Questions about specific terms used within photography
1
vote
3answers
155 views
What does infinity focus mean and when should I use it?
All my lens have focus ring where at the end there's an infinity symbol. What does that mean? If I'm taking landscape shot and what everything from near to far to be in focus, do I use infinity? Or am ...
96
votes
3answers
16k views
What do all those cryptic number and letter codes in a lens name mean?
Then looking at a lens name there is a lot of acronyms in the name describing it's features (often specific to the manufacturer).
Examples, Nikon:
Nikon AF-S DX 16-85mm VR f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED
Nikon ...
8
votes
3answers
349 views
What do you call the technique for removing uninteresting parts of photo by combining two images?
I'm looking for the name of a technique to cut out an "uninteresting" part of a photograph. The example I'm thinking of is of a guy on the left of a photograph and a tower on the right. The middle ...
4
votes
2answers
3k views
What does the expression “V+F” (or “V&F”) mean on a photography web site?
I was reading comments on my photos posted at 500px.com (for example, at http://500px.com/photo/21988337 and http://500px.com/photo/21997241).
Read a few comments that say V+F or V&F, what are ...
6
votes
4answers
331 views
What is a “small” aperture?
It happens a lot. People refer to the aperture being small (or big!). By default does this imply a small opening of the iris (literal aperture), or a small f-value (how the aperture is measured, for ...
6
votes
4answers
2k views
What are the differences between a bridge camera and a D/SLR?
What are the differences between a bridge camera and a D/SLR?
2
votes
2answers
155 views
Subject out of center — what is correct term?
Composition which consists of placing the topic or main subject to the side and never in center of the picture: does that technique have a name?
1
vote
1answer
90 views
What is it called when a series of photos taken over a few days is made into a video clip?
I saw this on a National Geographic programs when they had recorded the sky for a few days and then make a few seconds long clip from it. What is this called?
12
votes
3answers
2k views
What is Micro Contrast?
What is micro contrast, and why is it important? How is it different than regular contrast?
Matt Grum mentioned it in his answer about larger-format cameras:
There are other advantages to medium ...
3
votes
3answers
209 views
What does it mean that a lens is x millimeters?
Every lens has different focal length in terms of millimeter so if I have a 100mm lens, what does that refer to? Does it mean the length of the lens itself is going to be 4 inches long, or does this ...
11
votes
7answers
811 views
Can someone give a simple explanation of ISO?
Can someone please explain to me what ISO means in the camera settings.
In an answer to a question about taking pictures at a dance party, I was told to use ISO 1600. What does that number really ...
12
votes
2answers
3k views
What is the difference between luminance and illuminance?
The more I read about this, the more confused I become. Illuminance, as I understand it, measured in lux, is the perceived brightness of light on a surface. It's what you'd measure with an incident ...
7
votes
3answers
330 views
What are ED elements?
I find that some lenses are indicated with the letters "ED", referring to some special type of lens element. What are ED elements, and what advantages do they bring?
Note that this question isn't ...
11
votes
5answers
2k views
What is “infinity focus”?
I have been reading a bit about astrophotography and the term infinity focus keeps coming up. What is infinity focus and how do you set the camera to infinity focus?
5
votes
4answers
442 views
Are 2 megapixels enough for HD resolution pictures?
HD pictures has 1920x1080 = 2073600 pixels = 2025 kilopixel = 1.98 megapixel.
Does this mean that we can take HD pictures with a 2 MP camera? If not, why not?
4
votes
3answers
509 views
What does “R” mean in Fujifilm's XF Fujinon lens names?
Fujifilm currently makes three lenses for their new X-Pro1 mirrorless camera system:
Fujinon XF18mmF2 R
Fujinon XF35mmF1.4 R
Fujinon XF60mmF2.4 R Macro
"Fujinon" is Fujifilm's lens division. The ...
4
votes
2answers
228 views
What is bracketing?
I have seen this term a lot and I was wondering what, in basic terms, what bracketing/autobracketing is.
Also, why would one want to 'bracket'?
P.S. - there are other questions asking what DoF and ...
6
votes
1answer
136 views
What is Colour Rendering Index (CRI)?
From this answer on white balancing a LED light I understood there's a thing called Colour Rendering Index (CRI). I understand it has something to do with how well lights reproduce the sun's colour ...
4
votes
5answers
664 views
What's the difference between exposure and shutter speed?
Is there a difference between exposure and shutter speed, or are the terms interchangeable? I read that "If you use a quick shutter speed, you can just raise the exposure to compensate." Is this ...
5
votes
2answers
244 views
What is term for the opposite of “Dragging the Shutter”?
My first helpful experiments with flash started after taking a seminar with Scott Kelby on the subject. I don't recall him mentioning dragging the shutter (but he may have). But, I do recall him ...
2
votes
4answers
190 views
What is “Dragging the Shutter”?
Ive heard this term of "dragging the shutter"
and was wondering what it means and why would i use it
Can anyone answer this?
3
votes
3answers
4k views
What does “the telephoto end” and “the wide angle end” of a zoom lens mean?
In the Canon Rebel T3i Manual, page 59, it's mentioned that "If you have a zoom lens, use the telephoto end to fill the frame with the subject from the waist up." Same note on page 61 and another one ...
13
votes
3answers
1k views
7
votes
4answers
376 views
What does IQ mean?
I see a lot of questions which mention IQ. The only meaning I know outside photography is "intelligence quotient" but obviously IQ has some other meaning here.
IQ is used for example in
"Lens with ...
6
votes
2answers
277 views
What does “workflow” mean?
I keep seeing the term "workflow" in relation to post-processing being used here and on other sites. What does it actually mean though?
To me it sounds like it means you do A, then B, then C every ...
13
votes
4answers
3k views
What is “100% crop?”
I use the term "100% crop" to mean a portion of a picture that has been cropped but not resized, but I have also seen some confusion around that term.
Is there an accepted definition for "100% ...
5
votes
5answers
301 views
What is it called when multiple photos are adjusted for further blending?
I have taken a series of noisy photos without a tripod.
I want one less noisy version, so I need average them down to one photo.
But details of the individual images do not exactly match, so that ...
5
votes
2answers
190 views
What is the difference between a lambda print (RA-4) and a color inkjet print?
I can't seem to find any good information about the differences between the lambda printing process (on RA-4 paper, also known as a C-prints or chromogenic color prints) and inkjet printing (also ...
28
votes
4answers
5k views
What is “angle of view” in photography?
I read on the Lens Buying Guide @ neocamera:
Focal-length determines the angle-of-view seen through a lens for a
given sensor-size. With a full-frame sensor a lens gives the same
angle-of-view ...
6
votes
2answers
2k views
What is CLA service?
I've seen the term used in used lens listings, e.g "recently CLA'd".
I have a few questions, but I think they're related enough to only warrant one post:
What does CLA stand for, and what is it?
...
11
votes
5answers
905 views
How can aperture be f/11 on a lens with an aperture range designation of 3.5-5.5?
I made a series of outdoor shots with Nikon D5000, with the 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6G VR kit lens.
On some shots, I see in the EXIF info f/11, and in another shot, f/9.
How can that be, that the f-number ...
9
votes
4answers
706 views
Why is sensor sensitivity called “ISO”?
I was curious to know how the term "ISO" was coined for referring the image sensor's sensitivity. Is there any reason or circumstance that contributed for terming "ISO"?
Also, does ISO has a literal ...
16
votes
4answers
491 views
What is ISO and how does it affect my photos
What is the ISO setting on my camera? What does it represent? What should I be aware of with regards to ISO when taking photographs
0
votes
1answer
181 views
What does ISO stand for? [duplicate]
I've recently been learning how to use a camera, and was wondering what ISO stood for?
9
votes
3answers
7k views
What is flat light and how to counter that?
I have often heard people saying that the light in the picture X is appearing "flat". I want to understand what exactly does that mean, and what are the possible ways to counter that?
6
votes
1answer
665 views
What does it mean to shoot in flat colors?
I read somewhere that you should shoot in "flat colors" to make it easy to work in post-production. What does "flat" mean?
7
votes
2answers
157 views
What does it mean to excite aliases?
I recently came across the phrase 'excited aliases.' The phrase seems to be related to lens sharpness in some way. While a web search turns up the phrase a few times, I am unable to locate a decent ...
12
votes
6answers
773 views
What makes “fine art” fine art?
I've always been shy to refer to any of my work as "fine art"... preferring instead to call it "still life". But I recently had an interesting conversation with an Art History major who said that my ...
3
votes
2answers
221 views
What is the difference between a “slave flash” and “master flash”?
My Nissin Di866 II flashgun supports operation in both "slave flash" and "master flash" mode. The former I know needs to be used with a Nikon DSLR's "Flash Commmander" mode.
What's the latter mode? ...
9
votes
2answers
789 views
What is a vertorama and is it really different from a panorama?
Is "vertorama" a real photography term, or is it simply something that people use to describe a vertical panorama? I never thought that panorama was limited to horizontal landscape oriented images, ...
6
votes
2answers
275 views
What is a kit lens?
I am new to photography and am looking to purchase my first DSLR or mirrorless camera. While reading Buying a digital SLR on Digital Photography Review the author keeps referring to the camera's kit ...
9
votes
2answers
840 views
What is the meaning of W and T on a camera's zoom buttons?
On every conventional digital camera (excluding the models with detachable lenses), there are buttons to zoom in and out with W side and T side.
When you press W, the lens zooms out. The lens zooms ...
3
votes
2answers
736 views
What does “Flat Field Focus” mean?
Looking at lenses, specifically sigma macro lenses, I noticed that it had a ""Flat Field" front lens element". What does this mean? And how is it different to the norm?
8
votes
3answers
642 views
How can a 24-70mm and a 10-22mm both be “wide angle” lenses?
I've been looking at a 10-22mm lens for my Canon T2i. I've also come across some other "wide angle" lenses, like the Sigma 24-70mm F2.8.
I don't understand how a wide angle lens can have such high ...
3
votes
2answers
156 views
Nikon Lenses: what is the difference between Micro/Macro vs non-Micro/Macro of the same focal length? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What is a macro lens?
What is the difference between a Nikon “Micro” lens and a “Macro” lens?
I know what macro photography is, but what makes a macro (or in Nikon's ...
1
vote
3answers
231 views
Is the angle of view actually different on APS-C?
A 50mm prime lens, whether APS-C or Full-frame is designed around the 35mm format. As such, is the angle of view actually different on a DX/APS-C crop sensor or are we just seeing less of the full ...
11
votes
2answers
486 views
What does the term “sneaker zoom” mean?
I saw the term used when describing the Canon 85mm f/1.8. What do they mean?
0
votes
0answers
108 views
The Best Title for my Skill Set [closed]
I'm about to branch off into the freelance world. I'm starting an LLC and I'd like some input on what I should title myself as the owner. For example "creative specialist" or "creative technician" or ...
4
votes
2answers
238 views
What does the term “saturation luminance” mean in the definition of dynamic range?
The concept behind the dynamic range definition given by ISO 15739 is based on the ratio of the maximum luminance that receives a unique coded representation （the "saturation" luminance) to the lowest ...
12
votes
2answers
463 views
Retrofocus lens? What's that?
I saw that in Why do some people prefer 50mm to 35mm prime lenses? , in @MattGrum's answer:
...
The 50mm is a simpler design compared to the retrofocus 35mm
...
What's retrofocus?
