Let's Define Digital SLR Terms
This page defines digital SLR terms and lets you explore more articles that will help you become fluent in digital SLR tech jargon.
Take a deep breath.
Relax. Hum a few bars of your favorite tune.
This will be easy for you to understand.
It's not rocket science, it only seems that way when it's presented with tons of charts and graphs.
The contents of this "digital SLR dictionary" are written in plain English and make no assumptions about your level of photographic expertise.
Since photography is a visual medium, you won't just be reading a lot of text - I've included plenty of illustrative photos to help make these features clear.
Ready to get started? Let's define some digital SLR terms!
Digital SLR Tech Terms
| Megapixels | Cameras with more megapixels give you the freedom to make huge prints and to crop your photos, but they do not necessarily have higher image quality. |
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| ISO and Image Noise | Increasing the ISO setting lets you take clear photos in dim light without having to use a flash, but it also degrades the image quality. |
| Dust Control | Dust that lands on an SLR sensor appears as small black spots in every photo you take. Dust controls systems attempt to prevent and eliminate this. |
| Image Stabilization | There are two types of stabilization: one that's included inside the camera and one that's inside the lens. Regardless of the type, stabilization helps to eliminate blur in your photos caused by camera shake. |
| Live View | With a live view system, you can compose photos using the LCD screen on the back of the camera in addition to the viewfinder. |
| Dynamic Range | Your eyes have exceptional dynamic range and can see details in a scene even when there's extreme contrast. Unfortunately, an SLR doesn't work quite as well as your eyes. |
| HDSLR | An HDSLR is a single camera that can capture both still images and High Definition (HD) video. |
| Crop Factor | A digital SLR sensor is smaller than a frame of 35mm film, so only a portion of the image that passes through the lens is captured by the sensor. |
| Autofocus | Autofocus systems can include anywhere from 3 to 9 individual focus points. More important that the number of points is the accuracy of the system. |
| Continuous Drive | A continuous drive lets you take multiple photos in rapid succession. More expensive cameras have faster continuous drives. |
| JPG and RAW Files | JPG is the standard format for digital images, and is easy to e-mail, upload and print, but RAW offers significantly more creative freedom. |
| Aspect Ratio | Wonder why your digital prints never turn out exactly like the image on your computer monitor? The culprit is aspect ratio. |
What's Next
Now that you're able to define digital SLR terms with some measure of confidence, it's time to move on to Step 3: comparing digital SLR cameras.
You should have a firm grasp of the following:
- What you love to photograph (Step 1)
- How an SLR works and how it differs from a compact camera (Step 2 - Part I)
- Digital SLR tech jargon (Step 2 - Part II)
In the next step, you'll start your digital SLR camera research and will begin to match the features that each camera offers to your specific photographic needs.
 What is a Digital SLR? |
Digital SLR Home | Compare Cameras |
