BORAX–Sodium tetraborate, Na2B4O710H2O; a mild
alkali used as an accelerator in photographic
developers, particularly for fine–grain effects.
BRIGHTNESS RANGE–Variation of light intensities
from maximum to minimum. Generally refers to a
subject to be photographed. For example, a
particular subject may have a range of one to
four-that is, four times the amount of light is
reflected from the brightest highlight as from the
least bright portion of the subject.
BULB EXPOSURE–An exposure in which the shutter
remains open as long as the shutter release
mechanism is depressed.
BURNING IN–In photographic printing, a technique
by which selected areas of the image are given extra
exposure, and the rest of the image is protected
against added exposure.
CABLE RELEASE–A device consisting of a stiff wire
encased in an outer flexible covering designed to
trip a camera shutter without touching the camera
itself. One end is threaded to fit the shutter, and the
other has a thumb–operated plunger.
CAMCORDER–A portable video camera with
videotape recorder (VTR) and a microphone
attached to form a signal unit.
AI-3
CAMEL-HAIR BRUSH–Term used to define any
brush with superfine, soft bristles used for dusting
lenses and front surface mirrors.
CAMERA–A lighttight chamber, usually fitted with a
lens, through which the image of an object is
recorded on a light-sensitive material.
CAMERA, IDENTIFICATION –A
type
of
still-picture camera used primarily for the making
of identification photographs.
CAMERA, REFLEX–A camera containing a
reflecting mirror within the box, so the image may
be focused on a ground glass on top of the camera.
A single-lens reflex camera has a device to swing
the mirror out of the way during the exposure. A
twin-lens reflex camera uses two lenses: one for the
viewing image and one for the actual
picture-making.
CAMERA, VIEW–A tripod-mounted camera that has
incorporated into its construction a long bellows, a
rising and falling front, horizontal and vertical
swing, lateral shift of front and back, and either a
reversible or a rotating back The view cameras
versatility is valuable for the correction of
distortions in architectural, close-up, and illustra-
tion photography.
CAPSTAN–An electrically driven roller that rotates
and transports the videotape past the recorder heads
at a precise and fixed speed.
CASSETTE–A light-trapped metal or plastic container
for a length of roll film to enable it to be loaded into
a camera in full light.
CCD–Charged-coupled device, also called a chip. A
small, solid-state (silicon resin) imaging device
used in a video camera instead of camera pickup
tubes. Inside the chip, image-sensing elements
translate the optical image into a video signal. Chip
cameras are insensitive to burn in.
CELL, PHOTOELECTRIC–A device by which light
is transformed into electrical energy. Used as the
sensitive element in exposure meters and optical
sound reproducers and projectors.
CENTIGRADE –A thermometer scale having 100
divisions between the freezing and boiling points of
water in universal use for scientific purposes. Also
called Celsius after its inventor. Centigrade
temperatures may be converted to Fahrenheit
temperatures with the following formula:
F=9/5C+32
when F = Fahrenheit temperature and C = Centi-
grade temperature. (PIA)
CENTIMETER –A unit of length in the metric system
which is 0.01 of a meter. According to American
standards, 1 inch is equivalent to 2.54 centimeters
(cm). (PIA)
CHARACTER GENERATOR–An electronic device
to create words or graphics that may be
electronically inserted or “keyed” over the video
picture.
CHARACTERISTIC CURVE–The curve showing
the relationship between exposure and resulting
density in a developed photographic image. It is
usually plotted as the density against the log
exposure in candle-meter-seconds. Called also the
“H. and D. curve” and the “sensitometric curve.”
The abscissa is sometimes an arbitrary relative
exposure.
CHEMICAL FOG –Fog
appearing
during
development of parts of a film not exposed to light.
(PIA)
