Camcorders Glossary
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| 1080i | |
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HDTV 1920x1080 resolution interlaced scan signal. HDTV television programs are usually 720p or 1080i. | |
| 16:9 aspect ratio | |
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Width to height ratio for widescreen video and television screens. | |
| 24p | |
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High-definition progressive scan format that matches film's 24 frames per second frame rate. | |
| 480p | |
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Near high-definition progressive scan 852x480 resolution signal used by progressive-scan DVD players and Enhanced Definition Television (EDTV). | |
| 720i | |
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HDTV 1280x720 resolution interlaced scan signal. | |
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| 720p | |
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HDTV 1280x720 resolution progressive scan signal with 60 frames per second. HDTV television programs are usually 720p or 1080i. | |
| 8 mm | |
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Tape format with 270 resolution and 120 minutes of recording time at standard speed. You can only play back video by connecting the camcorder to a TV or VCR. | |
| Accessory shoe | |
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Slot on a camcorder that accepts an accessory such as a power supply or light. | |
| Aliasing | |
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Jagged lines in a pixilated image. | |
| Analog | |
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Signal that fluctuates exactly like that of its original source. It can also represent a device with proportional input and output. | |
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| Analog input | |
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A camcorder's ability to accept audio and video from an analog source such as a VCR. | |
| Anti-aliasing | |
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Feature that helps prevent aliasing in digital images. | |
| Aperture | |
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Adjustable opening in a lens that allows light to pass through onto a pickup device. Also called an iris. | |
| Aspect ratio | |
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Width to height ratio of a display. | |
| Auto exposure | |
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Feature that allows a user to adjust aperture, shutter speed, and depth of field using pre-set modes. | |
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| Auto-focus | |
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Feature that focuses a camera's lens on what it perceives to be the central object in a scene. | |
| Auto-iris | |
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Camcorder feature that automatically adjusts aperture. | |
| AV-in | |
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Audio/video in: Ability to accept and record analog source material from another device. | |
| AV-out | |
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Audio/video out: Ability to output an analog signal to another device. | |
| Backlight | |
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Bright light behind a subject. It often creates a silhouette effect. | |
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| Backlight compensation | |
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Increase in gain or aperture to brighten a backlit subject and reveal more detail. | |
| Barrel distortion | |
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Curved vertical distortion that creates a barrel shape. It occurs when using a wide-angle lens. | |
| Betacam | |
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1/2-inch videotape format with 300 lines of horizontal resolution. It stores luminance information on one track and chrominance information on another. | |
| Betacam SP | |
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1/2-inch videotape format that stores luminance information on one track and chrominance information on another. It has 340 lines of horizontal resolution. | |
| Betacam SX | |
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Digital version of Betacam SP. It is compatible with Betacam SP tapes. | |
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| Bluetooth | |
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Short-distance wireless networking that works up to 30 feet. The technology is available in certain desktops, laptops, cell phones, PDAs, and camcorders. | |
| Brightness | |
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Indication of how light or dark an image appears on a screen. | |
| Carl Zeiss | |
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High-quality camera lens named after optician Carl Zeiss. | |
| Cassette | |
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Data storage media that contains two reels and a strip of magnetic tape that moves between them to record and play back audio and video. | |
| CCD | |
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Charge coupled device: Electronic memory that records shades of light to capture images, including video. An analog-to-digital converter translates the light information into pixels, with more pixels offering higher resolution. Listed actual pixel count is more than the effective pixel count. | |
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| CD | |
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Compact Disc: Polycarbonate and metal storage media. The term is also used to describe a read-only CD that contains music or video. Only some DVD players can play back video CDs (VCDs). | |
| Chip | |
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Nickname for a CCD. | |
| Chrominance | |
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Color aspects of a picture. | |
| Color temperature | |
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Relative redness or blueness of a light source measured in degrees Kelvin. | |
| Contrast | |
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Difference between black and light in a picture. | |
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| Control L | |
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Jack found on some Digital8 and Mini DV camcorders that allows two-way communication between the camcorder and a remote. Also called LANC. | |
| Date/time stamp | |
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Feature that allows you to record the date and time on the corner of a recording. | |
| Depth of field | |
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Distance in front of and behind a subject. | |
| Diffusion filter | |
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Lens filter that disperses light. Lighting appears softer, images seem smoother, and the resulting scene may look a little out of focus. | |
| Digital | |
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Information represented by a non-linear series of zeroes and ones. The non-linear nature of digital video allows a user to choose an exact point in a DVD movie, for example, instead of forwarding or rewinding through an analog VHS tape. | |
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| Digital Betacam | |
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Digital videotape format used for standard-definition digital video. Abbreviated Digibeta or d-beta. | |
| Digital lens | |
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Lens that can store and reproduce focal and zoom positions with help from a chip. | |
| Digital zoom | |
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Zoom effect achieved by enlarging pixels. As the amount of digital zoom on an image increases, quality decreases. | |
| Digital8 | |
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DV compression format that can record to standard Hi8 and 8mm tapes. Although most Digital8 camcorders can play back analog Hi8 and 8mm tapes, they cannot record analog signals. | |
| Digitize | |
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Process of converting analog audio and video signals to digital format. | |
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| Dropout | |
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Damage to a videotape resulting in a loss of frames. Dropout often appears as a white or colored block. | |
| DV | |
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Digital Video: 1/4-inch digital videotape format. Full-size cassettes hold up to three hours of video. Mini DV cassettes hold up to one hour of video. | |
| DVCPRO | |
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Digital videotape format originally created for use in electronic news gathering. | |
| DVCPRO HD | |
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High-definition digital videotape format offering 720p or 1080i resolution. | |
| DVD | |
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Digital Versatile Disc: Storage media that holds movies and other data. Storage capacity starts at 4.7GB. | |
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| Effective Pixels | |
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Pixels on an image sensor (CCD) that output actual image data. Additional pixels are used for image filtering, which is why the total number of pixels in a camera is greater than the number of effective pixels. | |
| EIS | |
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Electronic image stabilization: Camcorder circuitry that alters an image to counter shaking. It can make an image more blurry. | |
| EVF | |
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Electronic Viewfinder: Viewfinder that displays an image that has been recorded, processed, and projected onto a miniature display. | |
| F-stop | |
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Lens calibration measuring an iris opening. Larger numbers equal smaller openings. | |
| Fade | |
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Gradual dimming effect often used to change between scenes. | |
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| Field | |
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One of two scanlines in a frame. | |
| FireWire | |
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Apple Computer's name for IEEE 1394. | |
| Fluid head | |
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Tripod mount that facilitates smooth camera movement. | |
| Flying erase head | |
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Feature on Hi8 and 8mm camcorders that removes video noise between sections of recorded video on a tape for almost seamless transitions. | |
| Focal length | |
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Distance from the center of a lens to the surface of a CCD measured in millimeters, centimeters, or inches. Long focal lengths have small-angle views. Short focal lengths have wide-angle views. | |
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| Focus ring | |
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Moveable ring around a lens barrel that allows a user to manually adjust focus. | |
| Foot-candle | |
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Measurement of light falling on an object. Abbreviated fc. | |
| Frame | |
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One still image in a moving picture. In video it is two fields of interlaced video. In film it is a single piece of celluloid. | |
| Gain | |
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Amplification of a video signal. It often increases luminance. | |
| HDTV | |
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High Definition Television: Highest-resolution digital television programs, usually 720p or 1080i. | |
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| Hi8 | |
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Analog camcorder format that can record to Hi8 or 8mm tape. It records at 400 lines of resolution for Hi8 and 240 lines of resolution for 8mm. | |
| Hue | |
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Description of a unique color. For example, yellow, green, blue, and red. | |
| i.LINK | |
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Sony's name for IEEE 1394. | |
| IEEE 1394 | |
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High-speed standard for transferring data from one device to another with speeds up to 400Mbps. | |
| Image stabilization | |
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Feature that compensates for shaky movement in a video. | |
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| Infrared | |
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Feature that can sense or beam infrared light to illuminate low-light scenes. | |
| Interlaced | |
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Process of creating a television picture by sequentially drawing odd and even lines on a screen. The process is used by NTSC and several digital television signals. | |
| Iris | |
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Adjustable opening in a lens that allows light to pass through onto a pickup device. Also called aperture. | |
| Jog dial | |
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Small rotating dial that allows a user to scroll through menus. | |
| JPEG | |
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Standard for compressing image data developed by the Joint Photographic Experts Group. | |
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| LANC | |
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Local Application Control Bus System: Jack found on some Digital8 and Mini DV camcorders that allows two-way communication between the camcorder and a remote. Also called Control L. | |
| LCD | |
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Liquid Crystal Display: Display technology that works by shining light through pixel cells to produce an image. | |
| Lens | |
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A piece or pieces of glass that concentrates and directs light to a CCD or film to create an image. | |
| Lithium-ion battery | |
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Rechargeable battery that fully charges over a period of four hours, typically at 4.2 volts. Users do not need to fully discharge the battery before recharging. | |
| Luminance | |
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Image brightness. | |
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| Lux | |
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Lumens per square meter: Measurement of low-light sensitivity indicating how much light a camcorder needs to record a usable image. Camcorders with a lower lux rating offer better performance in low-light situations. The ability to shoot at 0 Lux is often called nightshot, night vision, or a similar name. | |
| Manual focus | |
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User-selected focus settings. Some camcorders provide pre-sets and others use a focus ring similar to those found on still cameras. | |
| Maximum CCD resolution | |
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Total number of pixels in a sensor. | |
| Megapixel | |
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Measurement of digital photo image quality equaling one million pixels. | |
| Memory card | |
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Removable storage media used in some digital cameras, MP3 players, PDAs, digital video cameras, cell phones, and photo printers. Cards are available in a range of storage capacities and formats including CompactFlash, Memory Stick, SecureDigital, SmartMedia, and xD Picture Cards. | |
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| MicroMV | |
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Digital videotape format that uses MPEG-2 compression. | |
| Microphone | |
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Device that converts sound waves into electrical energy. | |
| Mini DV | |
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1/4-inch digital tape format. | |
| Mosaic | |
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Effect that breaks an image into small squares. | |
| Motion sensor | |
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Feature that tells a camcorder to start recording when it detects movement. | |
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| MPEG | |
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Moving Picture Experts Group: Organization that develops video and audio encoding standards. | |
| MPEG-1 | |
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Video CD format that includes the MP3 audio compression format. | |
| MPEG-2 | |
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Video and audio standards for digital broadcast-quality television. | |
| MPEG-4 | |
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Alternative to MPEG-2 that expands MPEG-1 to support Digital Rights Management and 3D content. | |
| ND filter | |
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Neutral density filter: Lens filter that helps prevent overexposure. Prosumer camcorders have built-in ND filters. | |
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| NiCad | |
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Nickle-Cadmium: Type of rechargeable battery used for many portable electronics. They are about the same size as alkaline batteries. | |
| Optical zoom | |
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Zoom achieved by moving elements in a lens. There is no loss in quality. | |
| Pixel | |
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Picture Element: A single point in an image. You see a complete image when multiple pixels are put together. | |
| Progressive scan | |
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Process of creating a 720p or 480p image on a HDTV monitor by displaying horizontal and vertical picture information on a screen simultaneously. | |
| Prosumer | |
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Equipment with higher quality and cost than consumer-level equipment and lower cost and quality than professional-level equipment. | |
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| RC time code | |
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Re-writable consumer time code: Feature on digital camcorders that creates reference points on a tape in hours, minutes, seconds, and frames. | |
| Resolution | |
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Screen image quality and clarity measured in pixels. Higher resolution offers a clearer picture. | |
| RGB | |
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Red Green Blue: Colors captured by CCD sensors. The color of each pixel is a variation of red, green, or blue. | |
| S-VHS | |
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Super-VHS: 1/2-inch videotape format with 400 lines of resolution. | |
| S-video | |
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Four-pin connector that transmits the luminance and chrominance portions of a video signal separately. Many camcorders use an S-video cable to output information to a television. | |
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| Saturation | |
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Intensity of a hue. | |
| Sepia | |
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Special effect that removes color from a picture and adds a brown tint to give an image an antique look. | |
| Signal-to-noise ratio | |
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Ratio of a desirable video signal to the amount of unwanted noise mixed in with it. | |
| Spot focus | |
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Ability to select and adjust a specific area of a frame. | |
| Spot metering | |
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Feature allowing a user to select a spot on a LCD and adjust exposure. | |
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| Telephoto lens | |
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Lens with a narrow field of view and long focal length that makes distant objects appear larger. | |
| Time base correction | |
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Electronic correction of abnormal time code to stabilize images on a videotape during playback. | |
| Time code | |
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Numbers embedded onto videotape and digital recordings that indicate hours, minutes, seconds, and frames. Time code is used as a reference tool for video logs and editing in and out points. | |
| Titling | |
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Feature that allows a user to create on-screen titles, captions, or comments. | |
| Tripod | |
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Stand with three legs used to stabilize a camcorder. | |
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| Variable-speed zoom | |
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Ability to adjust zoom speed as a lens moves from wide-angle to telephoto. | |
| VHS | |
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Video Home System: 1/2-inch videotape format offering 240 lines of resolution. | |
| VHS-C | |
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Video Home System - Compact: 1/2-inch videotape format with 240 lines of resolution that comes in a smaller cassette casing than standard VHS. A VHS player can play back a VHS-C tape with the help of an adapter. | |
| Viewfinder | |
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Built-in camcorder monitor that allows a users to watch a scene. Viewfinder images are small compared to viewscreen images, but do not look washed out in direct sunlight. | |
| Viewscreen | |
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Small LCD screen (two inches or larger) that flips out of a camcorder, serving the same function as a viewfinder while providing a larger image. | |
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| Webcam | |
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Camera that can be attached to a computer and, with the help of software, send images over the Internet. | |
| White balance | |
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Function that neutralizes color to prevent video or still images from taking on an unnatural hue. | |
| Wide-angle | |
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A lens' maximum focal length. Wide-angle lenses have a short focal angle, allowing a 70-degree or wider view. | |
| Windscreen | |
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Cover that fits over a microphone, allowing speech while blocking unwanted noise from wind. | |
| Wipe | |
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Effect that pushes a scene to one side. | |
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| XLR connector | |
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High-quality, balanced audio connector that has three prongs. It is used to connect microphones to camcorders and connect other high-end recording equipment. | |
| Zebra stripes | |
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Feature available in some camcorders that highlights overexposed areas of an image with a striped pattern. | |
| Zoom | |
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Shift in lens focal length used to change the apparent distance between an object and photographer, videographer, or filmmaker. | |
| Zoom lens | |
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Lens that has variable focal lengths. | |
| Zoom range | |
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Ratio of how much the focal length of a lens can adjust from telephoto to wide angle. | |
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