Underwater Photography Abbreviations

[TimG]

A number of member have asked if we can post a glossary of common underwater photography/videography abbreviations.

 

So, we offer:

 

 

AE-L: Automatic Exposure Lock

AF-C: Auto Focus-Continuous - camera focuses continuously

AF-L: Auto Focus Lock

AF-S: Auto Focus-Spot - camera holds focus in one spot 

APS-C: Cropped sensor

AWB: Auto White Balance

BR: Buyers remorse - the regret of not getting the pricier model
CA: Chromatic Aberration

CAF/CDAF: Contrast-detection autofocus. 
CFWA: Close Focus, Wide-Angle

CMC: Compact Macro Converter

DOF: Depth of Field

DX: Nikon cropped sensor 

EMWL: Extended Macro Wide Lens

ETTR: Exposing to the Right

EVF: Electronic Viewfinder

EXIF: Exchangeable Image File Format

FCP: Fisheye Conversion Port (Nauticam)*

FFCP/FCPX: Final Cut Pro editing software

FE: Fisheye 

FF: Full Frame sensor

FOV: Field Of View

FPS: Frames per second

FX: Nikon full frame sensor

IQ: Image Quality

IS: Image Stabilization with different manufacturer declination

   Canon - IS (Image Stabilization)

   Fujifilm - OIS (Optical Image Stabilization)

   Nikon - VR (Vibration Reduction)

   Panasonic - Power OIS (Power Optical Image Stabilization)

   Sony - OSS (Steady Shot)

LR: Adobe Lightroom 

MFT or M4/3: Micro Four-Thirds 

PDAF: Phase-detection autofocus.

PS: Adobe Photoshop 

SMC: Supermacro Converter

SOOC: Straight Out of Camera

SS: Shutter Speed

TTL: Thru The Lens (in u/w photography usually refers to the automatic camera control of strobe output)

WACP: Wide-Angle Correction Port or Wide-Angle Conversion Port (Nauticam)*

WWL: Wet Wide Lens (Nauticam)*

 

* for all Nauticam wet lens, read the detailed explanation in this article: 

 

https://waterpixels.net/articles/articles_technique/fcp-wacp-wwl-emwl-a-short-overview-of-what-you-need-to-know-on-nauticam-water-contact-optics-r40/

 

ALTERNATIVE suggestions we thought it important to include:

 

WACP:  Wow Awesomely Cool Port, What A Cool Port

FCP: F***ing Cool Port

FFO: Fish F**ked Off

GBSM: Go Broke Saving Money

TDBP: The Dog’s B*****ks Port

GAS: Gear Acquisition Syndrome

LBA: Lens Buy Addiction

BR = Buyer Remorse

 

Please feel free to offer additional suggests (and Alternatives) which we will add to this list

 

[Troporobo]

Perhaps the most common for UW photographers:

GAS: gear acquisition syndrome 

[fruehaufsteher2]

But always remember: 

GAS is limited by WAF (Women Acceptance Factor)

Isotta has a high WAF, Ikelite is really low, and SeaFrogs is below zero. Nauticam and Marelux are always acceptable, like Mercedes. 

I don‘t want to talk about the EMWL. If you ever have seen a diver holding a housing with EMWL+ optics sitting on a Zodiac you know why…

[TimG]

€10 says Frau fruehaufsteher2 is not reading these posts. 🤣

[Davide DB]

For those who need it, I can provide the address of a photography gear store that is very aware of GAS and WAF.

[fruehaufsteher2]

„If I die my biggest fear is that my wife sells all my gear for the price I told her I paid“

@TimG lost your bet. She edited my spelling mistakes. 🫣

[TimG]

2 hours ago, fruehaufsteher2 said:

 

@TimG lost your bet. She edited my spelling mistakes. 🫣

 

She is truly a keeper! 😍

[TimG]

On 12/29/2023 at 6:24 AM, fruehaufsteher2 said:

„If I die my biggest fear is that my wife sells all my gear for the price I told her I paid“

@TimG lost your bet. She edited my spelling mistakes. 🫣

I know this is off-topic, but I had to share this with you in light of the Post-Truth purchase comments:

 

I fitted a ridiculously expensive sound system into my Smart FourTwo car many years ago. The manager laughed when I said he had to swear if asked by my ex that it cost £475.

 

He said some weeks previous, he had fitted a 5-figure system to a client’s Jaguar and had agreed he would tell the client’s wife it cost £1200.

 

… and of course, she came into the shop some days later and said her husband’s new car sound system was so wonderful she wanted the exact same system in her Volvo. The manager charged her £1200.

 

The manager told me he had then to call her husband and explain that he would have to pay an extra £9000 to cover the cost!

 

How we laughed. True story.

[Davide DB]

He basically warned you of the risks you were taking 

[TimG]

7 hours ago, Davide DB said:

He basically warned you of the risks you were taking 

 

Davide:  I'm sure you spotted I used the word "ex". There is a cost to everything.

 

I loved the car though. Cabriolet Smart. Only sold it a few months ago after 15 years - with the sound system 🤣

[JS1221]

Can you add TTL to the list?

[TimG]

Sure!

[Klaus]

On 12/29/2023 at 12:05 AM, Davide DB said:

For those who need it, I can provide the address of a photography gear store that is very aware of GAS and WAF.

I think you can directly link this to the DIY section 😉

[TimG]

Does anyone feel they could write a short (say, 250 words for each) explanation of what the following do and how to use them?

 

EMWL: Extended Macro Wide Lens

FCP: Fisheye Conversion Port

WACP: Wide-Angle Correction Port or Wide-Angle Conversion Port

 

I'm sure a lot of members would find that really interesting.

[Davide DB]

WWL stands for? Wide Wet lens?

 

[JustinO]

Wet Wide Lens is right, Davide.

 

Suggest we could also add the following, some of which regularly come up in reviews/ debates:

IQ: Image Quality

SMC: Supermacro Converter

CMC: Compact Macro Converter

 

and in the alternatives:

FFO: Fish F***ed Off  - a common saying in our household when one of us exhales at just the wrong moment!

 

 

[TimG]

1 hour ago, JustinO said:

Wet Wide Lens is right, Davide.

 

Suggest we could also add the following, some of which regularly come up in reviews/ debates:

IQ: Image Quality

SMC: Supermacro Converter

CMC: Compact Macro Converter

 

and in the alternatives:

FFO: Fish F***ed Off  - a common saying in our household when one of us exhales at just the wrong moment!

 

 

 

Thanks, Justin. All added

[ianmarsh]

On 12/29/2023 at 11:53 AM, TimG said:

I know this is off-topic, but I had to share this with you in light of the Post-Truth purchase comments:

 

I fitted a ridiculously expensive sound system into my Smart FourTwo car many years ago. The manager laughed when I said he had to swear if asked by my ex that it cost £475.

 

He said some weeks previous, he had fitted a 5-figure system to a client’s Jaguar and had agreed he would tell the client’s wife it cost £1200.

 

… and of course, she came into the shop some days later and said her husband’s new car sound system was so wonderful she wanted the exact same system in her Volvo. The manager charged her £1200.

 

The manager told me he had then to call her husband and explain that he would have to pay an extra £9000 to cover the cost!

 

How we laughed. True story.

Ooops….

[dentrock]

AFS and AFC

[bghazzal]

On 1/5/2024 at 11:32 PM, TimG said:

 

FCP: Fisheye Conversion Port

 

 

As a sidenote, in the video world, FCP is also a very common, well-established abbreviation for Apple's editing software, Final Cut Pro - since version 10 it's also commonly abbreviated as FCPX

Edited January 18 by bghazzal

[TimG]

4 minutes ago, bghazzal said:

s a sidenote, in the video world, FCP is also a very common, well-established abbreviation for Apple's editing software, Final Cut Pro - since version 10 it's also commonly abbreviated as FCPX

 

Thanks. Added! We had Final Cut Pro in original I think, but it was edited to the lens version.