Video Industry Acronyms & Camera Terms

Marcus Phipps · October 17, 2009

Newbie Post :

I wanted to inquire if someone or folks might chime in to teach us newbies what each part of the camera is called in the industry. I know acronyms run rampid as in any technical industry. This thread is simply to acquaint newbies to what terms they can / should look for. And to help them ask questions with the right terms. Recently I made a post with ignorance intact and referred to something I didn't know what to call. Thus, this hopefully will result in newbies being better acquainted to videography. Hopefully this will serve all of us.

And before someone chimes in to say, "Research this yourself",... this is to lend back to the industry folk. Making Cinematography.com a single resource for the newbie. I am doing my part in asking my questions. Granted there is ignorance in my part. But I am open minded to learning and your answers will certainly help lend to many minds.

In closing,... please remember most people viewing this / my threads will be newbies. With little or no knowledge. Thus, hammering allot of technical specifications likely won't be understood. This / these posts are to simply deliver low-level understanding so that a newbie looking to buy their first camera or has recently bought a camera can understand the acronyms the industry will toss at them. It would be GREATLY appreciated if you care to elaborate on other acronyms that haven't yet been posted. In the end, i'll post all of them in one post for easy reference for others. I assume this thread may take several months to make it's rounds. There is no rush in these newbie posts. It's merely your experience being lent to the new minds. Mine included. - Most Appreciated, Marcus

1) How many parts are there to make a tube camera functional? From capturing the person / image to delivering it to the (now) modern PC or Mac? Please advise all parts including cable names / connector types.

2) How many parts are there to make a digital camera functional? From capturing the person / image to delivering it to the (now) modern PC or Mac? Please advise all parts including cable names / connector types.

3) Please elaborate on any required video equipment a newbie would / should expect to have to document a reasonable video. Reasonable meaning able to hand it in to a teacher or have a reasonably clear end product that isn't horridly pixilated.

SOME TERMS I'VE COME TO READ AND MAY NOT BE UNDERSTOOD are listed below. Remember to keep your explanation semi-simple. Most of us newbies are just wetting our feet and when we run into these terms we would just like to know what they relate to. Not so much the science behind them. My later posts will likely inquire on the science.

1) LENS CONNECTIONS / CONNECTORS : I have a more specific newbie thread on lenses and connectors. If you can explain what this term(s) mean in general.

2) RECORDING UNITS / PACKS :

3) VIDEO ADAPTERS :

4) ADAPTER RINGS :

5) LENS FILTERS :

6) FISH-EYE LENS :

7) TBC :

8) FLUID HEAD :

9) RIG :

10) RFU :

11) AF :

12) MF :

13) HiDef :

14) SD CAMERA SYSTEM :

15) S-VIDEO :

16) DVI :

17) CHARGER / ADAPTER :

18) EYE CUP :

19) LENS HOOD :

20) TV ZOOM-LENS :

21) MIC HOLDER :

22) VIEW FINDER :

23) FUJINON :

24) GEN LOCK :

25) CAMERA ADAPTER :

26) CCU :

27) VTR :

28) INTERCOM :

29) XLR :

30) WHITE BAL :

This may seems like allot but if you can answer one or two that's helpful. If you can answer most / all it is most helpful to us newbies. Right now, a newbie has to search in ten places or more to often find simple explanations. This may serve as a better platform. If my attempts are well-received, then i'll continue to try and spell out all the newbie questions in hopes that Cinematography.com gets more newbies to visit and ultimately register. When replying to any of the above please only refer to the number you are replying to. I understand the forum does not like large quotes to be repeated. It's a fair request. Thus, I put numbers next to each thing in hopes to eliminate several people from quoting my entire post. Just trying to be most helpful.

Feel free to view my other newbie posts. I have several posted and a few more in the works. It takes me a few days to get most of the questions together before I post them. So as to best deliver to a newbie mind. Mine included. Thus far, you all have been extremely helpful. This is why I chose Cinematography.com to establish a newbie's series of questions. Ultimately newbies searching in Google or similar will be directed here. Depending on what my post is regarding. So, you are lending your talent to new minds. And I thank you very much. I've posted my threads so as to be best read and 'hit' upon for a newbie's search online.

Most Respectfully,

Marcus

See my other newbie posts. Others in the works over next few days and weeks as time permits.

Chris Bowman · October 19, 2009

Marcus,

Wow, you sure do have a lot of questions! It's great that you want to learn, but very few members of this forum have the time to give comprehensive answers to all of these questions. That is why when you ask something that is fairly common knowledge, you will often get a reply from someone to research it yourself. While nearly everyone here is willing to help with a sincere question that you can't find an answer for, none of us really have time to create a comprehensive curriculum on this website for the totally uninitiated.

In doing research, Wikipedia is your best friend. I know a lot of universities don't accept it as a credible academic reference, but most of the information on there (especially on topics of cinematography) is written by experts in the field who have given a lot of their valuable time to give comprehensive, searchable, and cross-refferenced explanations of these complex subjects. Also, Wiki has pictures and animations that can be invaluable for actually understanding how these things work.

I would highly recommend that if you come across a term or a concept that you don't understand, Wiki it first. Even if you don't understand the concept entirely after reading the wiki, it will probably give you at least a partial understanding that will allow you to make a more specific and concise question for the professionals here to answer. You will also learn about other aspects of filmmaking that probably hadn't even occurred to you as you read the articles.

As for industry acronyms, there is a fairly substantial glossary here, so take a look.

I'll continue to read your posts and answer questions when I have the time and knowledge to do so, but doing your own research really is an essential part of learning. It will vastly improve you knowledge, and it will leave time for the many experts and enthusiasts here to answer the more complex questions that don't have answers that are easy to find elsewhere with a quick google or wiki search.

I have never had a single class of film school in my life, so almost everything I know about film and video I have learned through my own research, or through blundering experience. I know it can sometimes be difficult to find the answers you are looking for, but you will also find many times that the information you need can be had with the first or second hit on Google.

It would be nice if a complete primer on all things video were available on cinematography.com, but the reality is that it is a forum of busy people who see a 30 part question and say "There's no way I have time to answer that!" If anyone had time to write out all of this information, he would probably send it to a publisher and charge $45 for a copy. (See the recommended reading thread for more info. :P )

Marcus Phipps · October 19, 2009

Chris good post. I understand your points well.

However, I am merely trying to land a single location that newbies can go to for learning certain things. And don't want to stray away from my original question on this thread. You've been an incredible resource for newbies. Thanks allot for that.

Your link to Tek.com to download the .pdf of industry terms will certainly help allot of us starting out. Had you not posted that,... there are allot of us that wouldn't have known. I didn't need to know all the terms listed. A simple link as you gave best served it's purpose. And in my opinion, this thread can now be closed because the industry terms has been answered thru Tek.com and downloading that particular .pdf.

If people don't want to take the time to answer these newbie questions, then it a forum has no place online. It's all about asking questions. Hopefully in the correct forum room. I choose the newbie / student room in hopes to post the most basic questions. Ultimately hoping to help those of us that lack the basics. I being one of them.

So, without going into a long reply,... I want to thank you for the time you've taken to answer my questions to date. Aside from helping me, it appears that allot of people have viewed these particular threads. So I assume they are worthy questions. I just try to ask them as a newbie might wonder. And in the end, it will help allot of people. And it's people like you that make online forums wonderful. I thank you in advance.

I will continue to ask the basics. So as to make Cinematography.com a single location for people to trust and refer to when they want to know things. Within a few years the basics being answered will likely foster knowledge to all the kids and other newbies that want to break into the video field but are too embarrassed to ask the question(s). I on the other hand, am thinking of this as a way to give back once you've attained certain knowledge. I am sorry that some of my posts seem burdensome and long. But to a newbie these basic posts likely answer exactly the things that are important to them. I will try to keep them bullet-pointed and easy to read. A link to the answer is great. Versus answering any / all my basic questions. Actually, i've found a few outside sites that may lend to these basic questions. But they lack a single website to answer them all. At least that's what i've run into. I'd like (newbie) to go to a single website and perform a search and voila,... have the basics. Then build from there. All in one site. I just don't know that such a site exists yet. However, with the knowledge of persons such as yourself and the honest basic questions from someone like me. And putting them into the correct forum room, I hope to help others. I feel that is important. We never know one of the people this site lends information to may go on to shoot a major movie. Or at least something of historical value.

Thanks so much for your continued insight. It's people like you that make the online learning (forums) a place people want to go visit.

To date the Tek.com .pdf is located here : http://www.tek.com/Measurement/App_Notes/25_15215/eng/

If that link is moved or removed, if someone would kindly repost the new location for the rest of us. ;)

Most Respectfully,

Marcus

THREAD CAN BE CLOSED - ANSWERED ABOVE (Courtesy Chris)

Will Earl · October 19, 2009

If people don't want to take the time to answer these newbie questions, then it a forum has no place online. It's all about asking questions. Hopefully in the correct forum room. I choose the newbie / student room in hopes to post the most basic questions. Ultimately hoping to help those of us that lack the basics. I being one of them.

This is a forum for asking questions, but it's really for questions which you can't find the answer for yourself or perhaps you've found an answer but you don't quite understand certain parts of it. It's quite different from an encyclopaedia.