GLOSSARY

GLOSSARY

A system that automatically focuses the camcorder lens on the subject. Your camcorder uses contrast to focus automatically.

The aperture controls the amount of light that reaches the camcorder’s sensor.

If the camcorder is moved while the shutter is open, the entire image may appear blurred. This occurs more often when the shutter speed is slow. Prevent camcorder shake by raising the sensitivity or using a faster shutter speed. Alternately, use a tripod or the DIS or OIS function to stabilize the camcorder.

The distance from the middle of the lens to its focal point (in millimeters). Longer focal lengths result in narrower angles of view and the subject is magnified. Shorter focal lengths result in wider angles of view.

The F-number defines the ratio of the focal length to the size of the lens aperture (focal length/diameter of lens aperture). The smaller the F-number, the larger the lens aperture and the greater the amount of light that reaches the camcorder’s sensor.

Generally, smaller F-numbers provide brighter images.

MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 defines the latest video coding format standardized by the ISOIEC and the ITU-T, in 2003. Compared with the conventional MPEG-2 format, MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 has more than twice the efficiency. Your camcorder employs

MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 to encode high definition videos.

Composition in photography means arranging objects in a photo. Usually, abiding by the rule of thirds leads to a good composition.

This is a general zoom which can enlarge images with the lens alone and does not degrade the quality of images.

A CMOS is an image sensor that produces images approaching the quality of CCD (charge coupled device) sensors. It consumes less power, meaning the battery on your camcorder lasts longer before it needs recharging.

An expression of the rate of compression used in a digital image. Higher quality images have a lower rate of compression, which usually results in a larger file size.

A feature that artificially increases the amount of zoom available with the zoom lens (Optical zoom). When using the Digital zoom, the image quality will deteriorate as the magnification increases.

The number of pixels present in a digital image. High resolution images contain more pixels and typically show more detail than low resolution images.

Unlike the total pixel count, this is the actual number of pixels used to capture an image.

All the combinations of the camcorder’s shutter speed and lens aperture that result in the same exposure.

The amount of light allowed to reach the camcorder’s sensor. Exposure is controlled by a combination of the shutter speed, the aperture value, and ISO sensitivity.

Shutter speed refers to the amount of time it takes to open and close the shutter, and it is an important factor in the brightness of a photo, as it controls the amount of light which pass through the aperture before it reaches the image sensor. A fast shutter speed provides less time for light to enter. The photo becomes darker, but

more easily freezes subjects in motion.

An adjustment of the intensities of colors (typically the primary colors red, green, and

blue) in an image. The goal of adjusting the white balance, or color balance, is to 105 correctly render the colors in an image.