One of the most confusing things about photography for amateurs and beginners is the abundance of technical terms. Read on for explanations of some of the most common and useful terms.
ISO
The general definition of ISO is the "International Standards Organization," but that doesn't concern us. The meaning we are looking for refers to the sensitivity to light on the sensor of a digital camera. Typically the values range from an ISO 50 to an ISO 3200 and higher, with it doubling as it goes up. A low ISO means it is harder to take pictures in low light as the sensor is less sensitive to light. This does however create a quality photo, but makes it difficult to take pictures in low light. A high ISO value means it is easier to take low light photos; however the photos are subject to 'digital noise." This refers to random specks of color showing in the photo, mostly in the dark areas. It also comprises how large the photo can be viewed or printed and still retains good quality.
Note that in Automatic mode, your camera will choose what ISO to use by itself. It will generally choose a low ISO wherever there is sufficient light.
Zoom Range
This term refers to how wide and how 'zoomed in' a photo you can shoot. Typically, when you turn on a camera, it will be set at the widest zoom as a default setting. By using the controls, you can zoom in on something that is small or far away in order to have it fill the frame.
Zoom range is quoted either in 35mm terms (i.e. 35-175mm), or in a multiple (i.e. 5x), where the widest settings times the multiple is the longest setting (for example, 5 x 35 = 155).
Most cameras come with a zoom of 28-35mm and can zoom 4x to 5x. However, if you are able, select a camera that offers the widest possible range. This feature is very useful for indoor photography as there usually isn't enough room to back up in order to fit everything you want in your photo.
Megapixel
Just like the display on your computer monitor, a picture is made up of many different dots. So the term 'megapixel' refers to a million of these dots. It is said that the higher the megapixels, the higher quality photo.
When people talk about a camera with a certain number of megapixels, this refers to the maximum number of pixels that a photo taken with this camera can contain. A higher megapixel camera will allow the user to take photos comprised of more pixels than a lower megapixel camera.
Pictures that have been taken with a higher megapixel camera can then be viewed and enlarged to any capacity without a drop in the quality of the photo. While this is highly useful, it is important to note that 6 megapixels are more than enough for the average consumer, although salesman try to convince you otherwise, this is truly not the case. - 30452
ISO
The general definition of ISO is the "International Standards Organization," but that doesn't concern us. The meaning we are looking for refers to the sensitivity to light on the sensor of a digital camera. Typically the values range from an ISO 50 to an ISO 3200 and higher, with it doubling as it goes up. A low ISO means it is harder to take pictures in low light as the sensor is less sensitive to light. This does however create a quality photo, but makes it difficult to take pictures in low light. A high ISO value means it is easier to take low light photos; however the photos are subject to 'digital noise." This refers to random specks of color showing in the photo, mostly in the dark areas. It also comprises how large the photo can be viewed or printed and still retains good quality.
Note that in Automatic mode, your camera will choose what ISO to use by itself. It will generally choose a low ISO wherever there is sufficient light.
Zoom Range
This term refers to how wide and how 'zoomed in' a photo you can shoot. Typically, when you turn on a camera, it will be set at the widest zoom as a default setting. By using the controls, you can zoom in on something that is small or far away in order to have it fill the frame.
Zoom range is quoted either in 35mm terms (i.e. 35-175mm), or in a multiple (i.e. 5x), where the widest settings times the multiple is the longest setting (for example, 5 x 35 = 155).
Most cameras come with a zoom of 28-35mm and can zoom 4x to 5x. However, if you are able, select a camera that offers the widest possible range. This feature is very useful for indoor photography as there usually isn't enough room to back up in order to fit everything you want in your photo.
Megapixel
Just like the display on your computer monitor, a picture is made up of many different dots. So the term 'megapixel' refers to a million of these dots. It is said that the higher the megapixels, the higher quality photo.
When people talk about a camera with a certain number of megapixels, this refers to the maximum number of pixels that a photo taken with this camera can contain. A higher megapixel camera will allow the user to take photos comprised of more pixels than a lower megapixel camera.
Pictures that have been taken with a higher megapixel camera can then be viewed and enlarged to any capacity without a drop in the quality of the photo. While this is highly useful, it is important to note that 6 megapixels are more than enough for the average consumer, although salesman try to convince you otherwise, this is truly not the case. - 30452
About the Author:
Tobias Sterling is a keen photography enthusiast who loves to share his photography knowledge. He provides and shares his knowledge about Photography Depth of Field and Correct Exposures and Photography on Clivir.com.
