Chapter 4 Storytelling with Light 163Noise – Areas of incorrect detail reproduction in a digital image caused
by sensor chip misreadings or the inability of the camera to process visual
information due to problems in exposure.
Normal lens – A lens whose perspective off ers a close approximation of human
eyesight for a particular type of fi lm. For 16mm fi lm, a 25mm lens is considered
a “normal” lens and for 35mm fi lm, a 50mm lens is considered “normal.”
Panavision – Term for widescreen aspect ratios achieved by cameras and processes
developed by the Panavision company, particularly 1.85:1, which has become
an American standard and 2.2:1, known as Widescreen Panavision.
Pigment – Th e color of non-luminous matter determined by the absorption
of a certain wavelength of the spectrum and the refl ection of its opposing
color value when exposed to white light, resulting in what is seen.
Pixel – Term adapted from “picture element” that is actually a tiny square in a
digital image. It represents a single light intensity and color value (measured in
red, green, and blue components) among over 16 million possible colors.
Plane of focus – Th is term from geometry is commonly used in fi lmmaking
to defi ne the area at a specifi c distance from the camera that appears in
sharp focus.
Primary colors – In photography, red, green, and blue are the primary additive
colors that combine to create white light, and the primary negative colors,
used in subtractive systems, are cyan, magenta, and yellow.
Prime lens – A lens with a single focal length (a 25mm lens, a 50mm lens,
and so forth).
Refl ected light meter – A light meter that measures the light that is refl ecting
from the subject, one version of which is the spot meter.
Resolution – Th e ability of the recording medium to register fi ne detail,
measured in digital images by the pixels per inch and quality of the sensor.
Sensitivity – Th e capacity of emulsion in a strip of photographic fi lm or of a
photographic sensor to react to light, measured by the EI/ISO rating of the
fi lm or recording medium. Also referred to as the speed of a fi lm stock.
Sensor – Located inside the body of a digital camera, a sensor contains a
light-sensitive grid that registers (in pixels) the light coming in through the
camera’s lens.
Shutter speed – Th e amount of time that the shutter remains open to admit
light into the camera before closing.
Spot meter – A refl ected light meter used to measure the refl ected light at select
spots on a scene. Th e user holds it up to the eye and looks through the viewfi nder
at the precise spot on the scene that is being measured for its illumination.
White balance – Sensor system used for adjusting the camera to the appropriate
color temperature setting in response to the light illuminating the scene.
Zoom lens – Lens with variable focal length at a specifi c range, which allows for
rapid subject magnifi cation. Zoom lenses are included on virtually all consumer
digital cameras so the user can change the focal length of the lens easily.Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).