Camcorder Glossary
aperture/exposure
A setting that manipulates the amount of light falling onto the camera's CCD(s). This control adjusts the size of the camcorder's iris.
CCD
(charge coupled device) Light-sensitive integrated circuit in video cameras that converts images into electrical signals. Sometimes referred to as a "chip."
f-stop
Numbers corresponding to variable size of a camera's iris opening, and thus the amount of light passing through the lens. The higher the number, the smaller the iris diameter, which means less light is able to enter the camcorder.
focal length
Distance from a camcorder's lens to a focused image with the lens focused on infinity. Short focal lengths offer a broad field of view (wide-angle lens); long focal lengths offer a narrow field of view (telephoto lens). Zoom lenses have a variable range of focal le…
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