Glossary of Photography Terms
by Robert H. Jacobvitz
AF (Autofocus) - A lens focusing automatically on an object within the camera’s focusing sensors.
Aperture - The adjustable opening in a camera lens that controls the amount of light that reaches the sensor. The aperture is measured in f-stops.
Aperture Priority (AV) - A camera mode in which the photographer chooses the aperture (f-stop) and thereby controls depth of field. The camera then automatically sets the shutter speed.
Background- The area behind the subject.
Bokeh - The out of focus quality of a lens.
Bracketing - Making additional images with varying exposures.
Contrast - The apparent difference in brightness between lightest and darkest areas of an image.
Crop – The process of removing a portion of the image to magnify the subject and/or improve composition.
Cropped FOV - The FOV captured by a smaller than full frame sensor.
Depth of Field (DOF) - The distance between the farthest and nearest points which are in focus. The area with acceptable sharpness in front of and behind the subject on which the lens is focused.
DSLR - Digital SLR. See SLR.
Fast Lens - A lens with a wider maximum aperture that captures more light. In AF mode, a wider aperture results in a faster shutter speed.
Field of View (FOV) - The measure of the part of a scene that is visible with a given lens.
FF - Full frame.
Full Frame Sensor - A camera with a full frame sensor captures the same FOV that would be captured by a 35mm film camera using the same focal length lens. A camera with a full frame sensor is often referred to as a FF camera.
FOVCF - Field of view crop factor. The FOVCF is the multiplier to be applied to the rated focal length of a lens attached to a smaller than full frame sensor to determine the focal length equivalent of the lens when attached to the camera with the smaller sensor.
FLM - Focal length multiplier. FLM is a synonym for FOVCF.
F stop - The size of the aperture of the lens. An f stop of 2.8, for example, is referred to as f/2.8.
Foreground - The area between the camera and subject.
Histogram - A histogram is the digital equivalent of a light meter. It is a graphical display of the levels of shadows, midtones and highlights captured in the image.
JPEG - A digital image file format in which the file size is reduced by compression.
Over Exposure – Exposing the camera’s sensor to more light than desirable for a good image.
Polarizing filter – By affecting the direction light travels it controls glare and reflections and saturation of colors.
Prime Lens - A lens with a single, fixed focal length; not a zoom lens.
RAW - Use of the RAW image mode saves the data from a digital camera as it comes directly off the sensor with no or minimal in-camera processing.
Saturation - Relative richness of colors in a color image.
Sensor - The sensor is the device in a digital camera that captures the image. It is also known as an image sensor. Digital cameras use either a CMOS or CCD image sensor.
Shutter Priority (TV) - A camera exposure mode in which the photographer chooses the shutter speed. The camera sets the aperture.
SLR (Single Lens Reflex) - It refers to a camera in which looking through the viewfinder is also actually looking right through the lens.
Telephoto – This refers to the long end of the focal length range for lenses.
White Balance - A function on a digital camera that compensates for different colors of light being emitted by different light sources.
Wide angle - This refers to the shortest end of the focal length range for lenses.
Zoom Lens - A lens with a variable focal length which allows the photographer to adjust magnification.
Photography Guide Menu
Photography Overview | Glossary of Photography Terms | Selecting Photography Equipment | Photo Shooting Tips | Rule of Thirds | Advanced Photography | Advanced Photography 2
