Q
Q Factor: A measure of the sharpness or quality of an optical system in photography.
Quad HD: A resolution standard for high-definition images, providing four times the pixel resolution of standard HD.
Quadcopter: A drone with four rotors, commonly used for aerial photography.
Quadraline: A method of dividing an image into four sections for compositional purposes.
Quadtone: An image that is printed using four inks (typically black and three shades of gray) to achieve rich tonal range.
Quaintance Lens: A specialized lens used in some older cameras for specific artistic effects.
Quality of Light: The characteristics of light in a photograph, such as hard vs. soft, warm vs. cool, and diffused vs. direct.
Quantum Efficiency: The effectiveness of a camera sensor at converting light into an electrical signal, affecting low-light performance and dynamic range.
Quartz Flash: A type of continuous light source used in studio photography, known for consistent color temperature and long-lasting bulbs.
Quick Mask: A tool in photo editing software that allows you to quickly create and modify selections.
Quick Release Plate: A mounting system used to quickly attach or detach a camera from a tripod or other support.
Quick Time-Lapse: A method of capturing fast-motion sequences by taking pictures at intervals and compiling them into a video.
Quiet Mode: A camera setting that reduces the noise created by the shutter and mirror mechanisms.
Quintic Lens: A specialized lens design that minimizes spherical aberration and improves sharpness across the image frame.
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R
Radial Blur: A type of blur that radiates from the center of an image, often used in post-processing to create a sense of motion or focus.
Rangefinder Camera: A type of camera that uses a rangefinder mechanism to help the photographer focus, common in older film cameras.
Rangefinder Focus: A focusing system that uses two images to determine the correct focus by aligning them, often used in classic cameras.
RAW: An image file format that captures all the data from the camera sensor without compression or adjustment.
RAW Workflow: The process of editing and converting RAW image files from their native format to a final image.
Rear Curtain Sync: A flash technique where the flash fires just before the shutter closes, capturing motion blur behind the subject.
Rear-Curtain Sync: A flash technique where the flash fires just before the shutter closes, useful for capturing motion trails behind the subject.
Red Eye: The reflection of light from the retina in a subject’s eyes, typically caused by using a flash.
Redscale: A film photography technique where the film is loaded backward, resulting in images with a red or orange tint.
Reflective Metering: A method of measuring light by detecting the light reflected off the subject.
Reflector: A surface that bounces light onto the subject.
Reflector Umbrella: A reflective surface attached to a flash or studio light to bounce and diffuse light, softening shadows.
Refraction: The bending of light as it passes through different mediums, such as a lens.
Remote Shutter Release: A device or app that allows the camera’s shutter to be triggered from a distance.
Remote Trigger: A device that allows the camera to be operated from a distance.
Resolution: The amount of detail an image holds, often measured in pixels per inch (PPI).
Retouching: The process of enhancing or altering a photo, typically to remove imperfections.
Ricoh: A Japanese company operating in various industries, with a primary focus on imaging and office solutions. Ricoh has a strong presence in the camera and imaging sector, particularly after acquiring Pentax in 2011.
Ring Light: A circular light used to provide even lighting, often in portrait or macro photography.
Rule of Odds: A compositional rule suggesting that an odd number of subjects (such as three or five) is more visually appealing than an even number.
Rule of Thirds: A compositional rule that divides an image into thirds, both horizontally and vertically, to place key elements on the intersection points.
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S
Saturation: The intensity or purity of color in an image, where highly saturated colors appear vivid and less saturated colors appear muted or washed out.
Selective Focus: A technique where only a small portion of the image is in sharp focus, while the rest is deliberately out of focus.
Self-Timer: A camera feature that delays the shutter release, allowing the photographer to join the photo.
Sensor Dust: Dust particles that settle on a camera’s sensor, often appearing as dark spots in images.
Sensor Size: The physical dimensions of a camera sensor, which affects the field of view, depth of field, and image quality.
Shadow Detail: The visible information in the darker areas of a photograph, which can be enhanced or lost depending on exposure and post-processing.
Shallow Depth of Field: A technique where only a small portion of the image is in focus, creating a blurred background.
Sharpening: A post-processing technique that enhances the definition of edges in an image, making details appear crisper.
Short Lighting: A portrait lighting technique where the light is positioned to illuminate the side of the face farthest from the camera, creating shadows on the nearer side.
Shutter Lag: The delay between pressing the shutter button and the camera taking the photo.
Shutter Release Cable: A cable that connects to the camera’s shutter release mechanism, allowing the photographer to trigger the shutter remotely.
Shutter Speed: The length of time the camera’s shutter is open, controlling the amount of light that reaches the sensor.
Sidelighting: Lighting that comes from the side, creating shadows and texture.
Sigma: A Japanese company primarily known for its high-quality camera lenses and photographic equipment. Sigma is highly regarded among both professionals and enthusiast photographers for producing third-party lenses that are compatible with major camera brands
Silhouette: A photograph where the subject appears as a dark shape against a brighter background, often created by backlighting.
Silver Halide: The light-sensitive compounds used in traditional photographic film and paper.
Single-Point Autofocus: A focusing mode that uses a single focus point selected by the photographer to ensure precise focus.
Slave Flash: A secondary flash that is triggered wirelessly or via light from a primary flash, often used in studio setups.
Smartphone Photography: Photography using a smartphone camera, which has become increasingly advanced with features like multiple lenses and computational photography.
Soft Focus: A photographic effect where the image is intentionally blurred or softened for artistic purposes.
Soft Proofing: A process used to simulate how an image will appear when printed, allowing photographers to adjust colors and tones before printing.
Softbox: A light modifier that diffuses light from a flash or continuous light source, producing soft, even lighting with minimal shadows.
Solarization: A darkroom technique where an image is partially exposed to light during development, creating a dramatic reversal of tones in the final print.
Sony: A leading global company in the field of consumer electronics, and its camera division plays a major role in the photography and video production industries. Known for its innovative technology and high-quality cameras, Sony has become a dominant force in both consumer and professional imaging markets.
Speedlight: A portable flash unit that can be attached to or used off-camera.
Spherical Aberration: A lens distortion where light rays entering the lens at different angles do not converge to the same point, causing a soft focus effect.
Split Lighting: A lighting technique where one half of the subject’s face is lit while the other half is in shadow, creating dramatic contrast.
Spot Metering: A camera metering mode that measures light from a small area of the frame, often the center or focus point, for precise exposure control.
Starburst Effect: A photographic effect where bright points of light (such as the sun or streetlights) create star-shaped bursts of light, often caused by using a small aperture.
Stitching: A process used in post-processing to combine multiple images into a single panoramic image.
Stock Photography: Professionally shot images that are licensed for specific uses, often used in marketing, advertising, and editorial contexts.
Stop: A unit used to measure exposure, where each stop represents a doubling or halving of the amount of light.
Stop Motion: A filmmaking technique where objects are physically manipulated between individual frames to create the illusion of movement when played back.
Stop-Down: The act of narrowing the aperture (increasing the f-stop number) to decrease the amount of light entering the camera, increasing depth of field.
Street Photography: A genre of photography that captures candid, everyday moments in public places.
Stroboscopic Flash: A flash technique that fires multiple bursts of light in rapid succession, often used to capture motion in a single frame.
Superzoom Lens: A versatile lens with a very large focal range, allowing the photographer to shoot wide-angle and telephoto images without changing lenses.
Sync Speed: The maximum shutter speed at which a camera can synchronize with an external flash, typically around 1/200 to 1/250 of a second.
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T
Teleconverter: An accessory that attaches between the camera body and lens to increase the effective focal length, typically by 1.4x or 2x.
Telephoto Lens: A lens with a long focal length that magnifies distant subjects.
Test Shot: A preliminary photo taken to check lighting, composition, or exposure before capturing the final image.
Test Strip: In darkroom photography, a strip of photographic paper used to test exposure times before making a final print.
Tethered Shooting: A process where the camera is connected to a computer or tablet, allowing images to be viewed and controlled remotely in real-time.
Texture: The visual quality or feel of a surface in a photograph, often emphasized through lighting.
Texture Mapping: A technique used in 3D modeling and CGI to apply a 2D image (the texture) to a 3D model.
Thumbnail: A small, low-resolution version of an image used for browsing or previewing.
Tilt Lens: A lens that tilts relative to the camera body, allowing for creative effects such as controlling depth of field and altering perspective.
Tilt-Shift: A type of lens that allows for the manipulation of perspective and selective focus, often used in architectural photography.
Tilt-Shift Lens: A lens that can tilt or shift its optical path to change perspective and control focus.
Time-Lapse: A photography technique where multiple images are taken at set intervals and then played back at normal speed to show the passage of time.
Tonal Adjustment: A post-processing technique that adjusts the brightness, contrast, or tonal balance of an image.
Tonal Contrast: The difference in brightness between the light and dark areas of an image, affecting the perceived sharpness and detail.
Tonal Range: The range of tones between the darkest and lightest areas of an image, contributing to overall contrast.
Tonality: The range of tones or brightness levels in a photograph.
Tonemapping: A post-processing technique used to compress the dynamic range of an image, often applied to HDR images to make them look more natural.
Touchscreen Focus: A camera feature where the user can select the focus point by tapping on the camera’s touchscreen.
Translucent Mirror: A camera technology where a partially transparent mirror allows some light to pass through to the sensor while reflecting the rest to the autofocus sensor, used in some Sony cameras.
Trigger: A device used to remotely activate a camera or external flash unit.
Tripod: A three-legged support stand for stabilizing a camera.
Tripod Collar: A ring that attaches to the lens and allows it to rotate when mounted on a tripod, often used for large, heavy lenses.
Triptych: A series of three images displayed together as a cohesive piece.
Tri-X: A popular black-and-white film produced by Kodak, known for its fine grain and high contrast, favored by street photographers and photojournalists.
TTL (Through-The-Lens): A metering system that measures the light coming through the camera’s lens to determine exposure.
TTL Flash: A flash system that uses through-the-lens metering to automatically adjust the flash output based on the scene’s lighting conditions.
Tungsten Light: A type of artificial light with a color temperature around 3200K, commonly used in studio lighting.
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