Camera Terms
Sensors, lenses, autofocus, stabilisation and the other terms used for cameras.
19 terms
Camera19 terms
APS-C SensorAPS-C is a camera sensor size of about 23 by 15 millimetres, smaller than a full-frame sensor and larger than the sensors in most phones.Read the explanation →Camera Sensor SizeThe physical size of the light-catching chip inside a camera or phone, which shapes low-light quality, background blur and how big the whole kit is.Read the explanation →Crop FactorA number that shows how much more tightly a lens frames a scene on a smaller sensor than on a full-frame camera.Read the explanation →Digital (Electronic) StabilisationDigital stabilisation steadies video using software, by trimming the edges of the frame to cancel shake, with no part moving inside the camera or lens.Read the explanation →Dynamic RangeDynamic range is the span between the darkest and brightest parts of a scene that a camera can record with usable detail in a single shot.Read the explanation →Electronic Viewfinder (EVF)An electronic viewfinder is a tiny screen inside the camera eyepiece that shows a live picture of what the sensor sees, so you can judge the photo before you take it.Read the explanation →Full-Frame SensorA full-frame sensor measures about 36 by 24 millimetres, the size of a frame of 35 mm film, and is one of the larger sizes used in consumer cameras.Read the explanation →In-Body Image StabilisationA system that moves the camera sensor to cancel out small hand movements, giving sharper photos and steadier video with any lens attached.Read the explanation →Lens AdapterA lens adapter is a ring that lets a lens made for one type of camera fit on another, so you can keep using lenses you already own.Read the explanation →Lens MountThe fitting on an interchangeable-lens camera that the lens locks into; it decides which lenses can be used on that camera.Read the explanation →Lens Stabilisation (Optical IS)Lens stabilisation is a moving part inside the lens that cancels small hand shake, so you get sharper handheld photos and steadier video in dim light.Read the explanation →Optical ViewfinderAn optical viewfinder is a window you look through to see the real scene, carried to your eye by mirrors or glass, with no screen and no delay.Read the explanation →Optical ZoomOptical zoom enlarges a distant subject by changing the lens itself, so the picture keeps its real detail.Read the explanation →Periscope Telephoto LensA periscope telephoto lens turns light through a right angle inside the phone so the lens can be long enough for high optical zoom.Read the explanation →Phase-Detection AutofocusPhase-detection autofocus works out, from a single look at the scene, which way and how far the lens must move to make the subject sharp.Read the explanation →Pixel BinningPixel binning combines the signals of neighbouring pixels on a camera sensor into one larger pixel to collect more light.Read the explanation →Stabilisation StopsStops tell you how much slower a shutter speed you can use by hand without shake. Each stop doubles the time you can hold the camera steady.Read the explanation →Subject-Detection AutofocusAn autofocus feature that recognises people, animals, birds or vehicles in the frame and keeps them sharp as they move.Read the explanation →Ultra-Wide LensAn ultra-wide lens is a camera lens with a very wide angle of view that fits much more of a scene into the frame.Read the explanation →