Terminology

Parts

Body:

The area of the camera in which light is exposed to a photosensitive medium, be it an electronic sensor or film.

Lens:

The lens refers to the area in which light enters into the body of a camera. Glass lenses allow for manipulation of light through zooming and focusing, whereas some cameras do not have a lens attachment, but rather have a simple hole (pinhole cameras).

Viewfinder:

Most cameras have a peep through which you are able to see what you are taking a photo of. Known as the viewfinder, the elements within this can be the most complex parts of a camera. Some are attached to the lens to allow one to see exactly what a picture will look like, while others, known as rangefinders, are completely separate elements without any attachment to the lens.

Shutter:

To prevent constant exposure to light, most cameras have a shutter – a flap that closes off the flow of light between the lens and body portions of a camera. Most modern cameras have the shutter within the body of the camera.

Measurements:

Aperture:

An example of the aperture within a lens. The individual blades can be seen, creating something that looks a bit like a bionic eye.

Aperture refers to the opening of a shutter that is usually contained within the lens of a camera. Aperture is usually measured in F-stops (F/s); the smaller the measure of the F-stop, the larger the opening of this shutter, and vice versa.

Shutter Speed:

Shutter Speed is a measurement of how long the shutter remains open during the process of taking a photo. This is a measured in fractions of a second.

ISO:

Stands for “International Standards Organization,” and refers to the sensitivity of a roll of film to light. The lower the ISO, the less sensitive it is and vice versa. The ISO rating carried over from film to digital cameras, and is an adjustment in digital cameras to adjust how sensitive the sensor is to light.