Review Digital Camera World 06-03-2013

Digital Camera World

How to photograph anything: best camera settings for perfect portrait photography Jun 2nd 2013, 23:01 In the second part of our Shoot Like A Pro series on how to photograph any subject you want we take a closer look at the best camera settings for portrait photography. Our guide takes you through blurring backgrounds, setting up your camera for moving subjects, indoors vs outdoor portraits, and more. Best camera settings for outdoor portrait photography Blurring the background is the key to classic portrait shots, to direct attention to the main subject. Using a standard zoom lens, set the focal length to between 50 and 100mm. Set your camera to Aperture Priority and select the largest aperture available on your lens, such as f/4 or f/5.6. While the aperture and the depth of field are important, you also need to watch the shutter speed. Make sure you're using a shutter speed of at least 1/125sec to freeze any camera shake or subject movement. You also need to set the Autofocus mode to single or one shot, and select the focus point so that it's over the eye of the subject. How to set up your camera for outdoor portraits Exposure mode   Aperture Priority (A or Av) To take control over the depth of field, select Aperture Priority. Use the input dial to select the largest aperture available on your lens. Autofocus point  Single point Set to single point autofocus, then select the AF point closest to the subject's eye. Half-press the shutter release to focus on the eye. Shutter speed   Set by camera Aperture   f/4 ISO   100 Lens   50 to 100mm Focus mode   Single or one shot Drive mode   Single shot White balance   The preset to suit the light source PAGE 1: Best camera settings for outdoor portrait photography PAGE 2: Best camera settings for indoor portrait photography PAGE 3: Best camera settings for portraits of moving subjects READ MORE Best camera focus techniques: 10 surefire ways to get sharp photos How to focus your camera for any subject or scene: free photography cheat sheet Getting sharp images: every photo technique you need to know starting out How to fine tune image sharpness using live view Standard zoom vs super zoom lens: which is best for you? Jun 2nd 2013, 12:00 If you’re looking to upgrade from your standard kit zoom you’ve probably been comparing the pros and cons of buying a better standard zoom vs a super zoom lens. How do you know which one is right for you? Our head of testing gives her answer. 24mm You can't beat a good superzoom lens for versatility. Lenses like the Sigma 18-250mm OS give a monster zoom range that stretches from wide-angle to generous telephoto focal lengths, without having to swap between different lenses. However, all superzoom lenses are a bit of a compromise in terms of image quality. A good standard zoom will typically give you sharper results, with less distortions throughout the zoom range. For cameras with APS-C format image sensors, good quality yet reasonably priced standard zooms include the Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM, and the Nikon AF-S 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G DX VR. Both deliver excellent image quality and have highly effective optical image stabilisation and ring-type ultrasonic autofocus. 85mm The effective zoom range of these lenses is 24-136mm for the Canon and 24-127.5mm for the Nikon. They therefore give you more wide-angle coverage than a superzoom lens, which will typically limit you to an effective focal length of 28mm. You lose out at the telephoto end but, even so, the zoom range is good for general shooting. On balance, we'd go for a good quality standard zoom, and buy a separate telephoto zoom. READ MORE Master your camera’s autofocus: which AF points to use (and when to use them) 24 camera features every photographer must memorise New camera anatomy: 12 key camera settings to get you started right

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