A Glossary of Photographic Terms: A

Active Light Lock Door

A lock on the Advanced Photo System film cassette that allows unexposed or partially exposed film to be advanced only when the cassette is properly loaded into any of the system's equipment, including cameras and photofinishing devices.

Adjustable Camera

A camera with manually adjustable settings for distance, lens openings, and shutter speeds.

Adjustable-Focus Lens

A lens that has adjustable distance settings.

Advanced Photo System

A new standard in consumer photography developed by Kodak and four other System Developing Companies - Canon, Fuji, Minolta and Nikon - based on a new film format and innovative film, camera and photofinishing technologies.

Advantix

The new Kodak brand that identifies the company's Advanced Photo System offerings.

Agitation

Keeping the developer, stop bath, or fixer in a gentle, uniform motion while processing film or paper. Agitation helps to speed and achieve even development and prevent spotting or staining.

Ambient Light

The available light completely surrounding a subject. Light already existing in an indoor or outdoor setting that is not caused by any illumination supplied by the photographer.

Photographer: Anna Collins KINSA/KODAK Photo Contest Film: KODAK GOLD Plus 200 Film Size: 35 mm

Angle Of View

The area of a scene that a lens covers or sees. Angle of view is determined by the focal length of the lens. A wide-angle lens (short-focal-length) includes more of the scene-a wider angle of view-than a normal (normal-focal-length) or telephoto (long-focal-length) lens.

A-PEN

Annealed polyethylene naphthalate-a polyester material used as the base on Advanced Photo System film; thinner, stronger and flatter than the acetate base traditionally used in consumer photographic roll films.

Aperture

Lens opening. The opening in a camera lens through which light passes to expose the film. The size of aperture is either fixed or adjustable. Aperture size is usually calibrated in f-numbers-the larger the number, the smaller the lens opening.

Aperture Priority

An exposure mode on an automatic or autofocus camera that lets you set the aperture while the camera sets the shutter speed for proper exposure. If you change the aperture, or the light level changes, the shutter speed changes automatically.

Archivability

Good quality tape can be relied upon to withstand a wide range of temperature and humidity. If stored properly, the expected lifetime of a video tape should be anywhere from 10 years to beyond 30 years. Tapes should resist shedding and layer-to-layer adhesion; remain flexible; and retain the recorded signals with little loss. Poor performance tape may start shedding over time especially if exposed to extremes of temperature. Also they may develop sticky substances as a result of high humidity exposure and the breakdown of the vinyl binders used to hold the magnetic particles onto the base film.

Aspect Ratio

The ratio of width to height in photographic prints - 2:3 in 35 mm pictures to produce photographs most commonly measuring 3.5 x 5 inches or 4 x 6 inches; Advanced Photo System cameras deliver three aspect ratios as selected by the user. See also Interspersed Aspect Ratio.

The Advanced Photo System's three user selectable print formats: "C" - 2:3 aspect ratio used in 35 mm photography "H" - 9:16 aspect ratio used by high-definition television (HDTV) "P" - 1:3 aspect ratio produces prints of 3.5 x 10.5 inches or up to 4.5 x 11.5 inches; suitable for panoramic shots

Audio Frquency Response

This is the measure of relative loudness of high frequencies compared to the playback level of the lower frequencies. It is measured at 7 Khz.

Audio Sensitivity

The playback output level of the audio signal at lower frequencies (measured at 1 Khz). This represents how loud the audio signal will be on playback from conventional linear audio (not hi-fi VCRs).

Autofocus (AF)

System by which the camera lens automatically focuses the image of a selected part of the picture subject.

Automatic Camera

A camera with a built-in exposure meter that automatically adjusts the lens opening, shutter speed, or both for proper exposure.

A Glossary of Photographic Terms Menu

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