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PPainting with Light

A lighting technique whereby the photographer paints light onto the subject, usually using a constant light source such as a flashlight. You can also paint with light using flashes, including Nikon Speedlights. When painting with light, the shutter is kept open during a time exposure as the light incrementally is added to the subject. 
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Posterization
A graphic effect in which an area of an image with a smooth transition of tones is replaced with several areas of fewer tones.
PICT
A file format used by Macintosh for graphic imaging.
Pixel Size
Refers to the size of each pixel on a digital imaging sensor. Pixel size is measured in microns.
Picture Angle
Refers to the amount of a scene that will be in the photo. It is determined by the focal length of the lens and the format of the camera and is usually measured across the diagonal of the frame. Also called angle of view.
P-frames
One of the three types of compressed frames used by the MPEG format. Find out more.
Push-Processing
Refers to increasing the development time of film. Film is designed to be exposed at its rated ISO number, but if you choose to underexpose the film, push-processing will be required to achieve acceptable results.
Parallax Effect
This occurs when a camera utilizes one lens for the viewfinder and another in which light travels through to reach the film plane or image sensor. Twin Lens Reflex and Rangefinder cameras are succeptible to Parrallax Effect or Error. Find out more.
PictBridge
PictBridge is an industry standard introduced in 2003 from the Camera & Imaging Products Association (CIPA) for direct printing. Find out more.
Phase-Detection Autofocus
A method for detecting the degree of focus using a specialized autofocus sensor.
PDF
Portable Document Format. A file format created by Adobe to allow the easy sharing of files of images and text among computers without requiring the specific software application that created the elements of the file.
Power Drive Zoom
Certain Nikon 1 camera system 1 NIKKOR lenses utilize a Power Drive Zoom for fast, quiet zooming. These lenses are ideal for use when shooting video. Find out more.
Polarizing Filter/Polarizer
Usually indicates a linear or circular polarizing filter, which eliminates various degrees of reflected light from glass, water, plastic, paper and similar surfaces. Nikon makes circular polarizing filters.
Predictive Focus Tracking
In AF-C mode, the camera will initiate predictive focus tracking if the subject moves toward or away from the camera while the shutter release button is pressed halfway or either of the AF-ON buttons is pressed. Find out more.
Power Aperture
When shooting video in Live View mode, and recording uncompressed to an external video recorder, the power aperture feature lets you smoothly open and close the aperture electronically. Find out more.
PC Lens
A perspective control lens. The barrel of a PC lens can be shifted so that you can keep the plane of the film or sensor parallel to the subject. Useful for photographing elongated or tall subjects, such as buildings.
Perspective Control
Correcting in an image editing program or composing to eliminate the distortion that occurs in a photograph because the flat surface of the camera's sensor (or, in the case of a film camera, the film plane) is not parallel to parallel lines Find out more.
Program Shift
In programmed auto exposure mode, this function enables you to temporarily change an automatically set shutter speed/aperture combination while maintaining the correct exposure.
Principal Point
The point from which the focal length of a lens is measured. The principal point of a simple lens is located at the center of the lens. Compound lenses have two principal points, the location of which cannot be determined by appearance.
PRE (Preset Manual)
PRE is a white balance mode incorporated into certain Nikon cameras that allows you to record and recall a custom white balance setting. Find out more.
Pixelization
An abbreviation for picture element, it represents the basic building block of every image. It helps to think of pixels as tiny individual blocks or squares, each having a specific color and each one touching the next to form a color image.
PPI
Pixels per inch. A commonly used unit of measure that indicates the number of pixels contained in a square inch of space. Generally, the more pixels per square inch, the greater the sharpness or resolution of an image.
Photosynth
A software program from Microsoft that analyzes a series of digital photographs and creates from them a three-dimensional simulation.
Preset-Focus Shooting
A technique in which focus is set at a predetermined setting and the shutter is released when the subject moves into the focus point.
Petabyte (pb)
A petabyte is a unit of measurement equal to 1,024 terrabytes or approximately 1,000,000,000,000,000 bytes.
PAL
PAL is a European video standard that is also used in certain other areas of the world.
Painting with Light
A lighting technique whereby the photographer paints light onto the subject, usually using a constant light source such as a flashlight. You can also paint with light using flashes, including Nikon Speedlights. Find out more.
Pancake Lens
Pancake Lens is the term used for a thin, flat lens with (very short lens barrel). These lenses are ultra compact and usually feature a very fast minimum aperture.
Programmed Auto Exposure
A mode in which the camera automatically selects the optimum combination of shutter speed and aperture.
Panning
Refers to following a subject with the camera and keeping it in the same position in the viewfinder as it moves across (not towards or away from) the field of view.
Parallax
The difference between image coverage in the viewfinder and the image taken by the lens. Parallax occurs when the optical axis of the viewfinder is in a different position than that of the camera lens. This occurs in lens-shutter cameras.
Prime Lens
A lens whose focal length is fixed, as opposed to a zoom lens, which has a variable focal length.
Pixel
An abbreviation for picture element, it represents the basic building block of every image. It helps to think of pixels as tiny individual blocks or squares, each having a specific color and each one touching the next to form a color image.
Perspective
The relative size, distance and depth of a three-dimensional subject or scene within a two-dimensional flat picture.
PC-PJ Transfer Software
Software that allows users of a Nikon projector camera the aiblity to transfer content from a computer to the camera for viewing using the projector feature.
Panorama
A wide or ultra wide-angle image, often, but not restricted to, a landscape.