Canon Digital Camera Guide
If you're like most people, getting a good camera is only half the challenge. The rest is about learning how to use it! Whether you have a DSLR, point and shoot or even just a tablet, this article will help you understand the basics of photography. In it we'll cover the different types of cameras (both digital and film), what lenses are, exposure controls, lighting tricks and some more advanced techniques as well. If you don't know much about cameras but want to learn so that you can take better pictures then this blog post will do just that.
To help you better understand how your camera works you'll first need to understand the different types of cameras. While there are many types of both "film" and digital cameras, for simplicity I will just talk about DSLRs - as these are the most popular type of camera available today.
Although DSLRs vary greatly in price there are some things that they all have in common. First, they all have a lens attached to them (or in the case of tablets or smartphones lenses can be attached to them). Second, they all have a viewfinder which allows you to see exactly what your picture will look like while you're taking it (a computer screen or LCD screen on a point and shoot does not act as a viewfinder). And third, they all have an editing program like Photoshop or Gimp which allows you to edit and work on your pictures.
The Basics:
The most basic parts of a DSLR are as follows:
Viewfinder The viewfinder is the part of the camera that allows you to see the image that will be captured. While it is not always necessary to look through the viewfinder while taking a picture it can help with accuracy and proper exposure. For example, if you're taking a picture in manual mode (where you select aperture and shutter speed) it's important to know what your image will look like before taking the shot. Some cameras have a "live view" option which allows you to preview an image using the LCD screen. This is especially helpful if you're shooting on automatic and would like to see the picture in advance.
Camera Modes:
Most cameras will have different modes available for different types of photography. For example, some modes will be for taking action shots while others are for shooting landscapes. To understand how they all work it's important first to understand what shutter speed, aperture and ISO mean. The basic settings for a DSLR are as follows:
Shutter Speed: The speed at which your camera takes the picture. A faster shutter speed will allow you to freeze a moving subject while a slower one will give you more of an "artistic" look to your photos. A fast shutter speed can create motion blur, but if done properly it can make the pictures look more artistic. A slow shutter speed can also make motion blur, but it renders everything in focus (as opposed to a fast shutter speed which renders some objects blurry and others in focus). Aperture: The size of the lens opening, measured in degrees Fahrenheit (or Celsius). It controls the amount of light that reaches the film or sensor. A larger aperture allows for a wider range of exposure while a smaller one lets more light in. Aperture settings can be changed from quarter to half stops. ISO: An acronym for "ISO" which stands for "International Standards Organization." This setting controls how sensitive the sensor is to light. The lower the value, the less sensitive it is and therefore your camera will need less light to take a picture.
Exposure:
The amount of light that reaches your film or sensor when you press the shutter button determines how your picture will appear. For example, if the light isn't bright it will appear dark. However, if you take a picture in low light you can increase your exposure by increasing the shutter speed (i.e. by spanking that shutter button faster) or by increasing the aperture (i.e. decreasing the size of the lens opening). When doing so your picture may look brighter either due to light scattering in your camera or due to sensor gain (darkening).
Exposure is also affected by how much contrast there is between your image and what's found in real life. To take the same picture in bright sunlight and then under a dimly lit room will make the bright areas of the photo brighter and the dark areas darker. This is because your camera uses light data from your photo to determine how bright an area should be, while it senses actual light levels. But since there's hardly any contrast between what you see and what's seen by the camera (the image is much more contrasty than real life).
As you can see there are many variables involved when taking a photograph. There's shutter speed, aperture, ISO and exposure control as well as some other options like white balance and focus control which we'll cover later on.
It's important to understand all of these settings and what they do so that you can take the perfect photo every time.
How To Use Your Camera:
To start you'll need to know how to switch between your various modes (like point and shoot mode, advanced point and shoot mode, auto mode, manual mode etc.) Before I get into this I'll give a quick explanation of what each type of shooting mode does.
Auto Mode: This is a general setting which allows your camera to control all of the exposure settings automatically. It will let your camera decide whether you should shoot in "portrait" or "landscape" format and whether or not you should be using flash while taking the picture. This is the easiest method to use, but it also gives you the least amou
Canon Digital Camera Guident of control.
Point and Shoot Mode: This is a slightly more advanced mode than auto because it allows you to adjust one of the exposure settings while your camera controls the rest. You can choose whether or not you want flash, whether or not your camera should automatically focus on your subject, whether or not you want it to automatically crop your image and so on.
Advanced Point and Shoot Mode: A step up from point and shoot mode this will allow you to adjust all exposure settings manually (including aperture, shutter speed shutter - both in full stops as well as sensitivity setting (ISO) in half stop increments).
The canon website is offering a digital camera guide to help you explore the ins and outs of Canon's best cameras. Each one has their own specifics, but with the following tips, you'll be able to find the right camera for your needs.
Tip 1: First thing that you should do is actually take some pictures with different types of cameras so that you can see what works for you.
Tip 2: Decide if whether or not zoom is an important feature to you. If it isn't, then buy a fixed lens camera instead of an interchangeable lens camera because they're cheaper and won't needlessly cost more in replacing lenses as well as adding weight to your pack when hiking or travelling around.
Tip 3: You can also decide whether you want a compact camera or a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex). A compact camera is easier to carry around, but it doesn't have interchangeable lenses and lacks the same optical zoom that DSLR's have. A DSLR takes better pictures overall, but it is bigger and heavier than a compact camera. Try to look at your gear ratio between your size and your weight. If you can handle carrying the extra weight with you, then go with a DSLR. If not, then buy a smaller compact camera instead.
Tip 4: The megapixels in the camera you choose should depend on what type of pictures you're going to be taking. For example, if you're taking a lot of pictures that are zoomed out or far away, then a camera with higher megapixels is ideal. But if they are up close and don't require much zooming in, then megapixels can be cut down since it doesn't really matter as much for pictures taken from far away.
Tip 5: When choosing ISO, lower numbers mean that the camera is better at taking low light pictures while high numbers mean that it's better at taking bright day time pictures.
Tip 6: One of the most important features to have in a camera is image stabilization. This ensures that your pictures are smooth and free of shake. And if you're taking a good deal of pictures, then you'll want to have decent storage space. Thankfully, they have multiformat cards, so make sure that the one you buy can take everything that you need it to.
Tip 7: There are a couple extra options that some cameras come with. First is built-in GPS tracking so that you don't get lost while hiking or backpacking through the woods. The other is Bluetooth compatibility so that you can send your photos straight from your camera to your phone or tablet immediately for sharing with friends and family.
Tip 8: Finally, check out different brands and read up on customer reviews of the cameras that you are looking at. You'll be able to see how the camera you've chosen stacks up to the rest of them out there.
Tip 9: Additional digital camera tips include getting a camera with image stabilization and having it set to auto so that you can take pictures without having to adjust any settings in a dark picture taking situation. A zoom lens is also good for getting far away pictures and is particularly useful for wildlife pictures or any other type of picture where you need greater detail from far away.
For more information about Canon Digital Camera Guide, visit www.cameraguide.net . They also have other accessories that will be helpful to you when taking pictures such as a shoe horn for extra leverage in opening your camera and a tripod so that you can take steady photos in different conditions. You can also find information about digital cameras at www.digitalcamera-totals.com and the Canon website at www.cameracompany.com/us/products/digital_cameras . The websites are linked below for your convenience:
Copywrited by: Justin Avila of http://www.worksmarttravelguide.com / Worksmart Travel Guide and http://www.travelsmarttechie.com/ / TravelSmart Tech
Related article:
Tips for Buying a Digital Camera (DSLR)
Tips for Buying a Digital Camera (Compact)
Digital Camera Buying Guide (DSLR & Compact)
The Canon website is offering a digital camera guide to help you explore the ins and outs of Canon's best cameras. Each one has their own specifics, but with the following tips, you'll be able to find the right camera for your needs.
Tip 1: First thing that you should do is actually take some pictures with different types of cameras so that you can see what works for you.
Tip 2: Decide if whether or not zoom is an important feature to you. If it isn't, then buy a fixed lens camera instead of an interchangeable lens camera because they're cheaper and won't needlessly cost more in replacing lenses as well as adding weight to your pack when hiking or travelling around.
Tip 3: You can also decide whether you want a compact camera or a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex). A compact camera is easier to carry around, but it doesn't have interchangeable lenses and lacks the same optical zoom that DSLR's have. A DSLR takes better pictures overall, but it is bigger and heavier than a compact camera. Try to look at your gear ratio between your size and your weight. If you can handle carrying the extra weight with you, then go with a DSLR. If not, then buy a smaller compact camera instead.
Tip 4: The megapixels in the camera you choose should depend on what type of pictures you're going to be taking. For example, if you're taking a lot of pictures that are zoomed out or far away, then a camera with higher megapixels is ideal. But if they are up close and don't require much zooming in, then megapixels can be cut down since it doesn't really matter as much for pictures taken from far away.
Tip 5: When choosing ISO, lower numbers mean that the camera is better at taking low light pictures while high numbers mean that it's better at taking bright day time pictures.
Tip 6: One of the most important features to have in a camera is image stabilization. This ensures that your pictures are smooth and free of shake. And if you're taking a good deal of pictures, then you'll want to have decent storage space. Thankfully, they have multiformat cards, so make sure that the one you buy can take everything that you need it to.
Tip 7: There are a couple extra options that some cameras come with. First is built-in GPS tracking so that you don't get lost while hiking or backpacking through the woods. The other is Bluetooth compatibility so that you can send your photos straight from your camera to your phone or tablet immediately for sharing with friends and family.
Tip 8: Finally, check out different brands and read up on customer reviews of the cameras that you are looking at. You'll be able to see how the camera you've chosen stacks up to the rest of them out there.
Tip 9: Additional digital camera tips include getting a camera with image stabilization and having it set to auto so that you can take pictures without having to adjust any settings in a dark picture taking situation.
Conclusion
I hope you've found the tips above helpful in buying or buying into a digital camera. Please let us know what tips you would like to see from others in the comments section below.
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Conclusion:
While there are many options available to you in terms of settings and modes your camera will probably have a mode which allows you to adjust all of those settings manually. If so, this is by far the most interesting way to use your camera. This method allows you to take the greatest amount of control over the many variables which determine what your final image will look like. The only difficulty with it is that it can be pretty confusing since you may be picking up on various settings at once.
If you're interested in learning how to use manual mode check out my video series on the subject .
Exposure Control:
Understanding how exposure works in regards to taking pictures can also help make your photography more enjoyable (and successful).