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- 1-inch sensorA new sensor size roughly half way between the small sensors in point and shoot digital cameras and the much larger ones in digital SLRs and mirrorless cameras. It’s found in more advanced high-end compact cameras, and Nikon uses it for its Nikon 1 mirrorless cameras. It’s been adopted by a number of makers as a way of getting better image quality from compact (non interchangeable lens) cameras.
- 1/2.3-inch sensorThis is the smallest sensor size in widespread use for photography. You’ll find it (or sensors of a similarly small size) in smartphones, point and shoot cameras and some bridge and long zoom travel cameras.
- 4K video4K video is a catch-all term for video with a horizontal resolution of around 4,000 pixels. It can include 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160 pixels) and Cinema 4K (4,096 x 2,160 pixels).
- 4K UHDThe latest consumer video standard, with a horizontal resolution of 4,000 pixels or thereabouts. 4K video is appearing on an increasing number of cameras and even smartphones, and 4K TVs are gaining in popularity. Strictly speaking, the dimensions for 4K video are 4,096 x 2,160 pixels and the aspect ratio is slightly wider than the 16:9 standard for HD video. In fact, what most makers and users are referring to is UHD video at 3,840 x 2,160 pixels, which does have a true 16:9 aspect ratio.
- 5-axis stabilizationThe latest kind of image stabilisation technology, where the camera’s sensor can be tilted or shifted on 5 axes to counter a much wider range and types of movement than regular lens-based image stabilisers, and it’s a particular advantage for video, where these additional movements can pose problems during handheld filming. 5-axis stabilisation used in the Pentax K-1 full frame DSLR, Olympus OM-D mirrorless cameras and the latest Sony A7-series compact system cameras.
- 6K video6K video has a horizontal resolution of around 6,000 pixels, or 50% more than 4K video. It’s now starting to appear on some mid-range video cameras, but is used mostly for capturing higher resolution footage for downsampling to 4K (for higher quality) or to allow more leeway for cropping and panning effects in post production.
- 8-bit imageThese are photos which use 8 bits of data for each of the red, green and blue colour channels. This is enough to give over 16 million colours – more than enough for photographic images. The JPEG photos taken by digital cameras are 8-bit images.
- 8K video8K video has a horizontal resolution of around 8,000 pixels and is still in its infancy, though Canon, Sony and Nikon now all make 8K Mirrorless Cameras.
- 1:1 ratio (square)A 1:1 aspect ratio means the width of the image is the same as its height – in other words, it’s square. The square format was very popular in 120 medium format film photography, and it’s popular today on Instagram.
- 12-bit RAWRAW files are captured at a greater ‘bit depth’ than regular JPEG images, which makes them much more resilient for editing later. Basic cameras tend to shoot 12-bit RAW files, which are adequate, but arguably not as good as the 14-bit RAW files captured by more advanced/professional cameras.
- 14-bit RAWThe ‘bit depth’ of RAW files is a factor in the picture quality they can produce, so this is a selling point for advanced digital cameras. Some cheaper models can only shoot 12-bit RAW files, but while this sounds like a small difference, the extra bit depth potentially offers 4x the image data so 14-bit RAW files are a worthwhile benefit, especially if you want to process photos heavily later.
- 16-bit imageThese are photos with 16 bits of data for each of the red, green and blue colour channels. These aren’t created directly by the camera, but you can generate 16-bit images from RAW files and they withstand heavy image manipulation better than regular 8-bit images. The file sizes are much larger, though, which puts more pressure on your computer’s storage capacity and slows down file transfer speeds, and not all software can edit 16-bit images.
- 3:2 ratioThe 3:2 aspect ratio is used by three main sensor sizes: the 1-inch sensors in some higher end compact cameras, APS-C cameras and full frame cameras. The width of the photo is 1.5 times its height. This is the aspect ratio used by 35mm film.
- 35mm cameraThe most popular type of film camera, using 35mm film originally developed for the movie industry. 35mm negatives measure 36 x 24mm and full frame digital cameras are their direct equivalent, with sensors the same size as the 35mm negative.
- 4:3 ratioThis is the aspect ratio used by many camera sensors, including smartphones, point and shoot cameras, Micro Four Thirds and medium format cameras. It’s less ‘wide’ than the 3:2 format used for 35mm film, APS-C and full frame cameras.
- 16:9 ratioThis is the aspect ratio of full HD and 4K UHD video and it’s been widely adopted as the aspect ratio for domestic TVs and computer monitors. The 16:9 ratio means that the picture is 16 units wide by 9 units high. These units can be anything from pixels to centimetres to inches, but the point is that the ratio between them always remains the same at 16 wide to 9 high.
- 360 camera360 cameras create fully immersive video that extends in a full sphere around the camera position, which is usually stationary but could also be mounted on a skydiver's helmet, for example. There are two ways of working with and watching 360-degree video. One is to use the video as raw material for creating a regular rectangular video, but with the freedom to pan around through a full 360 degrees during the editing process as you choose your viewpoint or create your own 'panning' shots. Another is to distribute the 360 video as-is using a suitable display system so that viewers can explore the scene on their own, choosing which direction they want to look in.