My glossary

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(Work in progress)


AF-S

    the Nikon version of the fast and silent auto focus (silent wave built in motor in the lens - the camera provides the power). Similar systems are used by competitors (USM by Canon, HSM by Sigma)

BLOOMING

    see more here

CLS

    creative lighting system - the integrated wireless flash system from Nikon - consists of a combination of commander and slave flashes, on camera or standalone

DOF

   Usually used for depth of field (part of a scene in focus). Not to be mistaken with depth of focus (the distance between the lens mount and the sensor or film in the camera). To calculate depth of field, an excellent tool/site:

 http://www.dofmaster.com

DSLR

    Digital Single/Switchable Lens Reflex camera

EV

    exposure value (a measurement of the quantity of light in a scene) Bright sun corresponds to approx 15EV and a night moonlit scene will correspond to -5EV

MFD

    minimal focus distance - the closest distance between the sensor plane/film and the subject for which focusing is still possible

MICRO

    this is the term Nikon is using for macro lenses. A micro-Nikkor is just a Nikon macro lens.

OS

    optical stabilisation - the Sigma equivalent of the VR technology of Nikon or the IS technology of Canon. Sensors in the lens detect movement and lenses are moved in the opposite direction to compensate movement to avoid operator motion blur. Typically the system allows to win 1 to 3 stops (up to a factor 8 in speed) to get sharper pictures.

TC

    tele converter (an element mounted between a camera body and a lens to increase focal length) They exist with the following conversion factors: 1.4, 1.7, 2.0, 3.0
A 300 2.8 lens combined with a TC 2.0 will give the equivalent of a 600mm f5.6 lens.
Typically, quality is being reduced by inserting a TC.

VR

    vibration reduction - the Nikon version of the optical stabilization. Compensates operator movement. The new version of VR, called VR II allows to win up to 4 stops (for instance in the 18-200VR lens)


Author: Guy Van Hooveld.
Copyright © 2006. All rights reserved.
Revised: January 07, 2007