Questions tagged “camera basics”

Ask the Unique Photo creator community — gear, technique, post-processing and more.

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374

What does a lens’s focal length actually mean, and why isn’t it always the lens-to-sensor distance?

lenses optics focus camera-basics focal-length

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

3y ago

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218

Is focal length defined differently in optics and photography?

lenses optics camera-basics focal-length

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

5y ago

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115

Why doesn’t a camera lens mix light from different parts of a scene into a noisy image?

lenses aperture optics focus camera-basics

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

6y ago

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195

How should I understand a camera’s field of view, especially a quoted 120° view?

field-of-view accessibility lenses wearable-cameras camera-basics

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

6y ago

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How much does camera quality matter compared with photography skill?

buying-advice photography-skills gear camera-basics smartphone-photography

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

7y ago

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136

How does a camera meter the scene before you half-press the shutter?

live-view metering auto-mode camera-basics exposure

user81945

7y ago

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166

What does “flange” mean in flange focal distance?

flange-distance lens-adapters lens-mounts camera-basics

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

8y ago

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109

Why does auto exposure make white and black cards look gray?

gray-card metering auto-mode camera-basics exposure

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

8y ago

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155

What counts as “high ISO” in photography?

sensor noise iso camera-basics exposure

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

8y ago

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163

How do camera shutters work, and how are DSLR and smartphone shutters different?

dslr electronic-shutter camera-basics shutter smartphone-photography

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

8y ago

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110

What is focal length measured from in a camera lens?

lenses optics beginner camera-basics focal-length

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

8y ago

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104

How do smartphone cameras know when they’re in focus?

autofocus focus camera-basics smartphone-photography

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

9y ago

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171

Why do iPhones show very low ISO values, and why can’t many DSLRs go that low?

iso sensor-size camera-basics smartphone-photography exposure

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

9y ago

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154

Why is it called a DSLR: what does the “single” mean?

lenses dslr viewfinder slr camera-basics

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

9y ago

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113

Why do professional cameras cost so much more than a basic point-and-shoot?

point-and-shoot buying-advice dslr sensor-size camera-basics

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

9y ago

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184

What are framelines in a camera viewfinder?

leica framelines viewfinder rangefinder camera-basics

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

9y ago

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222

What’s the difference between APS-C and CMOS camera sensors?

sensors dslr cmos aps-c camera-basics

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

9y ago

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138

What is a reflex camera?

dslr mirrorless viewfinder slr camera-basics

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

10y ago

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125

What do the letters "PC" mean in a PC sync terminal?

pc-sync connectors flash camera-basics

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

10y ago

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265

How does crop factor relate to sensor size and area compared with full frame?

field-of-view full-frame crop-factor sensor-size camera-basics

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

10y ago

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