Camera Operation
This guide explains the function of controls commonly found on digital SLR cameras. It is based on a Canon SLR. Other brand SLR's have analogous controls but may refer to them by different names. A point and shoot camera does not have all of the manual controls mentioned here but may have some of them, or may have simplified or automated versions.
Manual Controls
- Aperture
Controls aperture width with smaller f-stop values representing a wider aperture.
- Shutter Speed
Manually controls the shutter speed.
- Exposure Compensation
Alters the exposure setting set by the camera. The exposure can be increased for a lighter image or decreased for a darker image.
- Automatic Exposure Bracketing
When this is turned on, the camera captures three images when you take a shot: One with the default exposure automatically determined by the camera, one with increased exposure, and one with decreased exposure, so that you can select the one that looks the best.
- Image Quality
This sets the resolution of the image saved by the camera to the memory card. The example camera has three image quality choices: 8.2 mp (megapixel), 4.3 mp, and 2.0 mp. For the best image, shoot with the highest image quality. This is recommended if you have a large enough memory card capacity. The size of the image can be reuced later with image editing software. If your memory card capacity is limited, or the photos will be converted into lower quality images for use on the internet, then the lower quality settings may be used. SLR cameras also allow the image format to be set to jpeg or RAW or both.
- ISO speed
This setting increases or decreases the sensitivity of the image sensor. If you are shooting in dim light, you may want to adjust this control to a higher ISO
setting for greater sensor sensitivity to light. In bright light, you may adjust it to a lower value to prevent noise.
- White Balance
Normally, you should try the camera's Automatic White Balance (AWB) setting first. If this does not result in natural looking colors then the manual white balance setting may be used. To use the white balance setting, you shoot a white object then indicate to the camera that this is "white" and it will adjust the way it records colors accordingly. Read your camera instructions to learn the operation of this control.
- Color Temperature
This setting gives you even greater control over the white balance. You can choose from range of overall color temperature settings.
- White Balance Correction
This setting allows you to set each component of the color temperature (red, green, blue) independently so that the ratio of colors in the overall white balance setting is changed. This setting is useful when using color compensating filters.
- White Balance Bracketing
With this setting on, the camera records three images when you take a shot: One with the default color temperature (automatic white balance), one with a higher color temperature, and one with a lower color temperature, so that you can select the one that looks the best. This is handy with indoor lighting.
- Color Space
This changes the range of reproducible colors from sRGB to Adobe RGB. Set to sRGB by default. No need to change this unless you have a reason.
- Autofocus Point Selection
SLR cameras commonly have seven or more autofocus points that you can choose from if you wish the focus point to be different from the one chosen by automatic autofocus.
- Metering Mode
Your camera may have the following three light metering modes:
- Drive Mode
This can be set to single shot mode or continuous (burst) mode which takes multiple shots per second depending on the setting.
Semi-Automatic Modes
In a semi-automatic mode you have manual control over some camera settings, but others are set automatically. Depending on your camera, you may have some or all of these semi-automatic shooting modes:
- Programmed Autoexposure
This mode automatically sets the shutter speed and the aperture values to result in the correct exposure but permits limited manual control over camera functions.
- Shutter Priority Autoexposure
Automatically sets the aperture value while you control the shutter speed. Good for night and time-lapse shots.
- Aperture Priority Autoexposure
Automatically sets the shutter speed while you control the aperture value.
Good for lighting compensation and varying of depth of field.
- Automatic Depth of Field
Used to automatically obtain a wide depth of field.
Automatic Modes
SLR cameras, and all but the cheapest point and shoot cameras, have several automatic modes. There is a mode that does everything automatically for you, and there are other modes specific to certain categories of shots including, night, landscape, portrait, sports, and closeup. This modes automatically tweak certain settings to customize them for the type of shot.
As a beginner, you will probably make most of your shots using these automatic settings, but they are not only for beginners. Even experts will sometimes use them because often the window of opportunity to take a shot is quite small. This can be because the subject is moving (as in sports photography) or you are moving, or for some other reason, and there is simply not enough time to adjust camera settings.
Tutorial IndexOutdoor Photography 