Shutter release button- button you press to take your picture.
Zoom lens- a lens that can be adjusted from a wide angle to telephoto.
Aperture- a hole that can be adjusted in size to allow more or less light in to the camera. It is measured in f numbers and controls depth of field.
Shutter- controls the amount of time that light comes in to the camera to act on the film or digital sensor. It is measured in fractions of a second e.g. 60th of a second = 60th/sec.
Viewfinder- window you look through to see your picture.
LCD Screen- screen to view your images.
Zoom control- controls the zoom on your camera.
Flash-built in flash you can use in low light.
Memory card- removable card that stores your digital images. They come in different sizes of 16MB, 32MB, 64MB etc., the larger the number means the more images you can store.
Pixels- tiny blocks of colour that combine in their thousands to make up a digital image. They become visible to the eye when the size of your image is enlarged.
Resolution- the amount of detail in a digital image. It is measured in pixels per inch (ppi) or dots per inch (dpi). The image resolution from a 5 mega pixel camera will be better than from a 3 mega pixel camera.
How is a photograph made in my camera. Light from a scene passes through the lens of your camera and is focused on to either light sensitive film or a digital sensor. Film is coated with a type of silver that is light sensitive and so records the patterns of light, dark and colour. Digital uses a light sensitive imaging chip.
What's a Shutter. The button you press to take a photo opens a shutter briefly to let light reach the film or sensor. The time that it is open for is called the shutter speed and this time is measured in fractions of a second. Most photographs are taken at shutter speeds of between 60th - 125th of a second.
What's an Aperture. This is basically an opening at the back of the lens that can be adjusted in size to leave different amounts of light in to the camera. Aperture is measured in fractions called f-numbers. By changing the aperture you also change what parts of your scene are in sharp focus, referred to as depth of field. The smallest aperture setting on your lens (e.g. f22) gives you the 'longest' depth of field meaning what is nearest and furthest from you in the scene will be in focus. The widest aperture (e.g. f2.8) on the other hand gives you the shortest so the only the middle ground area will be sharpest in focus.
How does my camera measure exposure. Exposure refers to the amount of light reaching the film or sensor when you take a photograph. Correct exposure depends on a combination of the shutter speed and aperture. You get more light when you use a slow shutter speed (30th/sec) and a wide aperture (f2). Therefore a faster shutter speed (500th/sec) and a smaller aperture (f22) gives you less light. Your camera will have a built in light metering system that can work out automatically the correct exposure. Programme settings on your camera such as landscape, portraiture and sport have pre set combinations of aperture and shutter speed to best suit these types of shooting situations. Most cameras except disposable and point and shoot compacts cameras will allow you to set the exposure manually and therefore give you more variety to select setting to suit different conditions. |
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