Department of Media Studies

Assignment of Course Related Practical

Under Guidance of- Dr. Parmatma Kumar Mishra
By- Sri Niwash
Course- BA JMC {2ND SEM}
Enrollment no- MGCU2020DOMS3028

1|Page
 TOPIC

BASICS OF CAMERA

INDEX
NAME OF TOPIC PAGE NO
CAMERA: DEFINITION AND 3 AND 4
COMPONENTS
WORKING OF CAMERA 5 AND 6

REFERENCES 6

2|Page
CAMERA: DEFINITION AND COMPONENTS

A camera is an optical instrument that captures a visual image. At their most

basic, cameras are sealed boxes (the camera body) with a small hole (the aperture)
that allows light in to capture an image on a light-sensitive surface
(usually photographic film or a digital sensor). Cameras have various
mechanisms to control how the light falls onto the light-sensitive
surface. Lenses focus the light entering the camera and the size of
the aperture can be widened or narrowed to let more or less light into the camera,
and a shutter mechanism determines the amount of time the photosensitive
surface is exposed to the light.
COMPONENTS OF CAMERA:-

1. Shutter Speed – the length of time a camera shutter is

open to expose light into the camera sensor. Shutter
speeds are typically measured in fractions of a second,
when they are under a second. Slow shutter speeds
allow more light into the camera sensor and are used
for low-light and night photography, while fast shutter
speeds help to freeze motion. Examples of shutter
speeds: 1/15 (1/15th of a second), 1/30, 1/60, 1/125.

2. Aperture – a hole within a lens, through which light

travels into the camera body. The larger the hole, the
more light passes to the camera sensor. Aperture also
controls the depth of field, which is the portion of a
scene that appears to be sharp. If the aperture is very
small, the depth of field is large, while if the aperture
is large, the depth of field is small. In photography,
aperture is typically expressed in “f” numbers (also
known as “focal ratio”, since the f-number is the ratio
of the diameter of the lens aperture to the length of
the lens). Examples of f-numbers are: f/1.4, f/2.0,
f/2.8, f/4.0, f/5.6, f/8.0.

3|Page
 3. ISO – a way to brighten your photos if you can’t use a
longer shutter speed or a wider aperture. It is typically
measured in numbers, a lower number representing a
darker image, while higher numbers mean a brighter
image. However, raising your ISO comes at a cost. As
the ISO rises, so does the visibility of graininess/noise
in your images. Examples of ISO: 100, 200, 400, 800,
1600

4. F-stop - The “f” in f-stop stands for the focal length of

the lens. While focal length itself refers to the field of
view of a lens, f-stop is about how much light you allow
to hit the sensor via the aperture opening. ... The
diameter of the aperture determines how much light
gets through and thus how bright your exposure will be.

4|Page
 WORKING PROCESS OF CAMERA

Let us peep inside a camera and try to understand how it works and what its
essential components are. A camera is a box which is black inside and allows the
right amount of light to fall on the surface that is to record the photograph. This
surface varies in the two types of cameras. If it is a film camera then the light falls
on the surface of a film and if it is a digital camera then it is an image sensor that
registers the light. If the amount of light is more than required then the picture
will appear white and details will be missing due to over exposure and if the light
is less than required then the photo will appear dark, again taking away the details
from the picture. So the main parts of a camera are supposed to control the entry
of light.

This is done by two components:

• The shutter
• The aperture
Both these act as controllers of light. The shutter is like a door that opens and
closes for a given period of time. This time ranges from a small fraction of a
second to a few seconds. This is the time when light enters the camera. If the light
in the area where we are taking the photograph is weak then we shall open the
shutter for a longer period of time. If the light is very bright then we shall open
the shutter for a fraction of a second. Similarly the aperture is of great
significance. The aperture is another opening to control the amount of light
coming into the camera. You can compare this to a tap. When you open the tap
fully, a lot of water rushes out but if you open it a little then only a little amount
of water comes out. Likewise you can open the aperture for more light and close
the aperture to reduce the amount of light entering the camera. So while taking a
photo you have to set the shutter speed and control the aperture on the camera.
When you press the release button, the shutter is opened and closed instantly. It

5|Page
is in the intervening period that the exposure takes place on the film/ sensor. This
is indicated by a CLICK noise which can be heard.

REFERENCES

• https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/photograph
y/discover/f-stop.html
• https://www.photographyaxis.com/photography-
articles/parts-of-a-camera/
• https://photographylife.com/iso-shutter-speed-
and-aperture-for-beginners

6|Page