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Digital Photography![]() Bit: A bit, which stands for binary digit, is the most fundamental unit of digital information. Eight bits equals one byte. On digital cameras, the higher the number of bits, the more shades of color can be reproduced. ![]() CCD: Charge-coupled device. The image sensor that separates the spectrum of color into red, green and blue for digital processing by the camera. Both Area and Linear CCDs are used in digital cameras. A CCD by itself can capture only black-and-white images. To produce color, the image is captured after passing through red, green and blue filters. ![]()
![]() Linear CCD: Also known as a scanner-type CCD, these sensors are long and thin, and capture an image by recording a vast number of individual "exposures" while moving across the picture area. Best suited for still subjects and continuous illumination (not flash.) ![]() ![]() File format: The way an image is saved to a digital camera's memory. The .JPEG format is becoming an industry standard. ![]() Gain: An electronic method of adjusting a CCD sensor's sensitivity to light. ![]() LCD: Liquid crystal display. A) The flat screen on many digital cameras that previews photographs that have already been taken. B) A data display for camera settings, frame count, etc. ![]() Memory: The camera's storage medium. Flash memory is a safe, highly reliable form of storage that doesn't need power to hold the images after they are saved. It won't erase the images unless the user chooses to do so. ![]() Noise: Unwanted electrical signals that produce spots on the image. ![]() Offline and online digital cameras: Offline cameras have their own image-storage medium and can be used independently. Online cameras have no storage, and must be connected to a personal computer during use. ![]() PCMCIA Card: Personal Computer Memory Card International Association card. PCMCIA cards are about the size of a credit card. Cards used in digital cameras offer removable storage and an easy way to transfer photos from the camera to a notebook or desktop PC. ![]() Pixel: Short for picture element, the tiny dots that make up a digital image or monitor or screen. Again, the more pixels there are, the higher the screen or image resolution will be. The CCD generates pixels. The bigger the CCD, the more pixels the camera can capture. ![]() RGB: Red green blue. Computers and other digital devices handle color information as shades of red, green and blue. A 24-bit digital camera, for example, will have 8 bits per channel in red green and blue, resulting in 256 shades of color per channel. ![]() White Balance: The camera's ability to correct color and tint when shooting under different lighting conditions including daylight, indoor and fluorescent lighting. ![]() ![]() |