Datasheet

108
Chapter 12: Taking Great Pictures
Microsoft Digital Image Standard User’s Manual
Action Mode
If you’re photographing subjects such as athletes, moving cars, or even fast-
moving children, a camera’s action mode helps keep your subject in focus.
The most significant characteristic of action mode is the faster shutter speed
of at least 1/500
th
of a second, which helps to freeze the action of your moving
subject. The action mode in most cameras also uses a wider aperture setting (to
offset the fast shutter speed), and multipattern light metering, which compen
-
sates for overly bright and overly dark areas.
Action mode uses a fast shutter speed to freeze the action of a fast-moving subject.
Digital cameras create a unique challenge for action photography: the time
lag between when you press the shutter button and the actual exposure. With
film cameras, pressing the shutter button causes the shutter to open virtually
simultaneously. But some digital cameras are much slower and you might have
to wait as long as a second before the picture is taken. When photographing
moving objects, one second can seem like an eternity.
One way to compensate for the shutter lag is to anticipate your shot. Imagine
you are photographing a runner with a camera that has a lengthy shutter lag.
(The shutter lag will not be highlighted on the camera’s packaging, but you
can figure it out through your own experience.) First, focus your camera on
a spot that the runner will cross in about 10 seconds. When the runner is
approximately one second away from your target spot, press the shutter button.
The exposure should occur just as the runner comes into your field of focus.
When the lag is
a drag
Some digital cameras
have a much shorter
shutter lag than others.
You might want to
consider this factor
when buying your
next camera.