Common Digital Camera Terms
Learn the meanings of common digital photography words with this useful guide.
Charge-coupled device: The light-sensitive chip that most digital cameras use to capture images.
Dynamic range: The range of light over which a camera generates satisfactory output. A model with a wide dynamic range produces good-looking output in both the brightest and darkest areas of an image.
Focal length: A measure of the viewing angle of a lens. Wide-angle lenses, which capture broader vistas, have lower focal lengths than telephotos.
F-stop: A measure of the aperture opening of a lens. Lower f-stops denote larger apertures, which imply greater light-gathering ability and better performance under dim lighting.
LCD: A small color viewscreen that lets you preview subjects, navigate menus, and scroll through stored photographs.
Viewfinder: An eyepiece through which you can see an approximate view of the image that will be captured through the lens.
White balance: A camera setting that tints an image to compensate for subtle differences in the color of ambient light
