Are you planning on buying a digital camera for yourself or a loved one this Christmas? Be an educated buyer — learn what all of the various digital photography-related terms actually mean. By brushing up on your vocabulary, you will be able to compare features and cameras and thus make a better decision when it comes time to purchase.
Digital Photography Terms
- Digital Zoom
- Digital zoom brings you closer to your subject by using software to enhance the field of view. A side effect of digital zoom is a noticeable reduction in image quality.
- Face Detection
- Instead of simply focusing on the closest thing in the frame, as most point-and-shoot digital cameras will do, face detection looks for and focuses on patterns that appear to resemble the human face. By having the subject’s face, and particularly their eyes in focus, you obtain a more striking photograph.
- LCD
- The display on the back of the camera that is used to compose and review photos.
- Image Stabilization (IS)
- A feature that increases sharpness in photos by counteracting motion blur caused by the photographer’s hand movement. Note: IS cannot prevent motion blur from a moving subject, nor blur from extremely exaggerated hand movements.
- ISO
- An ISO rating indicates how sensitive a digital photo sensor is to light. Low ISO numbers require slower shutter speeds, and produce sharp photos. Using a high ISO number enables a faster shutter speed, but produces a grainy, “noisey” photo. High ISO is often essential for taking indoor photos without flash. A camera rated at 3200 ISO will allow you to use a sensitivity from 50 or 100, all the way up to 3200.
- Macro Photography
- Cameras with macro capability can be used to take sharp, life-size photos of small subjects like insects and tiny flowers.
- Megapixel
- Digital photos are made up of small units called pixels. A megapixel is one million pixels. A camera with a small megapixel rating (say 1 or 2 mp) will produce photos that lack detail. Photos from a 6 or 7 megapixel camera are generally considered acceptable for large prints.
- Memory Card
- A removable storage device for recording digital photos. Many cameras come with a small amount of built-in storage, and require the purchase of an extra memory card in order to hold large amounts of photos.
- Noise
- Noise refers to the appearance of grain in a photograph, resulting in a loss of sharpness. Noise is a side effect of using high ISO numbers.
- Noise Reduction
- The use of software to increase sharpness and picture quality by reducing noise.
- Optical Zoom
- Optical zoom brings you closer to your subject by adjusting the elements inside the camera’s lens. Optical zoom produces image quality superior to digital zoom.
- PictBridge
- A technology that allows photo printing directly from camera to printer, without requiring the use of a computer.
- Shutter Lag
- The amount of time between the moment the photographer press the shutter button and when the camera actually begins taking the photograph. Long shutter lags cause missed photos.
- Telephoto
- A lens that brings you closer to a distant subject; good for use in sports and wildlife photography. Cameras manufacturers often use phrases like “4x zoom” or “10x zoom” to indicate telephoto capabilities. The larger the number, the closer you get to the subject.
- Vibration Reduction (VR)
- See Image Stabilization (IS).
- Wide Angle
- Have you ever looked through a camera’s viewfinder and noticed that the field of view appears farther away than when seen with the naked eye? You are looking through a wide-angle lens. Wide-angle lenses are popular for dramatic landscapes and indoor group photos.
