Glossary
A
- Ambient Light
- The natural light in a scene.
- Aperture
- The maximum size of the hole through which light enters the camera.
- Artifact
- Unwanted distortions in an image caused by image compression.
- Aspect Ratio
- The ratio between the width and height of an image.
B
- Bit
- The smallest unit of computer memory.
- Bitmap
- A method of storing information that maps an image pixel bit by bit.
- Byte
- A group of 8 bits, the basic unit of information for the computer.
C
- Chromatic Aberration
- A fringing effect around the edges, which is caused by the lens not focusing correctly.
- Color Depth
- The number of bits assigned to each pixel in the image and the number of colors that can be created from those bits.
D
- Depth of Field
- The distance between the nearest and farthest points that appear in sharp focus in a photograph.
- Digital Zoom
- A digital magnification of the center 50% of an image. Digital zooms increase the apparent image size by interpolation. They do not increase the amount of image information.
- DPI
- Dots per Inch. A measurement of the resolution of a digital photo or digital camera. The higher the number, the greater the resolution.
E
- EXIF
- Exchangeable Image File. This file format embeds camera and exposure information into the graphic file created by the camera.
- Exposure
- The length of time that the lens is open, allowing light to fall on the camera's image sensor.
F
- F-stop
- A numerical designation indicating the size of the aperture.
- Flash Mode
- The camera mode that determines how the internal flash is used in the photo.
- Focal Length
- The distance from a point where an image is formed (the focal point) to a point in or near the camera lens.