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FFluorescent
The illumination produced from a gas-discharge lamp or tube is called fluorescent light. Electricity to the lamp stimulates the mercury vapor within the lamp creating the emission of electromagnetic radiation which produces the fluorescence. This type of lighting is typically found in office buildings, warehouses and industrial settings. The light produced is “green” or a cooler-than-daylight light balance. Setting a camera’s white balance to Fluorescent will correct for the green cast.
In terms of color temperature, fluorescent light generally falls between 4000 and 5000 degrees Kelvin.
Color Temperature | Light Source |
1000-2000 K | Candlelight |
2500-3500 K | Tungsten Bulb (household variety) |
3000-4000 K | Sunrise/Sunset (clear sky) |
4000-5000 K | Fluorescent Lamps |
5000-5500 K | Electronic Flash |
5000-6500 K | Daylight with Clear Sky (sun overhead) |
6500-8000 K | Moderately Overcast Sky |
9000-10000 K | Shade or Heavily Overcast Sky |
- F Mount
- The F Mount is the designation given to the Nikon single lens reflex interchangeable lens mounting system introduced with the Nikon F in June, 1959. Find out more.
- Fast Glass
- Slang term, often used by professional photographers, for a fast lens with large maximum apertures.
- Fast Lens
- A lens with a large maximum aperture, usually in the range of f/2.8 or larger. Because such a lens will allow more light to reach the film or image sensor, it will allow the use of faster shutter speeds.
- Feature (F) Button
- A button on select Nikon digital cameras that gives you acces to select features. In the Nikon 1 camera system, the Feature button gives you access to certain features in the SPS, Motion Snapshot or Playback modes.
- File Format
- A selected program type or data file such as JPEG, NEF, RAW or TIFF.
- File
- A computer document; also, a collection of information, such as data, images or text that can be saved on a disk or a hard drive.
- Fill-Flash
- A technique that uses flash illumination as a supplement to ambient light. Useful when photographing subjects that are backlit with very high-contrast lighting or in shadow.
- Filter Adapter Ring
- Placed between a filter and the lens when attachment size differs.
- Filter
- A plastic or glass lens that fits in front of the camera lens and is used to manipulate or affect the final image.
- FireWire
- A protocol for transferring data to and from digital devices at high speed, often up to 800 megabytes per second.
- Firmware Update Capability
- A first for Nikon flash units, the latest firmware for specific Nikon Speedlights can be downloaded from Nikon's website to a memory card while the Speedlight is mounted on certain Nikon D-SLRs.
- Firmware
- Firmware is a read only set of instructions that is embedded in a hardware device to either add or improve function. Find out more.
- Fisheye Lens
- A lens that has a picture angle of approximately 180 degrees or more.
- Fixed Bit Rate
- A type of lossy media compression that uses the same data per second throughout the entire audio/video file. The file size will be smaller than one with a variable bit rate. Find out more.
- Fixed Focus
- Refers to a lens in which the focus is fixed at the time of manufacture and is not adjustable. These lenses are most often used in single-use cameras. They are also found in phone cameras and webcams.
- Flare
- The soft effect visible in a picture resulting from stray light passing through the lens that is not focused to form the primary image. Flare can be controlled by using optical coating, light baffles, low reflection surfaces or a lens hood.
- Flash Card
- A type of camera memory card that can retain data after the system has been turned off. Also known as a flash memory card or media card.
- Flash Duration
- Refers to the very short amount of time it usually takes for a flash to fire. Automatic flash control varies the brightness by varying the duration of the flash. Flash duration for an auto flash is typically 1/1000 to 1/20,000 second.
- Flash Exposure Bracketing
- A feature that enables you to automatically bracket exposures at varied flash outputs without changing the shutter speed and/or aperture.
- Flash Output Level Compensation
- A control used to adjust an automatic TTL flash unit’s operation, enabling an increase or decrease of flash output to lighten or darken the flash effect.
- Flash Shooting Distance Range
- The distance over which a flash can effectively provide light.
- Flash Sync Speed
- The speed at which a flash synchronizes with the opening of the shutter.
- Flash Value (FV) Lock
- A function of the Nikon Creative Lighting System, Flash Value (FV) lock maintains the same flash exposure for your main subject when you're shooting a sequence of photos. Find out more.
- Flash
- An electronic unit that provides a relatively brief burst of light.
- Flat Lighting
- Lighting source or method that produces a low contrast image or depicts a subject with little dimensionality.
- Flat
- A term often used to indicate an image that's too low in contrast; a "flat" image.
- Flexible Program
- See Program Shift.
- Flicker Reduction
- When shooting in the movie mode, the Flicker Reduction option, offered on select Nikon cameras, allows you to compensate for the flicker that may be seen on the display or final movies when shooting under certain lighting conditions. Find out more.
- Flood Lamp
- A type of photo reflector lamp that can illuminate a rather wide area.
- Floppy Disk
- A flexible, thin, 3.5-inch square plastic disk used to store data or images. Not widely used anymore as their storage capacity is limited.
- Fluorescent
- The illumination produced from a gas-discharge lamp or tube is called fluorescent light. Find out more.
- f/number or f/stop
- The numerical expression of the relative aperture of a lens. Each f/number is 1.4 times larger than the preceding one, and each number indicates a halving or doubling of the amount of light allowed to pass through the lens.
- Focal Length Multiplier
- For a D-SLR that uses an imaging sensor smaller than 35mm film frame, the ratio of the diagonal of the camera's imaging sensor in comparison to the diagonal of a 35mm frame is the crop factor. The ratio is known as the FLM. Find out more.
- Focal Length
- The distance from the principal point to the focal point.
- Focal Plane
- The precise position (plane) within the camera body, behind the shutter curtain, at which the light gathering surface of the image sensor is fixed. Find out more.
- Focal Point
- A point on the optical axis where light rays converge to form a sharp image of an object.
- Focus Mode
- A method of operation for an autofocus system. Basic focus modes include single servo AF, continuous servo AF and manual focus.
- Focus-Priority AF
- An autofocus mode in which the shutter cannot be released until the subject is in focus.
- Focus Range
- The range within which a lens can focus on a selected subject. Often used to indicate the capability of a macro or micro lens.
- Focus Tracking
- A focusing system that analyzes a moving subject’s speed and anticipates the position of the subject at the exact moment of exposure. Enables you to take in-focus pictures of moving subjects.
- Focusing Screen
- An element between the mirror and pentaprism or pentamirror in a single-lens-reflex camera. Find out more.
- Foreground
- The area in a scene that is closer to the photographer than the main subject.
- Formatting
- Preparing a memory card for use. It is recommended that before each shooting session, digital camera users format their memory card, in the camera, which completely wipes the data that had been on the card. Find out more.
- FP High-Speed Sync
- A feature of flash units and SLR cameras that enables flash pictures to be taken at shutter speeds higher than the camera's normally synchronized speeds.
- FPS
- Frames per second. Refers to the rate at which film is exposed when a camera's motor drive is engaged; in digital photography, the rate at which image frames are exposed.
- Frame
- A single image; also, the scene viewed through the camera's finder.
- Framing Priority
- A photographic technique that is selectable when shooting in the Smart Photo Selector mode of the Nikon 1 system cameras. Find out more.
- Freezeproof
- Freezeproof cameras are designed to be used in frigid temperatures. The Nikon COOLPIX AW100 digital camera is freezeproof, able to be used in the frigid cold down to 14°F and in cold water, down to 32°F.
- Front-Curtain Sync
- A technique in which the flash fires an instant after the first (front) curtain of a focal plane shutter has completed its travel across the film plane. See also Rear-Curtain Sync.
- Front Lighting
- Lighting that illuminates the subject from the position of the camera. Because illumination falls evenly on the subject, a front-lit subject may look flat and less dimensional.
- Full-Aperture Metering
- A metering method in which light is measured with the lens at maximum aperture.
- FX-Format
- Refers to Nikon cameras that feature a 35mm film-frame size sensor. Find out more.