Cable Release

A flexible cable device for releasing the shutter. Usually used for slow shutter speeds when the camera must remain absolutely still. A must for ultra sharp images.

Cartridge

A light-proof film container, usually made of metal. It is often called "magazine" or "cassette".

Catchlight

The reflection of a light source in the eyes of a subject. It makes for more pleasing portraits. Usually provided by the use of fill-flash.

CCD (Charged Coupled Device)

A semiconductor device that is used especially as an optical sensor and that stores charge and transfers it sequentially to an amplifier and detector; also called CCD, used in digital cameras to capture an image.

CC (Color Compensating)

Filter Enables fine adjustments to color tone or color density in color photography. Most CC filters are made of gel and come in six colors: C (Cyan), M (Magenta), Y (Yellow), B (Blue), G (Green) and R (red).

CD-R CD-Recordable.

A compact disc that holds either 650 or 700 MB of digital information, including digital photos. Creating one is commonly referred to as burning a CD. A CD-R disc can only be written to once, and is an ideal storage medium for original digital photos.

CD-RW CD-Rewritable.

A compact disc that holds either 650 or 700 MB of digital information, including digital photos, like the CD-R, except that a CD-RW disc can be written and erased many times. Best suited for backup tasks, but not for long term storage of original digital photos.

C-W (Center-Weighted)

Fill-Flash Fill-Flash technique using Center-Weighted metering, recommended for ambient light control for a subject in the center of the frame. One more of the many pioneering technology advances of Nikon, whereby the burst request made to the speedlight is based on a balanced exposure between the ambient light surrounding the subject and the light provided by the flash without making the latter noticeable. Precise ambient exposure control is achieved by pointing the meter into different brightness areas and making the selection of choice, or through camera and/or flash EV compensation.

C-W (Center-Weighted)

Metering A center-biased metering method. In high-end Nikon cameras, the bias is variable. In the F5 for example, through Custom Setting 14 the circle of highest meter sensitivity (75%) can be changed from 12mm to 8, 15 or 20mm diameter. Before advanced Matrix Metering was introduced in 1988 on the N8008/F801, much improved over that on the FA, all Nikon cameras with meter had a Center-Weighted one.

Chromatic Aberration

Caused by the differences in refraction of the colored rays of the spectrum. It is "axial" when light rays pass through a lens cause the lens to focus at different points, depending on the light wavelength. It is "lateral" or "transverse" when the magnification varies depending on the light wavelength. It creates blur.

Cibachrome

Unique color printing system, directly from color transparencies, not from an internegative, developed by Ciba-Geigy Photochemie of Switzerland and Ilford of the UK in the early 60s. With stunning sharpness, color intensity, clean whites, and critical accuracy to the original slide, Cibachrome prints made on a dimensionally stable tri-acetate polyester base, not paper; are archival, will not fade, discolor or deteriorate for a very long time. When Ilford was acquired by International Paper in 1989, Ciba-Geigy required the name changed. So it is now officially called Ilfochrome, but its fans keep calling it Cibachrome.

Circle of Confusion

The circle of confusion has nothing to do with other camera brand users. It is the largest on-film/sensor circle that you can see as a well defined point on an 8×10 print when viewed at from a "normal" viewing distance of 2 to 3 feet. Anything larger is seen as a small circle, not a point and is therefore perceived as out of focus. For 35mm film format the diameter of such point or circle is 0.02501mm, commonly rounded to 0.03mm for hyperfocal distance computations. For APS-C (DX) digital cameras sensors, the CoC is 0.020

Circular Polarizer

A photographic filter designed to eliminate reflections from glass and water, including water in foliage, to intensify the color of the sky and color saturation in general. A circular polarizer does not interfere with the AF or the Metering systems of auto cameras like a linear polarizer would typically do.

Close-up

A photograph or video or movie shot taken at close range filling the frame. Magnification ratios of a close-up typically vary from 1:10 to 1:1 (life-size).

Close-up Attachment

Lens A convenient and economical way to enter close-up photography. Attached to the front of a lens its magnification ratio ability is increased by shortening the focusing distance. 0, 1, 2, 3T, 4T for 52mm diameter lenses; and 5T & 6T for 62mm, are the Nikon close-up lenses available. Also called close-up "filters".

CRC (Close Range Correction System)

One of the many pioneering efforts from Nikon, system that provides superior picture quality at close focusing distances and increases the focusing range of a lens. Through “Floating Element” designs -wherein each lens group moves independently to achieve focusing- CRC enables selected Nikkor lenses to provide comparable performance at both very near and very far focusing distances. For fisheye and wide angle lenses, CRC allows for most interesting perspectives. A most impressive example of a lens with this feature is the AF-S 17-35mm f/2.8D ED IF Zoom Nikkor.

CMYK

Acronym for Cyan (process Blue), Magenta (process Red), Yellow and Black, the primary colors of ink used in professional printing process to which Black is added for enhancement or for true Black. Not to be confused with the primary colors of light which are Red, Green and Blue (RGB).

Color

The appearance of objects (or light sources) described in terms of a person's perception of their hue and lightness (or brightness) and saturation.

Color Temperature

The temperature at which a blackbody emits radiant energy competent to evoke a color the same as that evoked by radiant energy from a given source (as a lamp). Measured in Kelvin degrees (K), important to photographers to understand how light changes and film records it and to filter it to fit the film in use. In digital photography the light conversions/adjustments can be made via software. Average noon daylight has a color temperature of 5500K. A common tungsten house light bulb has a color temperature of 2800K. Tungsten studio lamps 3200K and photo lamps or photofloods 3400K.

Color (Temperature)

Conversion Filter Converts the color temperature of the light source as it goes through it to fit the film in use. For example, the dark blue B12 Nikon filter makes it possible to use daylight balanced film with tungsten studio lamps, changing the light temperature from 3200K to 5500K. In digital photography the light color conversion filters effect can be added via software.

Coma

Aberration where light rays pass through an off-axis point causing the lens to focus at different points causing blur.

CompactFlash™ Card

Trademark name for one type of digital camera's re-usable memory card on which images taken by the camera are stored. Available in a wide range of storage capacity and recording speeds.

Contrast

Control Filter Filters used in black and white photography to emphasize contrast in various degrees. There are six major types: Y (Yellow), Y/G (Yellow/Green), G (Green), O (Orange), R (Red) and the not so frequently used B (Blue), for portraits, to strengthen skin tones and bring out more detail in faces. Contrast filters improve the separation of tones. The deeper colored the filter the more pronounced the contrast effect.

Contrast

The apparent difference in brightness between lightest and darkest areas of an image. Usually refers to the gradation between black and white. Fewer gray values are described as "high contrast." Many shades of gray is low contrast.

Crop

Enlargement of an image with sections removed to improve its composition.

Curvature of Field

Where light rays passing through a lens causing the lens to focus on a curved plane versus a flat plane. This causes out-of-focus pictures.

Curves

An Adobe Photoshop functionality that allows to adjust the tonal range of a digitized image. From basic adjustments in shadows, highlights and mid tones, to sophisticated adjustments at any point within a 256 (from 0 to 255) tonal range of the entire image or precise adjustments to the individual color channels of an image.