Glossary

A

accessory shoe

A metal mount fitted to the top of the camera which allows supplementary accessories such as a flash or rangefinder to be fitted to it. See also Hot Shoe and Cold Shoe.

aperture

Often expressed as ƒ or f/, aperture is the amount of light allowed into the camera lens by adjusting the size of the opening. Somewhat confusingly, a smaller ƒ number denotes a larger opening. Therefore, a wide aperture of ƒ1.8 lets in more light than an aperture of ƒ22.

ASA

A film speed rating system developed by the American Standards Association. Replaced by ISO standards in 1974. See also ISO and DIN .

B

brownie

The trade name given to simple, mass-produced box cameras. First made by Kodak in 1900 and responsible for the spread of snapshot photography within the general public.

bulb

Bulb, or B, is a shutter speed setting on a camera that allows the photographer to control the exposure time manually by simply holding the shutter open for any length of time.