Digital Camera Features

Stitch Assist for Seamless Panoramas

Share

In this photography lesson we look at another one of the digital camera features-stitch assist. Stitch assist mode is now available on many advanced digital cameras and is designed for shooting panoramas in sections.

Panorama-Manhatten Bridge - Click for Larger Image
Panorama-Manhatten Bridge - Click for Larger Image

These sections are then stitched together into one single and seamless photograph.

Share
Read More
Digital Camera Features

Digital Camera Basics

Share

Compact Point and Shoot Digital Camera

Digital cameras come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and sophistication. At the most basic level you have a point and shoot camera with a fixed focus lens, automatic exposure control and color balancing and a simple viewfinder to frame and compose your photo.

Some of these basic digital cameras add a few extras into the mix such as a setting that allows you to shoot closeups or macro type shots. This is often indicated by a small icon like a flower or may just say closeup or macro. All this function does is expand the focus range.

The manual that comes with the camera usually gives you the distance range that will produce acceptably sharp images.

Auto Focus Lenses

The next level up is a focusing lens. This too is controlled automatically, and the lens moves in and out as the focus distance changes. Generally the viewfinder will indicate the area of your image that is used to determine the correct distance for the lens to focus on.

This area will be in the center of the frame and you must insure that your main subject is in this center area in order for the lens to properly focus. For composition purposes, however, you may not want the main subject to appear dead center.

Focus Lock

Fortunately, digital camera manufacturers have allowed for this possibility by building in a feature called focus lock. You can position your main subject in the center of the viewfinder so the lens will focus properly. Then, depress the shutter release button about half way and the focus becomes locked as long as you continue to hold the button half way down.

You can then shift the camera slightly to get the composition you prefer and press the shutter release down the rest of the way to take your picture. You may need to experiment some until you learn just how far to depress the release button to lock in the focus without actually pressing it so far that you end up snapping the picture.

With a little practice this will soon become second nature and you’ll be able to do it quite quickly. It is worth the effort to master this technique if you want to make sure your main subject is sharply focused even though the final composition has this subject off center.

Add a Zoom Lens

As you move up to slightly more advanced cameras you begin to see some additional options that you can use to control your results and let you get more creative in the pictures you take. One of the more popular features is a zoom lens. This feature is like having several lenses all in one.

A zoom lens generally goes from a wide angle view to a telephoto view. Zoom lenses will be more thoroughly covered in another lesson. The main thing to understand is there is an optical zoom and a digital zoom. The important one is the optical zoom and should be the only one you consider when deciding if you want a zoom lens or not.

Scene Modes

Other common features that you begin to find as you move up from the very basic digital cameras are what are referred to as image zone modes, or scene modes. These are automatic settings that are for specific kinds of scenes such as landscape mode, portrait mode, night scene mode, stitch assist mode and even movie mode.

Learning to use these modes is not difficult and from their names you can pretty easily figure out what kinds of scenes they are used for. Once you become familiar with the icons used to identify these modes it is a simple matter to switch from one to another.

Other common features you find on digital cameras are built in electronic flash, self timer, ISO settings, white balance settings, and resolution choices. Don’t worry if you don’t know what some of these are. They will be explained in more detail in other lessons.

Start by getting familiar with the features your camera has and take lots of pictures. The great thing about a digital camera is being able to shoot all the photos you want without wasting money on film and developing. So begin experimenting and learn some of the more advanced controls as you go.

Here’s to better photography…

Al Hannigan

Al Hannigan

Share
Read More
Digital Camera Features

Digital Camera Features

Share

In addition to the full auto mode, many digital cameras have Image Zone Modes that are auto settings that give you more creative control over your photography.

There are times when you may want to choose a specific f-stop, use a faster or slower shutter speed or just have a little more control over the image than you would get when using the point and shoot, auto mode.

Perhaps you want to limit the depth of field so your subject stands out from a busy background, or you want to freeze some action and need the fastest shutter speed… all of these choices are possible when your camera has the image zone modes described below.

Learning what these features are, how they work and how they can apply to different kinds of photography will help you decide which of these options you may want to include when buying a digital camera.

Or if you already have these features on your camera, but were uncertain what they were for or how to use them, then the lessons below will explain them.

Take your photography to new levels of creativity and control by learning about these common features…


Lesson Category: Digital Camera Features

Using Aperture Priority Mode

Using Shutter Priority Mode

Using Portrait Mode

Using Landscape Mode

Stitch Assist Mode

Using Night Scene Mode

Share
Read More
Digital Camera Features

Understanding Auto Exposure

Share

Auto exposure controls the amount of light that is used to expose the camera’s image sensor. It does this by adjusting the aperture and the shutter speed.

Proper exposure is basically determined by averaging the amount of light needed to produce an image with good highlights, middle tones, and shadows.

The camera has a built in light meter that evaluates the total amount of light reflected from the subject. It then averages this light and sets the correct exposure.

Digital cameras can have more than one type of metering system however. So it is important to learn how your particular camera meter measures light as well as any options to change the way it does this.

Share
Read More
Digital Camera Features

How White Balance Works

Share

All digital cameras have an auto white balance setting that allows the camera to detect the color of the light and balance it correctly.

When you look at a white object, say the page of a book or a sheet of white paper, it appears white to you regardless of the light source. When lit by an ordinary household bulb, or a florescent light, or outside in daylight it still looks white to your eye.

But to the camera’s eye, each of these light sources is different and each produces a tint of color on the white object. And unless the camera makes some sort of adjustment for this variation in light color, a white object will not appear white in your photos.

Share
Read More
Digital Camera Features

How Auto Flash Works

Share

Auto flash is designed to automatically fire the flash when there is not enough light to get a good exposure. The first thing you need to determine is your unit’s flash range… which is the minimum and maximum distances that the flash is effective.

As light travels it spreads out so the amount of light that actually strikes the subject decreases as the subject gets further away. Also, if the flash is too close to the subject you may get overexposure.

It is a good exercise to photograph a subject at various distances from the camera using the auto flash to see for yourself the best range for your specific flash…

Share
Read More
Digital Camera Features

Using Shutter Priority Mode

Share

Using the shutter priority mode on a digital camera lets you set the shutter speed and the camera adjusts the aperture to maintain correct exposure.

The shutter controls the amount of time that light is allowed to enter the lens and reach the image sensor, or the film. Along with the aperture setting, the shutter speed controls exposure.

The other function of the shutter speed is to control motion. You would use the shutter priority setting when motion control is an important factor in a photo.

The shutter speed is the main control you have to capture motion in a photo. Anything that moves during exposure can potentially cause the final image to be blurred.

If you want a moving object to be rendered very sharply in your photo, you would need to select a fast shutter speed. And if you want to show the blurring effect you’d select a slow shutter speed.

Controlling Motion

Controlling motion in still photography calls for a few choices to be made, and in this section we’ll look mainly at the technical choices that need to be considered.

These technical factors are such things as camera movement, and how focal length, subject speed, direction of motion and distance can all affect your choice of which shutter speed you need to control motion.

Camera Movement

Camera movement happens whenever the camera is moved while the shutter is open. It is commonly caused by not pressing the shutter release button smoothly, but instead pushing down too quickly and too hard.

A shutter speed that is set too low increases the chances of camera movement.

When taking pictures in low light conditions, and you have chosen not to use flash, then using shutter priority to select a faster shutter speed is a good option. As a general rule of thumb, a shutter speed that is equal to the focal length of the lens reduces the chance of getting camera movement.

For example, with a 125mm lens, use a shutter speed of 1/125 of a second or faster. A tripod and a cable release are also options.

Subject Movement

Whenever you have anything moving in the scene you’re about to photograph, your choice of shutter speed can be very important. Subject movement can be frozen, so it appears sharp in the picture, by using a fast shutter speed. But how fast is fast enough will depend on a number of factors.

On the other hand, capturing a sense of motion may be more effective than a sharp image, so choosing a slower shutter speed would be the better choice. Once again, several factors will affect how slow is slow enough. So lets look at these variables and see how they influence the results.

Actual Speed vs. Relative Speed

The actual speed of the subject is less important than the relative speed. The direction of the motion in relation to the camera is your primary concern.

For example, photographing a car going 45 mph. would require a faster shutter speed if it is moving parallel to the camera, or more precisely, parallel to the film plane or image sensor.

The same 45 mph. vehicle moving straight towards or straight away from the camera wouldn’t require as fast a shutter speed.

And if it were moving at an angle towards or away from the camera, the shutter speed would be somewhere between the two previous examples. This would apply regardless of whether you were trying to freeze the motion or blur it.

The distance between the subject and your camera is another important factor that influences your choice of shutter speed. The closer the moving subject is to the camera, the faster its relative speed will be.

Therefore, a faster shutter speed is necessary when the subject is very close to the camera and a slower speed will work when the subject is further away.

The focal length of the lens you use will also influence your choice of shutter speed. A telephoto, or zooming in on your subject has the same effect as moving closer, and requires a faster shutter speed.

Using a wide angle lens would be the same as moving further away, and a slower shutter speed could be used.

Putting It All Together

The first decision you will make is do you want a sharp image or do you prefer to use blur in the image to emphasize the motion. Once you’ve decided this, then you must consider the direction of the motion.

You might be able to reposition yourself so the motion is easier to control, but to get the best composition or good lighting you might decide that is not a good choice. Your decision will affect the shutter speed you’ll need to create the desired photos.

Next you should consider the distance factor. Moving closer or farther away might be possible, and using a telephoto or wide angle might be the best option.

Once you have chosen the best position to take the shot, then you can choose the shutter speed that will best give you the result you want.

Naturally, because of the variables involved, the only sure way to determine the exact correct shutter speed is to experiment. With experience, however, you will find that your initial choice will often be correct or very close to the correct speed to get the result you want.

The more you practice shooting motion the sooner that experience will pay off.

Al Hannigan Signature

Share
Read More