Aberration

A distortion of image quality or color rendition in a photographic image caused by optical limitations of the lens used for image […]

Achromat

A term applied to a lens that has been corrected for chromatic aberration so that it brings light rays of two colours […]

ADC

ADCADC Analogue-Digital Converter. Hardware that converts analogue information into digital data. More Analogue-Digital Converter. Hardware that converts analogueOpposite of digital. Analogue data […]

Additive colour mixing

Describes a colour system that is based upon the addition of the three additive primary colours (red, green and blue). For example, colour televisions and computer monitor displays use the principle of additive colour mixing.

Adobe RGB

A widely accepted color space that encompasses a wider range of color than the more commonly used sRGBThe standard colour gamut for […]

AF Metering Field

Spot or area in the frame marking the position where the autofocusAutofocus (AF) is an optical system that uses a sensor, a […]

Analogue

Opposite of digital. AnalogueOpposite of digital. Analogue data merges continuously into each other without clearly defined steps. (E.g. the colours of a rainbow are […]

Anastigmat

An anastigmatAn anastigmat lens is one in which all optical defects, including astigmatism, have been corrected in the design. The first of […]

Aperture

The aperture is basically a hole in the camera’s lens that lets light pass through it to the shutterEither mechanical and/or electronic shutters are possible. Mechanical systems can use a leaf (or iris) shutter or curtain shutter. In digital cameras a third alternative is also possible: the electronic shutter. This works by activating and then deactivating the CCD so that no further light can be […]

Aperture Priority

In this mode, the user can adjust the aperture and the camera automatically selects the best shutter speed to match it. In most cameras, the Aperture Priority mode is usually denoted by the letter ‘A’. Most film SLRsA single-lens reflex camera (SLR) is a camera that typically uses a mirror and prism […]

APS

Advanced Photo System film is a discontinued film format first made in 1996. Kodak sold APS film under the brand name Advantix, […]

Aspect Ratio

The aspect ratioThe aspect ratio is the relationship between an image’s height and width. Aspect ratios are more often written with the […]

Autofocus

AutofocusAutofocus (AF) is an optical system that uses a sensor, a control system and a motor to focus on an automatically or […]

Back Button Focus

Back button focusBack button focus is a technique used in photography that separates the focusing and shutter release functions on a digital […]

Blooming

A bloomed lens is one that has had one or more of its air/glass surfaces coated with a thin film of metallic […]

Bokeh

An English transliteration of a Japanese word that means “haze” or “blur.” Pronounced boh-keh, it refers to the out-of-focus areas in a photograph with […]

Bridge Camera

The bridge camera is a form factor that is between a point-and-shoot and a DSLRA digital single-lens reflex camera (digital SLR or […]

Bulb

Bulb mode/setting (B) is a shutter speedThe time a camera sensor or film is exposed to light when taking a photo. More […]

CCD

A CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) is an integrated circuit containing an array of linked or coupled capacitors and it is one of two […]

CLA

The term ‘Clean, Lubricate, Adjust’ (CLA’d) is used mostly for cameras but also for lenses. It is often abbreviated to CLAThe term […]