On set, depending on the size of crew, part of the job for an AC or 1st AC is to make a camera report. Each shot is logged to note things like which lens was used, what filters were used, the height of the camera from the floor, the distance of the film plane to the focus point, the frame rate, aperture, ISO, etc. All of this info can then be used if they needed to do a pick up later to put the camera in the same setup. Also, it can be used in post production so that the camera can be recreated in 3D to have the special f/x match.

Also, log can refer to the gamma curve which affects how roll-offs in highlights/shadows are saved (rough description).

"Log" is still used daily in production work.

See also the unit of speed for ships and aircraft, knots, after the knots tied in the line attached to the log.

"mark twain" means 12 ft. Samuel Clemens adopted it as a pen name.

https://www.mvd.usace.army.mil/Portals/52/docs/regional_floo...

Yeah and knots from the literal knots in that rope attached to that literal log. Not sure what you expected though, look at the etymology of any word and you get back to something concrete and tangible eventually (with rare exceptions for a few feelings and such.) We haven't been abstract that long, so most of it is metaphor or analogy.