THE CAMERA AS THE ELEMENT OF PHOTOGRAPHY
CAMERA may be defined as a light tight box, with a means of forming the
image (lens), holding sensitized materials (film holder), and with a means of
controlling the amount of light that reach the film. It is a device used in
photographing objects. It is a device that directs an image focused by a lens
or other optical system unto a photosensitive surface housed in a light tight
enclosure. In this very basic sense, these components perform the same
functions today that they did when photography was invented almost 150
years ago.
FOUR ESSENTIAL PARTS OF
CAMERA
1. LIGHT TIGHT BOX
2. LENS
a. Normal Lens
b. Wide Angle Lens
c. Telephoto Lens
3. FILM HOLDER
4. SHUTTER
5. VIEWING SYSTEM
THE MAJOR TYPES OF CAMERA
1. VIEWFINDER TYPES
2. SINGLE LENS REFLEX (SLR) TYPES
(Also Known as Police Camera)
3. VIEW OR PRESS TYPE CAMERA
4. TWIN REFLEX TYPE CAMERA
5. SPECIAL CAMERAS
1. Polaroid Camera
2. Panoramic Camera
3. Aerial Camera
5. Miniature Camera
6. Digital Camera
Knowing the Different Parts of the Camera
Shutter- shutter, in photography, device through which the lens aperture of
a camera is opened to admit light and thus expose the film (or the electronic
image sensor of a digital camera). Adjustable shutters control exposure time,
or the length of time during which light is admitted.
Shutter speed
1/1 1/50 1/250 1/1000 1/200
slow fast
Film
- absorbs light
- creates images
- sensitive to light
Film speed(emulsion speed)- refers to the degree of sensitivity of film to
light
- the more sensitive, the faster the absorption
High film speed- sensitive
Low film speed- not sensitive
3 unit measurements of film speed
1. DIN( DEUTCHE INDUSTRE NORMEN) expresses in logarithmic value
system. used in the same principle as the ASA.
Germany- 12, 15, 18, 21,24, 27, 30 etc.
2. ASA(AMERICAN STANDARD ASSOCTION) expressed in arithmetic value
system. The bigger the more sensitive the film.
US- 12, 25, 50, 100, 200, 400, 800
3. ISO- International Organization for Standardization express in the
combination of ASA and DIN RATING.
Phils- 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600
Diaphragm- A diaphragm (or iris or iris diaphragm) is a mechanism in a
camera that makes a variable aperture to control the intensity of light that
passes through the lens. Along with shutter speed, this is what controls the
exposure received by the film or image sensor.
Depth of field- The depth of field (DOF) is the distance between the nearest
and the furthest objects that are in acceptably sharp focus in an image
captured with a camera.
Lens aperture- Aperture controls the amount of light entering the camera.
Viewing system- It shows the photographer the scene to be photographed.
Shutter release button- Shutter-release button (sometimes just shutter
release or shutter button) is a push-button found on many cameras, used to
record photographs.
Flash- The flashes built into your camera are called pop-up flashes. The
ones you often see on top of cameras are called Speedlites, or informally, a
flashgun or hot shoe flash.
Film advancer- Used to rotate the film inside the camera in order to take a
new picture.
THE LENS OPENING (f-Stop/Lens Factor/Diaphragm Control
F- Stop ring- this refers to the control which sets the size of the aperture
opening as the photograph is taken.
DIFFERENT PARTS OF A DIGITAL CAMERA
Top
T1: Focus Mode Switch
Use this switch to set the focusing mode to Automatic (AF) or Manual (MF).
T2: Speaker
Audio sound of a recorded movie can be played back through the speaker.
During movie playback, turning the Main Dial allows you to adjust the
volume level. Not only so, you can also select and play back the background
music from the menu screen.
T3: Strap Mount
Pull the end of the strap through the eyelet, and secure it firmly while
ensuring that the two ends of the strap are well-balanced.
T4: Hot Shoe
This is a terminal for attaching external flash units. Data is transmitted
between the camera and the flash unit through the contacts. Maintain the
contacts in a clean state to ensure proper firing of the external flash when
needed.
T5: Power Switch
Use this switch to power on or power off the camera. When the power of the
camera is left on for a prolonged period of time, it switches automatically to
the standby mode to conserve power. For some cameras, the power switch
comes with a Movie icon as shown in the illustration, which allows you to
switch to the Movie shooting mode directly.
T6: Mode Dial
Turn this dial to select a shooting mode according to the scene you want to
capture. The shooting modes are largely divided into two different zones,
Creative and Basic.
A: Creative Zone
The Creative Zone modes allow users to select and set functions
according to their intended purpose.
B: Basic Zone
In the Basic Zone modes, the camera automatically selects the
appropriate settings according to the selected scene.
T7: Flash Button
Use this button to pop up the built-in flash. In the Basic Zone, the built-in
flash may pop up automatically in some cases according to the function in
use.
T8: Main Dial
This is a multi-purpose dial that allows you to perform tasks such as
adjusting the value of the shooting settings (usually aperture/shutter
speed/exposure compensation) and jumping through playback images.
T9: Zoom Ring
Turn the zoom ring to alter the focal length. The selected focal length can be
identified from the numbers and index marks at the lower end of the lens
T10: Focus Ring
When the camera is in the Manual Focus (MF) mode, turn this ring to adjust
the focus. The position of the focus ring varies according to the lens in use.
Front
F1: Shutter Button
Press this button to release the shutter. The shutter button press has two
stages: Half-pressing the button activates the AF function, while pressing it
down fully releases the shutter.
F2: Red-eye reduction/self-timer lamp
Red-eye reduction: If red-eye reduction is enabled on your camera, half-
pressing the shutter button will light up this lamp when you use the built-in
flash.
Self-timer: When you set the self-timer, this lamp will blink for the duration
of the timer until the picture is taken.
F3: Lens Mount
This is the section that connects the interchangeable lens to the camera
body. To attach the lens, you line up the lens mount index (see F3) on the
lens with the corresponding one on the lens mount and turn the lens
clockwise until you hear a click.
F4: Lens Mount Index
Align the mark on the lens with this mark when you are attaching or
detaching a lens.
F5: Lens Release Button
Press this button when you want to detach the lens. The lens lock pin
retracts when the button is pressed, enabling you to turn the lens freely.
Before shooting, lock the lens into place by turning it until you hear a click.
F6: Mirror
The mirror is unique to DSLR cameras. It reflects light from the lens into the
viewfinder, which lets the photographer see the shot through the viewfinder
in real time. The mirror flips up immediately right before shutter release
(the shot is taken).
F7: Microphone
This is a built-in microphone for capturing the audio sound during movie
recording. The microphone used may be monaural or stereo depending on
the camera model.
F8: Built-in Flash
When needed, you can fire the flash to capture a shot in a dimly-lit scene.
The flash may be automatically fired in some modes.
Rear
R1: Eyecup
The eyecup prevents external light from entering when your eye is in contact
with the eyepiece. A soft material is used to reduce the burden on the eye
and the forehead.
R2: Viewfinder Eyepiece
The viewfinder eyepiece is a small window on the camera which you look
through in order to compose your photo and establish focus on a subject.
When shooting using a viewfinder, external light is reduced. This allows you
to put full attention on the subject right before your eyes, which in turn
makes it easier to track moving subjects.
R3: LCD Monitor
In addition to the shooting settings as shown in the illustration here, the
captured image as well as text information such as the menu can also be
displayed on the LCD monitor. Also, you can magnify the display image to
check the details. Some camera models have a Vari-angle LCD monitor,
which allows you to alter the angle of the monitor during Live View shooting,
making it easier to capture low-angle or high-angle shots.
R4: MENU Button
Use this button to display the menu for adjusting the different camera
functions. After selecting a menu item, you can adjust the camera settings in
greater detail.
R5: Playback Button
This is the button for playing back images you have captured. Pressing the
button once displays the last image you captured or showed on the LCD
monitor.
R6: Wi-fi Lamp
This lamp indicates the wireless connection status.
Lamp on: Wi-fi connection is on
Blinking lamp: Camera is waiting for connection/reconnection
Intermittent rapidly-blinking lamp: Connection error
Rapidly blinking lamp: Data is being sent/received
R7: Access Lamp
The lamp appears blinking when there is data transmission between the
camera and the memory card. Do not open the card slot or battery
compartment cover while the light is blinking. Doing so may cause the
camera to malfunction.
R8: SET Button/Multi-controller
The Multi-controller keys are directional buttons that allow you to:
- Move between menu items
- Move a magnified display to a different point during image playback
- Move the AF point during AF point selection
In shooting mode, the functions of the keys switches to the ones indicated by
the icon on it. Meanwhile, the SET button confirms a selection.
R9: ISO Speed Setting Button
Press this button to adjust the sensitivity of the camera toward light. ISO
speed is an international standard that is determined based on the sensitivity
of negative films.
R10: Quick Control Button
Pressing this button displays the Quick Control screen (further explained in
the section "Settings on the Quick Control Screen"), which allows you to
confirm various camera settings at one glance and adjust them.
R11: Display Button
By pressing the DISP button, you can:
- Turn the display on/off
- Toggle between different information displays in Image/Movie Playback
mode and during Live View shooting
- Display the camera’s major function settings when the menu is displayed
R12: Erase Button
Use this button to erase unwanted images.
R13: Focus Point Selection Button
Use this button to go into AF point (autofocus) selection mode during AF
shooting. You can then select any of the AF points manually using the Multi-
controller keys.
R14: Live View Shooting/ Movie Shooting Switch
Use this button to turn on or turn off the Live View function. Pressing the
button once displays the Live View image on the LCD monitor, and the
camera is ready for Live View shooting. To record a movie, set the shooting
mode to “Movie Shooting” on the mode dial (T6), and press this button to
start recording. To stop, press the button again.
R15: Dioptric Adjustment Knob
Use this knob to adjust the clarity of the viewfinder image according to your
eyesight. To do so, turn the knob while looking through the viewfinder.
THE LENS DEFECT
LENS defect is also known as ABERRATION. Aberration is a lens fault in
which light rays are not focused properly thereby degrading the image.
Different types of aberration are:
1. CHROMATIC ABERRATION. Lens aberration in which light of different
wavelength is focused at different distances behind the lens. It can be
corrected by combining different types of glass lens.
2. SPHERICAL ABERRATION. Light rays from the subject on the lens axis
passing through off-center areas of the lens focus at different distances from
the light rays that pass directly through the center of the lens.
3. COMA. A lens aberration
in which off-axis light rays
focus as different distances
when they pass through
different areas of the lens.
4. ASTIGMATISM. A lens
aberration in which light rays
that pass obliquely through the lens are focused, not as a point but as
a line.
- horizontal and vertical axis are not equally magnified.
5. FIELD OF CURVATURE. The plane of sharpest focus is a curved rather
that flat surface needed in the film plane.
- the relation of the image are incorrect with respect to one another.
Distortion- defect in shape not in sharpness.
Flares – condition of lens producing multiple images.
CLASSIFICATION OF LENS ACCORDING TO DEGREE OF CORRECTIONS
1. Meniscus lens- lens that has no correction
2. Rapid rectillinear lens- lens corrected of distortions
3. Anastigmatic lens- correcting astigmatism
4. Apochromatic lens- correcting both astigmatism and chromatic
aberration