Glossary

  • Aperture - Literally, a hole or an opening through which light is admitted. In relation to the G9, the aperture controls how wide or narrow the opening is for light to transmit to the sensor. A smaller aperture typically increases the depth of field in photos. Using smaller aperture values require slower shutter speeds to compensate for the narrower opening for light to strike the sensor. I like to keep my aperture at the highest level which is 8.0 on the G9. Aperture values are measured by f stops. On the G9, the range is 2.8 to 8.0
  • ISO - (International Organization for Standardization) this setting reflects the “film” sensitivity to light. On the G9, the ISO range goes from 80 through 1600 (The SCN mode allows you to shoot at ISO 3200). The lower the ISO setting, the LESS sensitive the “film” is to light thus, requiring a longer exposure time. The lower ISO settings keep noise to a minimum with ISO 80 being the “cleanest” of all the ISO settings. At ISO 80, exposure times will be longer and may require the use of a tripod to avoid camera shake that may translate into blurry photos due to the longer exposure time.
  • SDHC Card - Secure Digital High Capacity Card. The G9 is compatible with the SDHC card as well as its predecessor the SD card. SD cards are not as fast as the SDHC cards and come in lower storage capacities. In order to maximize the G9 photographer experience, I highly recommend going with the SDHC card. The faster speeds greatly reduce the recovery (the delay in between shots) time thus, making your photographic experience much smoother and enjoyable.
  • Tethering - This is the action of taking your photos and viewing them on a proper visual output display. Viewing your photos on your G9’s LCD screen does not give you the full experience of the photo due to the LCD screen’s inherent limitations. The LCD screen on your G9 is primarily used for composition and for adjusting Shutter Speed or Aperture settings. The LCD is simply a preview whereas a proper visual output display (such as a laptop LCD display or LED if you’re one of the lucky new MacBook owners) provides you with the tools necessary to review your photos. Many times I have previewed photos on my LCD screen thinking that they were throwaway shots only to discover that this ‘throwaway’ shot ended up being good enough for print. Tethering ensures that you give your photos a chance to prove their worth not simply based on its preview on your G9 LCD screen. Tethering literally means connecting but, has taken on a variant meaning in photography.