| Autolock | A camcorder control that locks features such as automatic mode, white balance etc. |
| Autofocus | Automatic selection of the correct focus. TTL focus systems, which work through the lens, are better for underwater video |
| Audio Track | The portion of a videotape used to record audio, music and/or narration |
| Audio Dubbing | To add an audio track to a videotape whithout effecting the video track |
| Assemble Editing | Selection and arrangement of the order of video scenes whilst editing |
| Aspect ratio | the shape of the rectangle that the frame takes. Usually 3 x 4 but can be 16x x9 for widescreen |
| APD | Adobe Photo Downloader |
| Analog video | Video signals based on fluctuating voltages |
| Alpha channel | Additional color channel used for storing masks and selections |
| Adobe Photo Downloader | Adobe’s download utility used for transferring photos from card or camera to computer. The utiity ships with Adobe Bridge |
| Adobe gamma | A calibration and profiling utility supplied with Photoshop |
| Adobe Camera Raw | a program in Adobe creative Suite for editing RAW files |
| Adjustment Layer | an adjustment to the image saved as a special type of layer |
| ADC | Analog to Digital Converter (ADC). |
| ACR | Adobe Camera Raw (a program in Adobe creative Suite for editing RAW files) |
| A/D Converter | A device that converts analog information (a photograph or video frame) into a series of numbers that a computer can store and manipulate. All digicams use an A/D converter, the higher the bit rate the better the output. Modern hi-res digicams employ a 12-bit or 14-bit A/D to increase the dynamic range (range of light from highlight to shadow) |
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