Review Digital Camera World 05-21-2013

Digital Camera World

24 camera features every beginner photographer must memorize May 20th 2013, 23:01 No matter how long you've had your digital camera, there's always something to learn. And if you've just bought your first camera body, the learning curve can seem impossibly steep. But it needn't be a painful slog. In this tutorial we'll help you get the most from your DSLR by explaining some of the key camera features found on almost every camera body. Learning these camera features early on in your development will ensure you avoid some of the common camera mistakes and get much better shots as a result. Camera features on the front of your camera body 01 Red-eye reduction To stop the flash bouncing off the subject's retinas and causing glowing red eyes this lamp will emit a burst of light to make the subject's pupils shrink before the flash is triggered. The lamp also acts as a handy self-timer countdown indicator. 02 Focusing ring In Auto Focus mode this ring rotates until the camera has focussed on the subject. In Manual Focus mode you can rotate the focus ring with your hand to focus on a specific subject. 03 Zoom ring Rotate this ring clockwise to zoom out for a wide-angle view. Rotate it anti-clockwise (counter-clockwise) to zoom in for a close-up on your subject. 04 Flash button When shooting using the Creative Zone or manual modes you can tell the built-in flash to pop up by pressing here. 05 Focus mode switch Leave this set on AF (Auto Focus) if you want the camera to control the focusing. Flip the switch to MF (Manual Focus) when you want to control the focus yourself. In MF mode you can still use the AF points in the viewfinder to tell you when the subject is in sharp focus. 06 Image Stabilizer switch The lens's IS (Image Stabilizer) is designed to stop blur caused by camera shake (which is especially noticeable when you're zoomed in on a distant subject. Nikon IS lenses have a similar VR (Vibration Reduction) switch. 07 Built-in microphone Most cameras such as the Canon 500D (pictured above) can now record video. Sound to go with it is recorded through a microphone like this (though it will also record camera handling noises like the zoom ring being rotated!). 08 Depth of Field preview button By pressing here, you can get the camera to stop down to the lens's current aperture setting.  You can then preview how much of the shot will be in focus by looking through the viewfinder or by checking the Live View display. PAGE 1: Camera features on the front of your camera body PAGE 2: Camera features on the back of your camera body PAGE 3: Camera features on the top of your camera body READ MORE New camera anatomy: 12 key camera settings to get you started right 16 new cameras we’d like to see in 2013 99 common photography problems (and how to solve them) How to use a camera: exposure modes made simple 10 reasons why your photos aren’t sharp (and how to fix them) Banish Bad Pictures: 9 quick fixes for common camera complaints May 20th 2013, 11:57 Tired of taking bad pictures? Find out how to fix photos in-camera with our simple advice for curing your exposure problems and focusing headaches. We offer solutions for some of the most common photography problems photographers face. So read on to soothe your burning photo composition and colour complaints! Whether you're an experienced enthusiast or you've just bought your first digital SLR, everybody has problems with their pictures now and then. It's nothing to be embarrassed about. In fact, if you're less than perfectly happy with your shots, it only goes to prove that you're eager to improve your DSLR shooting skills. And, as the saying goes, you can always learn from your camera mistakes! However, working out how to solve your dilemmas on your own can prove to be a real headache. Which menu option or control do you need to use to make your pictures look better? Well, you can rest easy, because our team of D-SLR doctors are here to cure all of your camera complaints. Whether your highlights are looking blown out and over-exposed, or your photos are suffering from camera shake, we've got the solutions to your problems. If you're finding it impossible to capture photos with a sense of impact, or your images' colours look out of whack, we'll help you resolve your issues. Read on to learn the quick and easy way to restore your shots back to health. Fixing Bad Pictures: Why are all my photos blown out? Were you shooting in bright daylight? Photographing landscapes under midday sun can prove problematic. For the best colours and problem-free exposures, try to shoot your scenes with your back to the sun. If that's not an option, here are two other possible solutions… YES Did you try using Exposure Compensation? Left to its own devices, your digital DSLR can sometimes produce pictures that look lighter or darker than you would like them to. Switch to Av (Aperture Priority) mode and use Exposure Compensation to tweak the overall brightness. OR Did you use an ND Grad filter? In landscapes, a standard exposure will either result in overly bright skies lacking detail, colour and impact, or striking skies and excessively dark foregrounds. NO Using ND Grad filters By using a Neutral Density (ND) Gradient filter when photographing landscapes, you make the brightness of the scene more even. You'll be able to capture the foreground detail as well as the beautiful colour and texture of clouds in the sky.   Try using histograms When reviewing your shots on your camera's LCD, get into the habit of checking histograms as well to see if your shots are too bright or dark. You can also check histograms in Levels in Photoshop. 1 Under-exposed This shot of a stag is too dark. The majority of the tones are stacked on the left of the histogram. 2 Over-exposed This shot is too bright. The majority of the tones are now bunched up on the right of the histogram. 3 Correctly exposed This shot is bang on. There's an even spread of shadows, midtones and highlights on the histogram. PAGE 1 – Fixing Bad Pictures: Why are all my photos blown out? PAGE 2 – Fixing Bad Pictures: Why do my landscape photos look so flat? PAGE 3 – Fixing Bad Pictures: Why do my skies look white and washed out? PAGE 4 – Fixing Bad Pictures: Why are my photos blurry and out of focus? PAGE 5 – Fixing Bad Pictures: how do I focus on moving targets? PAGE 6 – Fixing Bad Pictures: why do my photos look so cluttered? PAGE 7 – Fixing Bad Pictures: why do my photos lack impact? PAGE 8 – Fixing Bad Pictures: why do my action shots look boring? PAGE 9 – Fixing Bad Pictures: Why do my colours look all wrong? READ MORE Famous Photographers: 100 things we wish we knew starting out 10 things photographers can do to stop wasting pictures 15 common photography questions from beginners (and how to solve them) 44 essential digital camera tips and tricks

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