AF — autofocus
The camera focuses the lens for you.
Academy > Photography
Underwater Photography Glossary
Camera terms explained in plain English.
A practical guide to the shorthand
Photography is full of abbreviations. This is our simple guide to the terms used across the MacroDivers photography pages.
It is not a camera manual. The definitions are here to help you understand what a setting changes and why it matters underwater.
AF-S — single autofocus
The camera focuses once when you half-press the shutter. Andrew uses AF-S for his normal TG-7 macro setup.
AF Super Macro
A TG-7 close-focus option for small subjects. It is part of Andrew's normal saved macro setup.
A Mode — Aperture Priority
You choose the aperture and the camera chooses a suitable shutter speed. This is Andrew's normal TG-7 macro mode.
Aperture
The opening inside the lens. It affects how much light enters and how much of the subject appears sharp.
f-stop or f-number
The number used for aperture. f/8 is Andrew's normal TG-7 macro starting point because he usually wants enough depth of field to keep the important parts of a nudibranch sharp.
ISO
How strongly the camera responds to light. Andrew starts at ISO 100 to keep the image clean.
Shutter speed
How long the camera records light. A slower speed lets in more ambient light but can show more movement.
Depth of field
The amount of the scene that looks acceptably sharp from front to back.
TTL
Through-the-lens automatic flash metering. The camera and a compatible flash system use a measured exposure to decide the flash output.
Smart Control Macro
The MF-2's automatic option for normal close-up work. It keeps flash exposure simple while you concentrate on distance, position and strobe angle.
Manual flash
You choose the strobe output yourself. It is useful when you want repeatable direct control, including deliberate snoot work.
Strobe
An underwater flash. It freezes movement and puts colour back into a close subject.
Focus light
A continuous light that helps the camera focus and helps you see where the strobe will fall. Avoid prolonged bright light on an animal.
Fibre-optic cable
A thin cable that carries the camera's flash signal to an external strobe without an electrical connection.
RAW
A file containing more of the camera's original image data. It gives more room for careful editing later.
JPEG
A ready-to-use compressed image file. It is smaller and easier to share than RAW.
White balance
A camera setting that controls how warm, cool or neutral colours appear.
Exposure compensation
A quick way to ask an automatic exposure to look lighter or darker without rebuilding every setting.
Working distance
The space between the camera and the subject. Changing it affects framing, focus and how the strobe light reaches the animal.
Backscatter
Bright spots caused when light hits particles between the camera and the subject. Get close and angle the strobe across the subject rather than into open water or sand.
Snoot
An attachment that narrows the strobe beam so only a small part of the scene is lit.
Black background
A photograph where the subject is lit but the area behind it records as black. Strobe position, distance and exposure all matter.
Image stabilisation — IS
A camera feature that helps reduce blur from small camera movements. Andrew keeps it on in his normal TG-7 macro setup.
C1 — custom mode
A saved group of camera settings. Andrew saves his normal TG-7 macro starting setup to C1 so it is ready at the start of a dive.
Put the terms into practice
Start with one repeatable setup, then work on buoyancy, distance, focus and light instead of constantly changing menus.
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