• MASTERING THE MENUS • METERING AND EXPOSURE • FOCUSING MODES • ISO AND WHITE BALANCE • FLASH MODES • CHOOSING LENSES I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H EE FR THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO DIGITAL SLRS
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR DIGITAL SLR Your Digital SLR (DSLR) has a host of controls and functions that will enable you to take complete control of almost every aspect of your picture taking. We will start by looking at some of the key controls you will find on your DSLR and what they do THE FRONT Control Wheel Adjusts the shooting modes and/or settings. Some DSLRs have a control wheel on the front, some on the back; some have both.
SETTING UP AND MENUS It is always a good idea to shoot using the optimal settings in your DSLR and, with the following information, we will have a close look at the key settings within menus on a DSLR to help optimise it for top-quality shots Image quality Menus and settings The settings information may be housed within a menu or on an external control or sometimes on both – depending on your camera – and allows you to control and tailor settings to get the most from all those lovely pixels.
METERING, SENSITIVITY AND WHITE BALANCE Metering, sensitivity and white balance are three key aspects of the way your image looks once you press the shutter button, irrespective of the focus, sharpness or number of pixels you throw at it. Here we will look at key components of the DSLR that make an image look right in terms of colour, image noise and exposure Sensitivity A camera’s ISO setting defines its sensitivity to light. The higher the ISO, the more sensitive it becomes and vice versa.
EXPOSURE: MANUAL AND SCENE MODES PORTRAIT MODE Sets the camera to meter from a smaller, central portion of the frame. A large aperture will be selected to help blur backgrounds, the focus will be switched to use the more central set of AF points (or the central, single AF), and less sharpening will be used to help get more flattering skin. Colours will be set to a more muted (or natural) palette and, to help make the most of and get natural skin rendition, white balance will switch over to auto.
LENSES: FOCAL LENGTH AND FOCUS MODES No matter what digital SLR you own, there will be a range of lenses available for it that will be able to cater to almost any subject, from close-up or macro work, wideangle shooting to telephoto shots.
DRIVE MODES FLASH AND FLASH MODES Flash modes and what they do AUTO FLASH The basic point-and-shoot flash setting that fires when the camera ‘thinks’ it is needed. In many cases, the flash pops up automatically (if using a built-in unit), saving you the worry of knowing when to use it. In some modes the camera may indicate flash is required with a small flash ‘lightning’ symbol in the viewfinder. Flash and flash settings Many DSLRs have a built-in pop-up flash unit.
ACCESSORIES One of the key benefits of the DSLR is that it is part of a system of equipment allowing almost limitless photographic potential to be realised. Here we will Third-party accessories Filters have a look at some of the key accessories that can help make your photography and photography experience more enjoyable and more versatile Filters screw on the front of the lens to perform a variety of functions. A UV or skylight filter on each lens will protect the front element from damage.
See the light The Samsung GX10 is more than a camera. It’s a complete photographic system with a lens mount designed to accept both Schneider Kreuznach and Pentax lenses. It’s also packed with advanced photographic technology to give you full creative control. Features include a 10.2 Megapixel sensor and a PentaPrism viewfinder for a brighter 95% field of view. When combined with the ability to shoot up to ISO 1600, this allows you to use all available light to your advantage.
