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Variable-Contrast Paper

Photographic paper that provides different grades of contrast when exposed through special filters.

Variable focus lens.

Lens of which the focal length can be continuously varied between set limits. The lens must be refocused with each change in focal length.

Viewfinder.

Device or system indicating the field of view encompassed by the camera lens. The term is sometimes used as a description of the type of camera that does not use reflex or "straight-through" viewing systems and therefore has to have a separate viewfinder.

Vignetting

Underexposure of image corners produced deliberately by shading or unintentionally by inappropriate equipment, such as unsuitable lens hood or badly designed lens. A common fault of wide-angle lenses, owing to reflection cut-off, etc. of some of the very oblique rays. May be caused in some long-focus lenses by the length of the lens barrel.