Terms & Definitions

135 Film A still-picture film format derived from motion picture film.

A1 an ISO 216 standard paper size of 59.4 x 84.1 cm (23.4 x 33.1 in.)

A2 an ISO 216 standard paper size of 42.9 x 59.4 cm (16.9 x 23.4 in.)

Adapt A-Matic Mount A universal screw thread lens mount system introduced in 1966 by Tamron. Screw-mount Adapt A-Matic lenses are attached to various SLR cameras through the use of an Adapt A-Matic screw to bayonet mount adapter.

Adaptall Mount A universal bayonet lens mount system introduced in 1973 by Tamron. Bayonet-mount Adaptall lenses are attached to various SLR cameras through the use of an Adapt A-Matic bayonet to bayonet mount adapter.

Adobe RGB (1998) A color space developed by Adobe Systems in 1998 as a working color space which encompasses most of the colors printable with the CMYK process using RGB primaries. Adobe ’98 is also used in many professional cameras as a capture space.

AF Lens A Nikon F-mount lens type introduced in 1986, based on the AI-S lens, and containing a focus coupling on the lens mount to allow a motor within the camera body to adjust the focus automatically. This was the first series of lenses to dispense with the meter-coupling prong, which could be retrofitted for use with pre-AI cameras.

AF-D Lens A Nikon F-mount lens type introduced in 1992, based on the AF lens, but including distance information to improve performance when using flash.

AF-I Lens A Nikon F-mount lens type introduced in 1992 which features an internal motor. Unlike AF-S lenses, which feature an internal SWF (silent-wave motor), these are professional-grade super telephoto lenses designed for professional bodies.

AF-S Lens A Nikon F-mount lens type introduced in 1998, based on the AF-D lens, that incorporates a an internal silent wave motor. These lenses are compatible with entry-level bodies which do not incorporate a focusing motor and coupling.

AI Lens A Nikon F-mount lens type introduced in 1977 which features automatic indexing of the aperture. AI lenses can be distinguished by a coupling ridge on the bottom of the aperture ring, an ADR (aperture-direct readout) scale beneath the full-size aperture scale, and two extra holes in the metering prong.

AI-P Lens A Nikon F-mount lens type introduced in 1988, based on the AI-S lens but including the chip and corresponding electrical contacts of an AF lens to allow matrix metering and auto exposure modes on AF cameras.

AI-S Lens A Nikon F-mount lens type introduced in 1981 that is an AI lens with a linearized diaphragm mechanism to improve performance, especially on autofocus cameras. AI-S lenses can be distinguished by the smallest aperture (usually f/16 or f/22) appearing in orange on the aperture or ADR scale.

AOV Angle of view. Typically used to describe the field of view of a lens. In the 35mm format, a “normal” lens with a focal length of 50mm typically has an angle of view of 46°, while a wide angle lens (35mm) and telephoto lens (135mm) have angles of view of 63° and 18° respectively.

APO Apochromat, or Apochromatic. The designation given to an apochromatic lens.

achromatic lens A lens which is corrected to bring two wavelengths (typically red and blue) into focus in the same plane.

AP-70 Agfa’s designation for a chromogenic film development process used to process color negative (print) and chromogenic black and white negative (print) films.

apochromatic lens A lens with a better correction of chromatic and spherical aberration than more common lenses known as achromats. Unlike achromats, they are designed to bring all three wavelengths (red, green and blue) into focus in the same plane. This type of lens uses optical glass with special dispersive qualities such as fluoro-crown glasses, flint glasses and sometimes even liquids suspended between glass elements. Often designated “APO”.

bokeh The aesthetic quality of the blur in out-of-focus elements within a photograph, determined by the optical elements of a lens and its aperture shape. From the Japanese word boke, meaning “blur” or “haze”.

BW400CN A high-speed chromogenic black and white film manufactured by Kodak, available in ISO 400. BW400CN is processed in widely-available C-41 chemistry.

C-41 A chromogenic film development process used to process color negative (print) and chromogenic black and white negative (print) films.

CN-16 Fujifilm’s designation for a chromogenic film development process used to process color negative (print) and chromogenic black and white negative (print) films.

camera profile (also, capture profile, input profile) The color space to which an image is captured and stored by either a camera, scanner, or other capture device.

Canon EF-Mount A non-breech lock bayonet lens mount introduced in 1987 along with the Canon EOS 650 autofocus 35mm SLR. EF series lenses have no mechanical coupling between the lens and the camera body, employing electrical contacts for both aperture and focus control, along with a dedicated electric motor.

Canon EF-S-Mount A non-breech lock bayonet lens mount introduced in 2003 with a 1.6 crop factor, strictly for use with digital SLR cameras that employ sub full-frame sensors.

Canon FD-Mount A breech-lock bayonet lens mount introduced in 1971 along with the Canon F-1 SLR. The breech-lock system reduces wear on mating surfaces.

Canon FL-Mount A breech-lock bayonet lens mount introduced in 1964 along with the Canon FX camera. The breech-lock system reduces wear on mating surfaces.

Canon R-Mount A breech-lock bayonet lens mount introduced in 1959 along with the Canonflex, Canon’s first 35mm SLR. The breech-lock system reduces wear on mating surfaces.

catadioptric lens A Telephoto lens design which employs two mirrors in conjunction with refractive elements to extend the optical path, while reducing size, weight and cost compared to a refractive lens of the same focal length. Also known as “reflex” or “mirror” lenses, catadioptric lenses tend to be free from the effects of chromatic aberration, and exhibit a unique donut-shaped bokeh.

chimping CHeck IMage Preview. The practice of inspecting the LCD of a digital camera directly after image capture in order to check composition, exposure or to confirm that the desired image has be successfully captured. Often used as a substitute for metering, especially when using newer Nikon bodies with older manual focus lenses for which metering is disabled.

chromogenic A type of photographic film or paper which uses one or more layers of silver halide which react with dye couplers to form visible dyes.

chromogenic black & white film A type of black and white film which is processed with widely-available C-41 chemistry, typically used to process color negative film. Available from Kodak as BW400CN, and Ilford as XP2. Fujifilm’s version, Neopan 400CN, is not available in the US.

close-up lens Used in macro photography primarily with longer lenses, a secondary or supplementary lens that increases magnification and shortens minimum focusing distance at the expense of losing infinity focus. Close-up lenses affect image quality, but do not add to exposure times.

Contax C-Mount A bayonet lens mount standard developed for the original Contax I rangefinder. The similar Nikon S-Mount is a copy of the Contax C-Mount with a slightly different flange to film-plane distance, making some lens/camera combinations incompatible.

Contax G-Mount A bayonet lens mount developed in 1994 for the Contax G series autofocus rangefinders. The G-Mount is an all-electronic mount with no mechanical coupling to the camera.

Contax/Yashica (C/Y) Mount A bayonet lens mount standard introduced in 1975 for a new line of Contax SLR cameras, and shared with Yashica cameras.

contract proof A color proof that is usually considered to be a contract between the printer and the client as the final proof before going to press.

CLA cleaning, lubrication and adjustment.

CR-56 Fujifilm’s designation for a chromogenic film development process used to process color reversal (slide) film.

dead pixel A defective pixel, either on an image sensor or liquid crystal display, which is always off and thus appears black.

defective pixel A pixel, either on an image sensor or liquid crystal display, which is classified as “hot”, “dead” or “stuck”.

developing-out paper A type of photographic printing paper in which exposure to light forms an invisible “latent” image, which is then made visible by immersing the paper in a chemical “developer”, and made permanent by “fixing” in a second chemical bath.

Diana An inexpensive plastic camera manufactured in Hong Kong in the early sixties, and exported to the US and UK as a novelty gift item. Modern reproductions known as the Diana+ have been popularized by the Lomogoraphy movement and have subsequently achieved a cult status.

didymium A mixture of the elements praseodymium and neodymium, used in Hoya’s “Intensifier” filter, Tiffen’s “Enhancing” filter and others, for its natural tendency to enhance autumn foliage. When added to glass, these elements suppress a portion of the orange region of the color spectrum, which tend to make fall colors look “muddy”. Pronounced “dīˈdimēəm” the word originates from the Greek term for “twin element”.

diffraction The loss of sharpness or resolution caused by light being dispersed as it passes through a small aperture. Smaller apertures produce sharper images by increasing depth of field, up to the point where the softening effects of diffraction offset the gain in sharpness. Optimum aperture usually occurs from 2 stops above maximum aperture to about f/8.

DOF Depth of field. The area of sharp focus from foreground to background in a photo, as determined by aperture size.

dye destruction A photographic printing process in which pre-existing dyes within the emulsion are destroyed during processing, rather than formed as in the chromogenic process. The dye destruction process is known for its intesse colors and archival qualities. Ilfochrome is the only remaining widely available dye-destruction process.

E-6 A chromogenic film development process used to process color reversal (slide) film.

E-Series Lens A series of Nikon F-mount lenses beginning in 1979 noted for their high-quality, economical design and construction. E Series lenses contained some plastic components, and were not issued under the NIKKOR brand.

ED Glass Extra-low Dispersion Glass. A special type of glass used to reduce secondary chromatic aberration in telephoto lenses.

edge burning The practice of darkening the edges of a photo print to offset the effect of flaring caused by mounting or over matting with a white board. Edge burning helps to keep the viewer engaged by preventing their eyes from drifting out of the composition.

EOS Electro-Optical System. The three-letter designation given to the line of autofocus 35mm film and digital SLR camera system introduced in 1987 by Canon. Chosen for Eos, the Titan Goddess of dawn in Greek mythology.

extension tube Used in macro photography primarily with shorter lenses, a hollow tube without optics that extends the distance between the rear of the lens and the film plane. Increases magnification and shortens minimum focusing distance at the expense of losing infinity focus. Extension tubes add to exposure times, but do not affect image quality.

Ektachrome A range of color reversal (slide) film manufactured by Kodak and developed using the E-6 process. Ektachrome film uses integral dye couplers within the emulsion, unlike Kodachrome in which the dyes are added during the development process. It also has a higher resistance to fading during projection than Kodachrome.

EV Exposure Value. The exposure setting of the camera representing equivalent combinations of aperture and shutter. For example, at ISO 100, EV14 is equivalent to both f/8 and 1/250 sec, and f/11 at 1/125 sec. EV15 is equivalent to f/16 at 1/125, hence the Sunny 16 rule, whereby the shutter speed is the reciprocal of of the ISO value.

EVF Electronic viewfinder. A eye-level viewfinder which uses a miniature LCD display which derives its signal directly from the sensor for through-the-lens viewing. Essentially an electronic replacement for the mirror, mirror box, pentaprism or pentamirror and other components typically found in a single-lens reflex camera.

EVIL Electronic viewfinder interchangeable lens. Also known as the “mirrorless” digital camera, it replaces the mirror, mirror box and pentaprism with and electronic viewfinder for through-the-lens composition.

fisheye lens A special-purpose, super wide angle lens, with a typical angle of view of 180°. A fisheye lens can be circular, in which case its projection forms a circular image on the sensor or film, or full-frame, in which case the circular image is cropped by the frame, with the extreme corners depicting the widest angle of view.

flatness of field How the image sharpness varies from the center of the image to the edge.

foot zooming Moving toward and away from the subject in order to change its size in the composition.

FOV Field of view. The total image area a lens is capable of capturing.

Fujicolor A range of color negative (print) film manufactured by Fujifilm and developed using the C-41 or CN-16 process. Available in four different emulsions as Fujicolor 100 (general purpose), Superia (Vivid), Reala (neutral), and Pro (neutral, high contrast, high lattitude.)

Fujichrome A range of color reversal (slide) film manufactured by Fujifilm and developed using the E-6 or CR-56 process. Available in four different emulsions as Velvia (vivid), Provia (neutral), Astia (low contrast), and Sensia (low contrast).

G Lens A Nikon F-mount lens, based on the AF-S AF-S, that does away with the aperture ring, as all current camera bodies control the aperture electronically, although they still couple to the lens mechanically.

gigabit image An ultra-high resolution digital image composed of multiple smaller images “stitched” together through image editing software.

gobo Acronym for GOes Before Optics. In theatrical lighting, a device to control the shape of emitted light, which is essentially a piece of material with patterned holes placed between the light source and its optics in order to maintain sharp focus. In photography, an antiquated term for a “flags” or “cookies”, devices used to block light or create a shadows by placing them between the light source and the area being illuminated.

grid spot (also, grid). A device constructed of tubes arranged in a honeycomb configuration which is attached to the front of a flash unit to restrict light to a narrow beam. More compact than a snoot.

Holga A 120 film plastic camera introduced in China in 1981 as an inexpensive, mass-market camera for the working-class Chinese, which has been popularized by the Lomography movement and has subsequently achieved cult status.

hot pixel A defective pixel, either on an image sensor or liquid crystal display, which is always on and thus appears white.

ICC Abbreviation for International Color Consortium.

IF Internal Focus. A lens design in which only some of the internal elements move during focusing, rather than the entire lens barrel.

IS Image Stabilization. A system in which one of the lens elements is moved to counteract the effects of camera movement.

J-Mount An M39 screw thread lens mount used in early Canon Cameras. The J-Mount uses a 39mm diameter thread with a pitch of 24 turns-per-inch.

K-14 A chromogenic film development process used to process Kodachrome color reversal (slide) film.

Kodachrome A range of color reversal (slide) film manufactured by Kodak until June 2009 and developed using the K-14 process. Kodachrome film does not employ dye couplers within the emulsion, resulting in thinner layers and thus sharper images. It also has a superior archival qualities to Ektachrome, although it is susceptible to fading during projection.

L*a*b* An opponent-color space which separates colors into separate channels for luminosity and chromaticity. L*a*b* is a close cousin of the RGB color space, and can be used to achieve processing objectives not possible in other color spaces. Color is represented by the opponent channels a (green/magenta) and b (yellow/blue), while luminosity is represented by L. Because luminosity can be adjusted independently of hue and saturation, colors can be achieved that are theoretically impossible.

LCD Liquid crystal display. A back lit color display used to view photos, and in many instances as a substitute for an optical viewfinder when taking photos.

Leica M-Mount A bayonet lens mount standard introduced by Leica in 1954 along with the Leica M3 Rangefinder, also used in the Minolta CLE and Konica Hexar RF and current models Leica M9, Leica M7, Zeiss Ikon and Voigtländer Bessa rangefinders.

Lomo LC-A A manual-focus, automatic exposure camera manufactured in Russia as a copy of the Cosina CX-2, popularized by the Lomography movement.

Lomography A casual, “shoot from the hip” style of photography using inexpensive, instamatic, point-and-shoot or “toy” cameras. Lomographic photos incorporate such “Lo-Fi” characteristics as saturated colors, high contrast, soft focus, chromatic aberration, film grain, and vignetting. The origin of the term originates from the former state run optics manufacturer LOMO PLC of Saint Petersburg, Russia. Lomography is also the commercial trademark of Lomographische AG, Austria, a company specializing in photographic products and services.

long photo A short video clip with photographic qualities, often taken with a video-enabled DSLR.

lp/mm Linear Pairs per Millimeter. A measurement of lens resolution which is half of the lw/mm.

lw/mm Line Widths per Millimeter. A measurement of lens resolution which is double the lp/mm.

lp/ih Line Pairs per Image Height A measurement of system (lens/sensor) resolution which is the product of lens resolution and sensor or film frame height.

LV Light Value. The measurement of light reflecting from an object.

M39 Mount A screw thread lens mount used primarily for Leica rangefinder cameras, and also for enlargers. The Leica mount, also known as the LTM, has a 39mm diameter thread with a pitch of 26 turns-per-inch (Whitworth) approximately 0.977mm. Soviet cameras used a similar mount with a pitch of  1mm, while early Canon cameras used a pitch of 24 tpi, called the J-Mount.

M42 Mount A screw thread lens mount standard developed in 1949 and introduced with the Contax S 35mm SLR. The M42 Mount uses a 42mm diameter thread with a pitch of 1mm, making it incompatible with Tamron’s T-Mount system, with which it shares the same thread diameter. Also known as the Praktica Thread Mount, Universal Thread Mount and Pentax Thread Mount.

MC Multicoated. A lens design with several different lens coatings to minimize flaring, ghosting, and improve light transmission.

mirrorless camera A digital camera which does not employ an optical reflex viewfinder, mirror, mirror box, pentaprism or pentamirror. Usually reserved for micro four thirds or APS-C sensor cameras with interchangeable lenses.

MR-9 An adapter used to convert a 386 1.5V silver oxide battery for use in older cameras and light meters that use the now outlawed PX625, PX13, PX675, or RM400R mercury battery. The adapter not only alters the physical size of the battery, but also drops the voltage from 1.5V to 1.35V to assure meter accuracy.

MTF Modulation Transfer Function. A measurement of lens resolution.

Nikon F-Mount A bayonet lens mount standard developed by Nikon in by 1959 for its SLR cameras. Noted for its longer 46.5mm flange to focal-plane distance, making it impossible to adapt Nikon bodies to other lens systems without addition optical elements. However, Nikkor lenses themselves are easily adapted to other bodies. The Nikon F-Mount is still in use today and is well known for its forward and backward compatibility, having survived four lens mount changes by Canon.

Nikon S-Mount A bayonet lens mount standard developed for Nikon Rangefinder cameras (Nikon I, Nikon M, Nikon S, Nikon S2), which is essentially a copy of the Contax C-Mount, but having a slightly different flange to film-plane distance  making some lens/camera combinations incompatible.

the Nikon shuffle On the Nikon F2, the practice of turning the aperture ring on the lens back and forth to the lowest aperture and then to the largest aperture to assure that the lens is properly coupled with the Photomic head (viewfinder).

nitrate film A highly flammable film whose base is made from cellulose nitrate, the main ingredient in smokeless gunpowder. Nitrate film is self-decomposing and prone to spontaneous combustion. It was commonly used as movie film, including 35mm.

output profile The color profile of a destination device, such as a printer, color display or film recorder.

OVF Optical Viewfinder. An optical device for estimating the composition of the image to be taken, and in the case of a single-lens reflex camera, for previewing focus and depth of field free of the affects of parallax.

parallax The apparent displacement of an image viewed through a non-TTL viewfinder.

pellicle mirror A fixed, semi-transparent mirror used in place of a movable mirror in an SLR camera to increase the frame rate of fast sequence shooting, and eliminate finder blackout during exposure.

Pentax K-Mount A bayonet lens mount standard developed in 1975 for its SLR cameras.

photog Abbreviation for photographer.

photograph An image captured with a camera that possesses some sort of creative, historical or thought-provoking significance.

Photomic The designation given to the Nikon F2 when fitted with viewfinders (heads) that incorporate light meters.

premedia The term that is used in the design, creative and publishing industries for the processes and procedures that occur between the conception of original artwork and the manufacturing of final output channel.

printing-out paper A type of photographic printing paper in which exposure to light produces a visible  image directly, which is then made permanent by “fixing” in a chemical bath.

ProPhoto RGB A color space developed by Kodak with a large gamut able to store 90% of possible colors in the CIE L*a*b* color space. ProPhoto is specifically designed as a working space to meet the requirements of professional photographers using a wide assortment of capture devices.

psuedo TLR A variant of the twin-lens reflex camera in which the focus is fixed and the separate optical system for the viewfinder used only for composition.

pull processing The intentional under development of film to compensate for over exposure in the camera in order to decrease a film’s sensitivity. Pull processing decreases contrast, saturation and grain, and may result in color shifts.

push processing The intentional over development of film to compensate for underexposure in the camera in order to increase a film’s sensitivity. Sometimes referred to as uprating. Push processing increases contrast, saturation and grain, and may result in color shifts.

PX625 A very common type of 1.35V mercury oxide battery used in many cameras released during the sixties and seventies, discontinued when batteries containing mercury were outlawed in the United States. It has since been replaced by the inexpensive Wein MRB625 Zinc-Air battery.

RF Rear Focusing. A lens design in which only the rear elements are used in focusing, rather than the entire lens barrel.

redscale The practice of loading film into a camera with the emulsion side facing backwards, in order to expose the film’s red layer first, resulting in a strong shift toward red. Often used in lomography.

refractive lens A lens design which employs one or more elements which converge or diverge the light that they transmit. Compare with catadioptric lenses, which also employs a system of mirror to reduce the number or size of refractive elements.

Rembrandt lighting A lighting technique used in portrait photography in which the key light is placed high and to one side in front of the subject, and the fill light, approximately half the power of the key light, placed at half-height on the opposite side at the front. Rembrandt lighting is characterized by the inverted triangle that appears below the eye on the side of the face opposite the key light.

safety film A fireproof film whose base is composed of acetate, rather than nitrate. All modern films are safety film.

SC Single coated. A lens design in which only one coating is employed to reduce flaring, ghosting and to improve light transmission.

SLR Single-lens reflex. A type of camera which incorporates a movable (and in some cases semi-transparent fixed) mirror that redirects the image from the taking lens to the viewfinder for through-the-lens composition. Eliminates parallax error and allows depth of field preview.

snapshot An image captured with a camera which casually and informally documents everyday life.

stuck pixel A defective pixel, either on an image sensor or liquid crystal display, which is stuck in either an on (white) or off (black) condition.

sRGB Standard RGB, a color space developed in 1996 jointly by HP and Microsoft, to be the standard color space for computer displays, desktop color printers, capture devices, and the web. sRGB can be considered both a a capture (camera, input) and output profile.

spherochromatism The variation of spherical aberration with color of light.

sprocket hole A style of photography where 35mm film is exposed in such a way as to capture the image across the entire surface of the film, including the area where the sprocket holes exist. This is often achieved by loading film into a camera which normally accepts wider film stock, such as 120 format film. It can also be used to re-purpose vintage cameras for which film stock is no longer available.

snoot A long, hollow tube attached to the front of a flash to restrict light to a narrow beam. Less complex than a grid spot.

Sunny 16 Rule A means to determine the correct exposure value for sunny lighting conditions of LV15, which correspond to an EV of 15. EV15 is equivalent to an aperture of f/16 at a shutter speed that is the reciprocal of the ISO film speed being used. For ISO 100 film, the combination of f/16 at 1/125 sec would yield the correct exposure on a sunny day.

tagged The condition in which an ICC color profile has been embedded within an image file, in order to instruct the host application how to interpret its color based in the color space in which it exists.

telecentric A lens design in which the aperture is placed at one of its focal points, in order to generate rays which are parallel to the optical center of the lens. In lens designs optimized for D-LSRs, the len’s exit “pupil” (aperture) is said to occur at infinity, and the light rays exiting the lens strike the sensor surface at zero angle of incidence (“straight on”), minimizing vignetting and color crosstalk caused by the recessed photosites.

TLR Twin-lens reflex. A camera design which uses a separate optical system as a viewfinder, mimicking the taking lens in such a way as to preview both composition and focusing information.

T-MAX A panchromatic black and white film manufactured by Eastman Kodak, available in speeds of 100, 400 and 3200 ISO. T-MAX P3200 is actually a multi-speed film with a nominal speed of ISO 800. T-MAX can be processed with T-MAX, T-MAX RS, XTOL, D-76, HC-110 and DURAFLO RT developers.

T-Mount A screw thread lens mount system developed by Tamron in 1957 for a line of aftermarket camera lenses designed to fit a variety of camera through the use of an adapter known as a T-Mount Adapter.  Its flange to focal plane distance of 55mm makes it compatible with a wide range of cameras. However, since it uses a 42mm diameter thread with a 0.75mm pitch, it is incompatible with the M42-Mount system.

Tri-X A high-speed black and white film manufactured by Eastman Kodak, available in speeds of ISO 400 (35mm and 120) and ISO 320 (sheet film.) Tri-X can be processed with T-Max, T-Max RS, XTOL, HC-110, D-76, Microdol-X, DK-50 and Duraflo RT developers.

TTL Through-the-lens. A term used describe the characteristics of a single-lens-reflex camera viewfinder, or exposure metering performed from light gathered by the taking lens.

TTV Through-the-viewfinder. A creative form of photography in which the image is captured by photographing it through the viewfinder of another camera, typically a psuedo-TLR.

VR Vibration Reduction. A system in which one of the lens elements is moved to counteract the effects of camera movement.

waterhouse stop A device used for controlling the entry of light into a camera, consisting of a plate with a single hole or several holes of varying sizes. The plate with the desired aperture is inserted into the lens, or a mechanism operated to slide the appropriately-sized hole into place. Invented by the 19th century photographer, John Waterhouse in 1858.

working space A standardized color space to which an image is converted for post-processing.

XP2 A high-speed chromogenic Black & White film manufactured by Ilford, available in ISO 400. XP2 is processed in widely-available C-41 chemistry.

X-Pro Abbreviation for Cross-Process, the practice of processing film in an alternate chemistry to obtain special false-color effects. Color reversal (transparency) film, normally processed E-6 is processed C-41, while color negative film, normally processed C-41, is processed E-6.


No comments:

Post a Comment