7Eshene/DigiCam/User-Guide/950/depth-of-field.html" target="externalSIte">more...</a>]</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top"> </td> <td width="63%" valign="top"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top">Exposure (Control)</td> <td width="63%" valign="top">The different modes the camera provides for controlling exposure, e.g. Auto, Manual, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority. See also: Shooting Modes.</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top"> </td> <td width="63%" valign="top"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top"> <p>Focal Length Multiplier</p> <p>(also:<br/> Crop Factor<br/> 35mm Equivalent)</p> </td> <td width="63%" valign="top">see <a href="glossary.html#cropfactor">Crop Factor</a></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top"> </td> <td width="63%" valign="top"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top"><a name="imageSensor"></a>Image Sensor</td> <td width="63%" valign="top"> <p>The image sensor is the equivalent of 'film'.</p> <p>An image sensor contains millions of pixels (megapixels) arranged in a matrix whose job is to catch and record light when you take a picture. Each pixel registers the brightness -- or, intensity -- of the light falling on it. By using colored filters and an array of small lenses, the image sensor is able to record color values in a small footprint.</p> <p>A high <a href="glossary.html#resolution">resolution</a> image sensor can capture much more variation in light than a low resolution image sensor, and can therefore reproduce an image more faithfully and realistically.</p> <p>The size of an image sensor also contributes to the quality of the images captured. In general, the larger the image sensor, the less <a href="glossary.html#noise">noise</a> in the images.</p> <p>Cramming ever more megapixels onto a small image sensor tends to reduce the image quality, especially introducing more noise. The sweet spot seems to be 7MP on a 1/1.8-in. image sensor.</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top"> <p><a name="ois"></a>Image Stabilization</p> <p>(also:<br/> Anti-Shake<br/> Vibration Reduction)</p> </td> <td width="63%" valign="top"> <p>A technology that stabilizes either the lens ("optical image stabilization") or image sensor ("image sensor shift" or "CCD-shift") to effectively reduce blur due to camera shake when using a slow shutter speed.</p> <p>This allows the hand-holding of a camera at slower shutter speed (without upping the ISO).</p> <p>Do not confuse with "Anti-Blur," "Picture Stabilization," or "<em>electronic</em> Vibration Reduction" where the camera either selects a higher ISO to allow the use of a fast enough shutter speed to counter the effect of camera shake or uses in-camera processing to "sharpen" the image.</p> <p>Optical Image Stabilization and Image Sensor (or CCD) Shift Image Stabilization are also known as mechanical or true image stabilization.</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top"> </td> <td width="63%" valign="top"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top">Light Metering</td> <td width="63%" valign="top"> <p>How the camera measures the amount of light available to expose a picture.</p> <p>Centre-Weighted: Readings are taken at various part of the picture, with a special emphasis for the centre.</p> <p>Spot: Readings are taken at a specific point.</p> <p>Besides the above two light metering options, each camera manufacturer has its own variations, such as Matrix Metering, Multi-Pattern Metering, etc.</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top"> </td> <td width="63%" valign="top"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top">Macro Photography</td> <td width="63%" valign="top">Photographing small objects, by usually moving close up. A steady tripod and a macro ring light ensure well exposed pictures. </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top"> <p><a name="megapixels"></a>Megapixels, effective</p> </td> <td width="63%" valign="top"> <p>Millions of pixels (usually used in reference to the resolution of an image sensor).</p> <p>A digital camera can have an image sensor that is rated 4.2 megapixels but delivers an <i>effective</i> resolution of 4.0 megapixels. The higher the effective resolution, the higher the quality of the picture that can be recorded (providing the lens is able to produce the quality image in the first place).</p> <p>Some digital cameras might advertise the "interpolated" pixels. As an example, Fujifilm's Super CCD image sensor can capture "effective" pixels of 3.1 megapixels, then its software kicks in and interpolates them up to 6 megapixels. Do bear in mind a digital camera that outputs 6 interpolated megapixels will never deliver the same quality that a real 6 effective megapixels digital camera will, and should still be compared to a 3 effective megapixels digital camera.</p> <p>What is important when comparing <a href="glossary.html#resolution">resolution</a> of different image sensors in digital cameras is the <i>effective</i> megapixels.</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top"> </td> <td width="63%" valign="top"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top">OEM</td> <td width="63%" valign="top"> <p>Original Equipment Manufacturer.</p> <p>While this is not technically a digital photography term, you may have come across it when reading about how many of the major digital camera companies do not actually make the cameras bearing their brands, and wondered if one brand was any different from another.</p> <p>The question is sometimes yes and sometimes no.</p> <p>The OEMs outsource the manufacture to low-cost third party manufacturers and then rebrand the cameras, sometimes adding value in the form of better lenses and firmware, and sometimes not.</p> <p>Now you know why some of these digital cameras have very similar features set (especially the image sensor characteristics) and why many even look the same, minus some cosmetic changes.</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top"> </td> <td width="63%" valign="top"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top"><a name="noise"></a>Noise</td> <td width="63%" valign="top"> <p>When a slow shutter speed is used (1/30 sec. and lower), the image degrades due to the buildup of electronic signal ("noise"). Software in the digital camera automatically compensates to reduce that noise. Most digital cameras has noise reduction that automatically kickc in at slow shutter speeds.</p> <p>Similarly, when a high ISO is used, noise starts to show in images. For now, most consumer digital cameras are not good at high ISOs, even though the camera might offer them.</p> <p>Noise exhibits itself as luminance and chrominance noise. Luminance noise is the digital equivalent of film grain, and appears as brightness variations. Chrominance noise (or colour noise) appears as coloured splotches.</p> <p>see <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/tutorial_noise.html">What Is... Noise?</a></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top"> </td> <td width="63%" valign="top"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top">Photoshop</td> <td width="63%" valign="top">An image editing software. The most popular. </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top"><font color="#FFCC33"><b>P</b></font><b><font color="#6699CC">h</font><font color="#FFCC33">o</font><font color="#6699CC">t</font><font color="#FFCC33">o</font><font color="#6699CC">x</font><font color="#FFCC33">e</font><font color="#6699CC">l</font><font color="#FFCC33">s</font></b></td> <td width="63%" valign="top"> <p><b>Photo</b>graphy + Digital Pi<b>xels</b></p> <p>Digital Photography is a marriage of traditional photography (you still gotta develop an eye for what makes a good picture) and digital pixels, hence:</p> <p>Digital Photography = <b>Photo</b>graphy + Digital Pi<b>xels</b> = <b>Photoxels</b>.</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Pixel</font></td> <td width="63%" valign="top"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Picture element.</font></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top"><a name="prefocus"></a>Pre-focusing</td> <td width="63%" valign="top"><p>A technique to allow you to focus on a subject that is not at the center of the screen. By default a camera will focus at the center of the screen. By pressing the shutter release button half-way you can lock focus on your off-center subject, then recompose and depress the shutter release fully to take the shot.</p> <p>Pre-focusing also helps to eliminate <a href="glossary.html#shutterlag">shutter lag</a> that is mostly due to the time the camera takes to lock focus.</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td> </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top"><a name="resolution"></a>Resolution, Sensor</td> <td width="63%" valign="top"> <p>For our purpose, let's just define this as the number of pixels used to capture an image. In reality, excellent <i>image</i> resolution is achieved by a combination of pixel count (image sensor resolution) and lens resolution.</p> <p>If the image sensor resolution is expressed as numbers such as 2048x1536, just multiply them out and divide by 1 million to get the resolution in megapixels. In this case, we get 3+ megapixels.</p> <p>Usually the higher the image sensor resolution, the better the image quality.</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top">Shooting Modes</td> <td width="63%" valign="top"> <p>The amount of control you have in choosing how your digital camera captures an image.</p> <p>All digital cameras usually have an Auto mode: the camera decides for you the best shutter speed/aperture settings.</p> <p>Shutter Priority: Allows you to decide the shutter speed (e.g. fast at 1/500 sec. for stop action photography, or slow at 2 sec. for night photography), and the camera decides the best aperture.</p> <p>Aperture Priority: Allows you to choose the aperture (e.g. large at F1.8 for portrait, of small at F16 for landscapes).</p> <p>Manual: You have complete creative control in selecting both the shutter and aperture.</p> <p>Scene Modes: Pre-set exposure control (shutter/aperture combination, plus other adjustments, such as white balance, exposure compensation, etc.) for various common picture situations, such as Night Scene, Portrait, Landscape, Action, etc.</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top"><a name="shutterlag"></a>Shutter Lag</td> <td width="63%" valign="top"> <p>The time elapsed between pressing the shutter release button and the camera actually taking the picture.</p> <p>A short shutter lag (around 1/2 sec. or less) is desirable since it allows you to take candid shots.</p> <p>A long shutter lag (around 1 sec. or more) means that you will find it difficult to capture the picture at the exact moment you desire (since the camera takes it one second or more after you depressed the shutter).</p> <p>Using the <a href="glossary.html#prefocus">pre-focusing technique</a> can help eliminate shutter lag that is due to the relatively long time that some digital cameras takes to lock focus.</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top">Shutter-Priority</td> <td width="63%" valign="top">Select the shutter speed and the camera chooses the best aperture. Use this mode to freeze fast moving action or emphasize motion. For example, select a fast shutter speed (e.g. 1/1,000 sec.) to freeze a cyclist zooming by. Or, select a slow shutter speed (e.g. 1/30 sec.) to capture the cyclist as a blur to emphasize the speed of the motion. </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top">Shutter Speed</td> <td width="63%" valign="top">The amount of time the shutter blades stay open to allow light into the camera. The longer the shutter stays open (e.g. 1/30 sec.), the more light; the shorter the shutter stays open (e.g. 1/1,000 sec.), the less light. Snapshots and action photography usually requires a fast shutter speed to freeze action; landscapes usually requires a small aperture for maximum depth of field, and hence a longer shutter speed for properly exposed pictures.</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top">Storage Media</td> <td width="63%" valign="top">The digital medium that replaces film. A number of competing storage media cards are offered, with the most common ones being CompactFlash (CF) and SmartMedia. [Sony uses its own proprietary Memory Stick, Olympus has introduced its proprietary xD-Picture Card.]</td> </tr> <tr> <td> </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top"> <p>Vibration Reduction</p> <p>(also:<br/> Anti-Shake<br/> Image Stabilization)</p> </td> <td width="63%" valign="top"> <p>see <a href="glossary.html#ois">Image Stabilization</a></p> <p>(Do not confuse with <em>electronic</em> Vibration Reduction that uses in-camera processing to sharpen the image)</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td> </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top">White balance</td> <td width="63%" valign="top"> <p>When a digital pictured is captured, it can be manipulated, either using a image editing software (such as Photoshop) on your computer, or right at the time of taking the picture in the digital camera. White balance refers to the ability to adjust colors based on white as a reference color to give as true a white as possible; in the process, all the other colors are also corrected. Some preset white balance settings are daylight, cloudy, tungsten, or fluorescent. Using white balance properly is essential in digital photography.</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="37%" valign="top"><a name="zoom"></a>Zoom, Optical vs. Digital vs. Total</td> <td width="63%" valign="top"> <p>Whereas an optical zoom uses the optics (lens) of the digital camera to move you closer to your subject, a digital zoom simply uses the existing image and enlarges it digitally.</p> <p>Enlarging the image digitally reduces picture quality, and should therefore usually be avoided. However, a judicious use of digital zoom may sometimes yield images that are of quite acceptable quality. So, use with caution.</p> <p>Some manufacturers label their lenses with the "total zoom" by multiplying the optical with the digital. Ignore total zoom claims because you can use any multiplier digital zoom you want in an image editing software. </p> <p>What is important when <i>comparing</i> digital cameras is the <i>optical</i> zoom. Digital zoom can always be achieved later in an image editing software, such as Photoshop, so should not really be a determining factor when choosing a digital camera.</p> <p>see <a href="article-optical-digital-zoom.html">Optical vs. Digital Zoom</a></p> </td> </tr> </table> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> </td> <td width="2"> </td> <td width="164" bgcolor="#eeeeee" valign="top"> <br/> <div align="center" class="normaltext"> <iframe name="apciframe" id="apciframe" style="width:125px;height:249px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458if_/http://affiliates.allposters.com/PosterStore/455454_PosterStore.asp" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"><a class="APCAnchor" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://affiliates.allposters.com/link/redirect.asp?AID=155933&PSTID=5<ID=16&TID1=11111111&lang=1">Buy Posters at AllPosters.com </a></iframe></div> <br/> <div align="center" class="normaltext">  <center> <script type="text/javascript"> e9 = new Object(); e9.size = "160x600,120x600"; e9.noAd = 1; </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458js_/http://tags.expo9.exponential.com/tags/Photoxels/ROS/tags.js"></script> </center>  </div> <p> </p>  <div align="center"> <script type="text/javascript"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458js_/http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> </div>  <p> </p>  <div align="center" class="normaltext"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.freetheslaves.net/" target="eS"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/Ads/Member_free%20the%20slaves%20logo_full.gif" border="0" alt="Free The Slaves" title="Free The Slaves"/></a><br/> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.mtdn.net/" target="eS">Make The Difference Network</a></div>  <p> </p>  <div align="center"> <script type="text/javascript"></script> <script src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458js_/http://scripts.chitika.net/eminimalls/mm.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> <p> </p> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/https://chitika.com/mm_overview.php?refid=photoxels" style="text-decoration: none;"> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458im_/http://scripts.chitika.net/eminimalls/logos/120x60.png" border="0" height="60" width="120" alt="Get Chitika eMiniMalls" title="Get Chitika eMiniMalls"/> </a></div> <br/>  </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <hr size="1" color="#000" noshade/> <table width="634" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" height="7"> <tr> <td width="634" height="60"> <script type="text/javascript"> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458js_/http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="5"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="16"> <table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="smalltext"> <tr> <td width="016" height="16" background="/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/trailer_bg_blue.gif"> </td> <td width="736" background="/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/trailer_bg_grey.gif" align="center"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/">Home</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/best-digital-cameras.html">Best Digital Cameras</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/digital-camera-reviews.html">Digital Camera Reviews</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/digital-photography-tutorials.html">Tutorials</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/special.html">Special</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/about.html">About</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/shop.html">Shop</a></td> <td width="016" valign="middle" background="/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.photoxels.com/images/trailer_bg_blue.gif"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="016" height="16" "> </td> <td width="736" align="center"> <p>Product technical specifications are as represented by the manufacturer<br/> and subject to manufacturer's change, so please do not rely on them without verification.<br/> All trademarks, service marks, and Copyrights are the property of their respective owners.<br/> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/privacy.html">Privacy Notice</a>. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.photoxels.com/about.html#copyright">Copyright</a> © 2002-2008 Photoxels. All rights reserved.<br/> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458/http://www.mauripress.com/" target="eS">Site Design by <b>mauripress.</b></a></p> </td> <td width="016"> </td> </tr> </table> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458js_/http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/link-enhancer?tag=photoxels-20"></script> <noscript><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458im_/http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/noscript?tag=photoxels-20" alt=""/></noscript> <script src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080220152458js_/http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"> _uacct = "UA-652958-1"; urchinTracker(); </script> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </body> </html>

CINXE.COM

Glossary of Digital Photography Terms - Photoxels