How to Use Manual Controls on a 35 mm Camera

Manually setting the aperture (F-Stops) and shutter speed on a 35 mm camera can result in better photographs than you'd get using the camera's automatic settings. The aperture setting determines the amount of light you allow through the lens while the shutter speed controls how long the shutter stays open.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Check your camera's manual to see if you set the aperture on the lens or by adjusting a small dial on top of the camera near the shutter release button. Cameras using the second method show the aperture setting on an LCD screen.

2. Allow more light to pass through the aperture by setting it to a smaller F-Stop. For example, a setting of f/4 allows more light than a setting of f/22.

3. Adjust the aperture by either turning the wheel on the top of your camera to the correct setting or by adjusting the dial on your lens.

4. Specify the shutter speed by turning the shutter speed dial on top of your camera. Setting it at a low number keeps the shutter open longer than if you set it to a high number. For instance, a setting of 1 (1 second) keeps the shutter open longer than a setting of 5000 (1/5000 of a second).

5. Taking action shots, where there's a lot of movement such as in sports photography, requires using a higher shutter speed than taking a still life, portrait or landscape shot, which need a longer exposure time.