Basic Terminology

AE

Abbreviation for auto exposure. It is an automatic metering and exposure system that sets the optimum exposure (shutter speed and/or aperture) based on the reading by the built-in exposure meter.

AF

Abbreviation for auto focus. It enables the camera to focus the subject automatically.

CF (CompactFlash) card

CF card is the small, card-shaped storage media used to record images taken by the EOS- 1Ds.

ISO speed

This indicates the film’s sensitivity to light. It is expressed as a number following “ISO” such as “ISO 200.” The higher the number, the higher the sensitivity to light. Digital cameras also use the same ISO speed standard used by film-based cameras.

JPEG

Abbreviation for Joint Photographic Experts Group. It is an image file format with various compression levels. The higher the compression rate, the lower the image quality, when the file is expanded (restored).

RAW

This is an image file format that saves the image as is when captured by the camera. It is geared for image processing with a personal computer.

The image quality is not affected when the raw image is compressed, saved, or decom- pressed. By using the dedicated software for image processing, the image can be optimally enhanced for the specified purpose.

sRGB

Color matching standard jointly developed by Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard. Cameras, monitors, applications, and printers which comply with this standard are able to reproduce colors in the same way. (The “s” stands for standard.)

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