How to Use The Shooting Options On Your Digital Camera

Nearly every camera comes with a variety of settings and shooting modes. How do you decide which to use? Read this article!

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Whether you have a small point and shoot type camera, or a big SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera, nearly all cameras on the market today offer a variety of shooting modes or scene modes.
   You can always leave the camera in automatic and it will make the best decisions it can to give you the best possible exposure it can. This is not always the best choice however, because it may think it needs to fire the flash in low light situations. However, the average built-in flash cannot give a satisfactory exposure more that approximately 12 feet from the camera. OR, it will fire the flash when you would prefer it did not.

2. Typical scene modes or shooting options include Portrait, Landscape, Sports/Action, Macro, Night scene and sometimes an option to take photos with the flash off. Remember all these options are still a type of automatic exposure mode, but more specific instructions to the camera about the type of photo you wish to make. It would make a decent landscape photo in the automatic mode, but the landscape mode will be a better choice. The camera still makes all the exposure decisions, but inside, it has a program set which tries to make the best type of photo when you choose one of the automatic modes. Some modes also prevent the flash from firing.

3. On the other side of the dial are more selections which offer more controls over how the camera makes the photo. Typical selections are: Program, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, and Manual.
   These modes allow more control over how the camera evaluates the light on your subject and allow you to select various light metering options. You can also adjust for the color of the light falling on your subject. There are many choices for the color of light and this is generally called White Balance. Typical White Balance options go from Automatic, to Sunlight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten (incandescent) light, Fluorescent light, Flash only, and a very useful option called Custom White Balance.

4. Shutter and Aperture Priority allow you control over shutter speeds, or apertures (the opening in the lens commonly called f/stops). When you opt to use Shutter priority ( a good choice in shooting any moving subject or sports), you select the shutter speed, the camera selects the opening or f/stop in the lens to guarantee proper exposure. When you select Aperture priority, you select the f/stop (opening in the lens), and the camera selects the proper shutter speed. Aperture priority is generally used to determine depth of field which is defined as how much is in focus in front of and behind the subject.

5. Manual exposure is the most tricky because it requires the user to select both aperture (f/stop) and shutter speed to give the proper exposure and the two functions do not change in relation to each other. Generally you would use the light meter indicator in the camera's view finder to select the proper combination.

Tips & Warnings

• Experiment with your camera. The most interesting and perhaps most amazing function of all digital cameras, large and small is that with the exception of the Manual mode, no matter which shooting mode you select, one of the automatic ones or Program, Shutter priority, or Aperture Priority, all cameras are programed to deliver the best possible exposure they can. Try it!
• Some modes of the camera may require a tripod for the sharpest image. Especially when the shutter speed drops below 1/30 of a second. This is true whether with a small point and shoot camera or a larger DSLR.
• When using Shutter Priority, many cameras will often blink the f/stop setting if the combination selected (using the command dials on the camera), reaches a point where the exposure is unacceptable.
• When using Aperture Priority, most cameras will select the proper shutter speed no matter which opening (f/stop) in the lens is selected. Care must be taken to watch the shutter speeds in the viewfinder and to use a tripod when shutter speeds drop below 1/30 second.