What Do Photography Acronyms Mean? (part 2 Of 2)
In part one of this article, we discussed the first three of six acronyms that you're sure to run into when in the market for a new camera: DSLR, HDR, and ISO.
In this second and final part, we'll cover another three, ensuring you hit the ground running with your photography once you've made your choice.
RAW
RAW isn't an acronym, but it's important nevertheless. It's a method of capturing 'raw' data, as opposed to standard JPEGs. Used by professional photographers, it can result in higher quality images. But taking the photo is only the first step.
Once you've pressed the shutter, your picture is captured as a RAW file and left alone. No automatic processing (saturation, brightness, white balance etc.) or compression is applied, as it automatically would be if shooting a JPEG.
The outcome is a considerably bigger file that you can process yourself on a computer. So, what's the point? The level of potential detail in a RAW image becomes clearer and more impressive when compared with a JPEG.
RAW files give you 16-bit images to work with, whereas JPEG images are restricted to 8-bit. That's the difference between 65,536 levels and 256 levels of brightness, from black to white.
This is helpful, not only for producing higher quality images, but for bringing out the best in scenes where there is cloud, shade, or mixed sources of lighting, or where underexposure might occur. The captured RAW file contains all the detail and it's just a case of revealing it when you edit the image.
Compare this to shooting JPEGs; the levels are determined by the camera as soon as the shot is captured and the JPEG is then compressed. This makes the chances of recovering or rectifying features such as white balance difficult, if not impossible.
CMOS and CCD
Complementary Metal Oxide Semi-Conductors (CMOS) and Charge Coupled Devices (CCD) are two types of image sensor that convert light into electrons; they then read the electrons' values and turn them into a digital image. In a nutshell, they transform what you see through your lens into a JPEG or RAW file.
CCDs were widely considered superior, providing high-quality images with low noise levels. CMOS sensors, although they use considerably less power, were always susceptible to noise.
However, CMOS has recently become much more widespread because such sensors can now take care of image-processing tasks such as analog-to-digital conversion and noise reduction.
That's not to say that CCDs don't have any advantages, particularly when it comes to panning while shooting and capturing fast-moving objects. They use a global shutter that captures an entire frame in one go, whereas a CMOS records what it sees line by line, resulting in the possibility of distorted moving objects.
You'll probably see a CMOS sensor in the camera you choose. Why? It's because of improvements in performance, low power consumption and size.
EXIF
Exchangeable Image File Format contains metadata about your photo that is recorded as you shoot with a digital camera. The format is common with JPEGs and TIFFs, but not with RAW files, although there are equivalents.
The data includes the date and time your photo was taken (the time zone is not noted); camera settings such as model, aperture, shutter speed, and focal length; and descriptions and copyright information.
This information comes in handy when reviewing your photography. If you're examining a shot and aren't happy with something, check the EXIF data to see exactly what your camera's settings were and tweak them for future shots.
Other settings include a thumbnail of the shot itself, plus GPS information. The former enables you to preview on the camera's LCD screen and the latter to tag the location of your photo. It's possible on some cameras and most smartphones.
The newest photo editing software and many image gallery programs also recognise EXIF data. In fact, even if you edit your photo and save it under a different name, the data will normally remain intact.
When it comes to buying a camera, the sheer amount of choice makes the process difficult enough. But when acronyms and terms start being thrown at you left, right and centre, finding the right camera becomes even more challenging.
Armed with an understanding of six of the most common and important acronyms you're likely to hear about, you'll be better prepared than most to ensure you make the right purchase.
In this second and final part, we'll cover another three, ensuring you hit the ground running with your photography once you've made your choice.
RAW
RAW isn't an acronym, but it's important nevertheless. It's a method of capturing 'raw' data, as opposed to standard JPEGs. Used by professional photographers, it can result in higher quality images. But taking the photo is only the first step.
Once you've pressed the shutter, your picture is captured as a RAW file and left alone. No automatic processing (saturation, brightness, white balance etc.) or compression is applied, as it automatically would be if shooting a JPEG.
The outcome is a considerably bigger file that you can process yourself on a computer. So, what's the point? The level of potential detail in a RAW image becomes clearer and more impressive when compared with a JPEG.
RAW files give you 16-bit images to work with, whereas JPEG images are restricted to 8-bit. That's the difference between 65,536 levels and 256 levels of brightness, from black to white.
This is helpful, not only for producing higher quality images, but for bringing out the best in scenes where there is cloud, shade, or mixed sources of lighting, or where underexposure might occur. The captured RAW file contains all the detail and it's just a case of revealing it when you edit the image.
Compare this to shooting JPEGs; the levels are determined by the camera as soon as the shot is captured and the JPEG is then compressed. This makes the chances of recovering or rectifying features such as white balance difficult, if not impossible.
CMOS and CCD
Complementary Metal Oxide Semi-Conductors (CMOS) and Charge Coupled Devices (CCD) are two types of image sensor that convert light into electrons; they then read the electrons' values and turn them into a digital image. In a nutshell, they transform what you see through your lens into a JPEG or RAW file.
CCDs were widely considered superior, providing high-quality images with low noise levels. CMOS sensors, although they use considerably less power, were always susceptible to noise.
However, CMOS has recently become much more widespread because such sensors can now take care of image-processing tasks such as analog-to-digital conversion and noise reduction.
That's not to say that CCDs don't have any advantages, particularly when it comes to panning while shooting and capturing fast-moving objects. They use a global shutter that captures an entire frame in one go, whereas a CMOS records what it sees line by line, resulting in the possibility of distorted moving objects.
You'll probably see a CMOS sensor in the camera you choose. Why? It's because of improvements in performance, low power consumption and size.
EXIF
Exchangeable Image File Format contains metadata about your photo that is recorded as you shoot with a digital camera. The format is common with JPEGs and TIFFs, but not with RAW files, although there are equivalents.
The data includes the date and time your photo was taken (the time zone is not noted); camera settings such as model, aperture, shutter speed, and focal length; and descriptions and copyright information.
This information comes in handy when reviewing your photography. If you're examining a shot and aren't happy with something, check the EXIF data to see exactly what your camera's settings were and tweak them for future shots.
Other settings include a thumbnail of the shot itself, plus GPS information. The former enables you to preview on the camera's LCD screen and the latter to tag the location of your photo. It's possible on some cameras and most smartphones.
The newest photo editing software and many image gallery programs also recognise EXIF data. In fact, even if you edit your photo and save it under a different name, the data will normally remain intact.
When it comes to buying a camera, the sheer amount of choice makes the process difficult enough. But when acronyms and terms start being thrown at you left, right and centre, finding the right camera becomes even more challenging.
Armed with an understanding of six of the most common and important acronyms you're likely to hear about, you'll be better prepared than most to ensure you make the right purchase.
Source...