F
f-stop: Aperture value of a lens. Every increase or decrease in f-stop lets in twice or half the amount of light, respectively, with increase meaning a wider opening and a lower number. The f-stop scale in whole stops is f/1, f/1.4, f/2, f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11, f/16, f/22, f/32, f/45, f/64, f/90, f/128, etc. Half-stops exist, such as f/3.5 which is between f/2.8 and f/4. Note that despite the number value, f/2.8 lets in half the amount of light of f/4. The value of f/2, though half of 4, is a 2-stop difference and lets in 1/4 the light of f/4.
Faroudja: Video industry Pioneer and manufacturer of video processing hardware and software used in standalone video processors, televisions and components such as DVD players and audio/video receivers. Competes with Gennum VXP and HQV processing solutions. See HQV, VXP.
Faroudja DCDi: Directional Correlational Deinterlacing, proprietary Faroudja technology for eliminating jaggies in progressively-scanned video. See Jaggies.
“Fast” lens: A lens with a wide aperture. This is a relative term as f/4 would be considered very slow for a 50mm normal lens, but extremely fast for a 600mm telephoto lens.
Final Standard Profile: See Blu-ray Profile 1.1
Finalization (Recorded DVD): For a burned DVD to be compatible with other DVD players it must be ”finalized.” The process of finalizing a disc is called finalization. To finalize a burned DVD, check your DVD recorder’s menus and select the appropriate option. Please note that not all DVD players play burned DVDs, and different recordable DVD formats are available. See DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD-RAM.
FireWire: High-speed connection developed by Apple Computer, also referred to as iLink and IEEE1394. FireWire can transfer data at up to 400 MB/s and is the standard connection for transferring DV footage from a camcorder to a computer. It is also used with D-VHS VCRs, HDTVs, hard drives and memory card readers. A higher-speed version, FireWire 800, is also available but in much less widespread use.
Firmware: Persistent operating software used in electronics such as iPods, digital cameras, and audio/video components. Firmware is often updated by manufacturers to add features or improve product operation or performance. Most firmware is user-upgradeable, so the owner can download a file from the manufacturer, follow the instructions and update their product.
Fixed Focal Length: A lens with fixed magnification and single focal lengths such as 50mm, so it does not zoom. Fixed focal length lenses have simpler optical formulas than zoom lenses and tend to have higher sharpness and contrast, as well as wider apertures for good performance in action and low-light situations. Fixed focal length lenses are favored by photographers looking for the ultimate in image quality and performance.
“Flat” Tone Controls: Listening with the tone controls bypassed or centered, so they are not changing the sound in any way. Audiophiles prefer listening with the tone controls flat as it will lead to the most accurate reproduction of the source material.
Flare: See Lens Flare.
FM: Frequency Modulation, the system used for FM radio broadcasts. FM Radio has much better clarity than AM Radio, but less clarity than FM broadcasts.
Focal Length Multiplier: When using a digital SLR, the focal length multiplier is a factor used to arrive at the 35mm equivalent focal length of a lens. Most digital SLRs have a sensor that is smaller than a frame of 35mm film (24mmx36mm.) The smaller sensor crops the image, artificially increasing the magnification of the lens. Most focal length multipliers are a factor of 1.5 or 1.6, depending on the manufacturer. A camera with a multiplier of 1.5 would make a 50mm lens behave like a 75mm lens, a 200mm lens behave like a 300mm lens, and a 28mm lens behave like a 42mm lens. The effect tends to be beneficial when using telephoto lenses and magnification is increased, but detrimental with wide angles as it turns many wide angles into a normal focal length 35mm equivalent. See 35mm Equivalent.
Format (Formatting a memory card): Formatting a memory card erases all data (including locked pictures) and configures the memory card’s file system for optimum operation with the device formatting it. Whenever a new memory card is placed in a digital camera, the first action a user should take is to format the card. The format action is found on the camera’s setup menus.
Four-Thirds: Digital SLR format originated by Olympus and supported by Olympus, Panasonic, Leica, Sigma and others. Four-Thirds gets its name from the aspect ratio of its sensor, 4 units wide by 3 units high, compared to the typical 3:2 of other digital SLR cameras. The 4:3 aspect ratio crops perfectly to 8×10 sizes, unlike the 3:2 which wastes area when cropped. The system is “designed for digital” unlike most other digital SLR systems which are adaptations of 35mm camera bodies and lenses. Four-Thirds uses a Focal Length Multiplier of 2.0 so lens focal lengths are doubled to get the 35 mm equivalent. See 35mm Equivalent, Focal Length Multiplier.
Frequency Response: Reproduction range of an audio component. A speaker with a frequency response of 50-22,000 Hz is capable of reproducing bass notes of 50 Hz all the way up to supersonic frequences above 20,000 Hz. See Frequency Response (+/-).
Frequency Response (+/-): Most frequency response specifications have a +/- dB number with them, for example +/- 3 dB. The +/- 3 dB is the variance throughout the specified range. For example, a component that reproduces sound from 20-20,000 Hz +/- 3 dB will vary no more than +3 dB or - 3 dB throughout the 20-20,000 Hz range. Smaller numbers are better as they mean more accuracy. Most electronic components such as CD players and amplifiers have small +/- numbers; speakers are usually rated +/- 3 or +/- 4 dB. This reflects how much more difficult it is to create sound with a speaker vs. modify or amplify a signal with an electronics component. See Frequency Response, Transducer.
FST Perfect: Name given to high-end picture tube used in Toshiba televisions. FST Perfect televisions were known for low distorion, very accurate color and extremely high image quality and competed with Sony’s XBR sets. Replaced with flat-front CRT FST Pure line, though the picture quality was not noted to be improved. See CRT.
FST Pure: Toshiba CRT televisions using a tube with a flat front. See CRT.
Full HD: Marketing term used to describe 1080p televisions. It has no actual meaning as it is a marketing term only, as 720p and 1080i are also considered high definition resolutions. See 1080p.
