Review Digital Camera World 06-10-2013

Digital Camera World

How to photograph anything: best camera settings for landscape photography Jun 9th 2013, 23:01 In the third 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 landscape photography. While you’ll often have time to experiment with camera settings when shooting landscapes, it’s still good to have a starting point. In this week’s guide we’ll show you how to set up your camera to achieve maximum depth of field, shoot a sunrise or sunset and add motion blur to subjects like moving water. All images by Chris Rutter Best camera settings for landscapes with maximum depth of field Keeping everything sharp, from the closest foliage or rocks right into the far distance, is a classic landscape photography technique. There are loads of technical charts and data that can be used to work out what's known as the hyperfocal distance, but shooting with a wide-angle lens, such as an 18mm on an SLR with an APS-C sized sensor, you don't need to get bogged down in them. Choosing a small aperture, such as f/16, and manually focusing around three metres of the way into the scene will allow you to keep everything from around a metre away from the camera to the far distance in focus. Although it's not critical for this technique, you should also make sure that the shutter speed set by the camera is fast enough for you to hand hold the camera steady enough to avoid camera shake. If the shutter speed drops below 1/30sec you'll need to put the camera on a tripod, or increase the ISO setting to 200 or 400. How to set up your camera to achieve maximum depth of field Exposure mode: Aperture Priority (A or Av) You need to set the Exposure mode to A or Av, and then select a small aperture such as f/16. Going for this small aperture will ensure that there is plenty of depth of field when using a wide-angle lens. Focus mode: Manual Switch to manual focus, and then carefully focus on a subject which is around three metres from the camera. This will mean that everything from around one metre to infinity will be sharp in your shot. Shutter speed: Set by camera Aperture:  f/16 ISO: 100 Lens: 18 to 24mm Drive mode: Single shot White balance: Daylight PAGE 1: Best camera settings for landscapes with maximum depth of field PAGE 2: Best camera settings for sunsets and sunrise PAGE 3: Best camera settings for adding motion blur to your landscape photography READ MORE Clever ways to shoot flat, lowland terrain How to shoot dramatic pictures of the sea Landscape photography ideas for rivers, waterfalls and lakes Landscape photo ideas for creative pictures of mountains and hills Giottos Silk Road YTL8384 tripod review Jun 9th 2013, 13:00 This new carbon tripod is slimmer than most, but is it up to the job? Find out in our Giottos Silk Road YTL8384 tripod review Tripods and round tubing go hand in hand, right? Well not so for Giottos. In the quest to make its latest tripods as compact as possible, the YTL series features a Y-shaped central column cross section. This enables the tripod legs to nestle into each recess of the centre column for a 30% slimmer folded profile. It's a subtle change but makes a big difference when stashing the tripod in a tight spot or carrying it. And on the YTL8384 this isn't the only trick the central column can pull. A hinged mounting point enables it to be pivoted and rotated through 180 degrees, making it easier to shoot from the angle you want. Minimum and maximum heights of 18cm and 182cm respectively add even more versatility. Build and material quality are top notch thanks to rigid eight-layer carbon fibre legs rated to support a hefty 8kg. Reassuringly precise leg angle adjusters and quick-release extension clamps add to the substantial feel. Another nice touch is that it has rubberised leg grips for some extra cold weather comfort, as well as some printed height markings on each leg to help set everything up level. Although this tripod's 58cm folded length and 1.66kg weight can't match the outright portability of some carbon rivals, this is still no heavyweight and that slimline centre column really aids compactness. You will need to factor in the cost of a tripod head, but usefully the top mounting plate can accept 3/8" or 1/4" designs. Buy it: www.giottos-tripods.co.uk Price: £269 Score: 4/5 READ MORE Best budget tripods: 6 top models tested and rated 9 secrets to using a tripod like a pro Camera Shake: the ultimate cheat sheet for using tripods, monopods and shooting handheld

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