Review Digital Camera World 01-27-2014

Digital Camera World

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10 camera techniques to master in 2014: how to focus on moving subjects Jan 27th 2014, 00:01, by jmeyer As our Shoot Like a Pro series on mastering some of the fundamental camera techniques continues we turn our attention to moving subjects and how to focus when time is of the essence. Focusing on a static subject is all well and good, but not everything will wait patiently for you while you compose and capture your shot. For this reason, you need to master the art of focusing on moving subjects. To do this, change the autofocus mode from Single Shot (Nikon) or One Shot (Canon), to Continuous or AI Servo mode. Now, once you've locked focus on your subject by half-pressing the shutter-release button, the camera will continue to refocus as the subject moves, until you fully press the button to capture your shot. SEE MORE: What ACTUALLY happens when you half-press the shutter button You can choose from all of the focus points for off-centre subjects, but when shooting in low light, shooting low-contrast subjects or if using lenses with a maximum aperture narrower than f/5.6, you will find these outer points will struggle to focus. Expert Tip: try back-button focusing Many DSLRs have a button on the back of the camera that you can press with your thumb to activate the autofocus. This means you can use your thumb to focus, and your forefinger to press the shutter when you want to shoot. SEE MORE: Back button focus made easy Why are my pictures blurry? When it comes to mastering focus, you also need to know why your shots aren't sharp. This can be down to focusing, but it may also be due to camera shake or the subject moving. You'll need to spot the cause, fix the problem, then try again. 1 Incorrect focusing If the softness is due to incorrect focusing, you may find that areas in front or behind the subject are sharp. If you can't see any sharp areas, incorrect focusing will give a uniform blur all around each area of the image. 2 Movement You can easily spot blur caused by camera shake by the characteristic 'streaking' of highlight areas. These indicate that the camera (or possibly the subject) has moved at some point during the exposure. 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 Autofocus point options: what subjects should each be used with? Focus modes: how, when and why you need to change your AF settings   4 foolproof ways to beat mirror bounce Jan 26th 2014, 12:00, by jmeyer Are you struggling to get sharp images with your super-telephoto lens, even when you use a tripod? Your problem is due to mirror bounce. In this quick guide we’ll show you four simple ways you can keep it at bay. As with macro photography, stillness of the camera is vital when using long lenses. A rigid tripod is a big help, but mirror-bounce can be a problem with DSLR cameras. This is because the action of the reflex mirror flipping up immediately prior to the exposure can blur the results. Most DSLRs have a mirror lockup feature, available via shooting menus, custom functions, or as a dedicated drive mode. If you use this with a remote controller, the initial full press of the remote shutter button will only raise the reflex mirror. You can then wait a couple of seconds or so before pressing the button again to release the shutter. How to beat mirror bounce 1 Mirror lockup In most entry-level Canon SLRs, mirror lockup is available as a custom function. On more advanced bodies, it's available via one of the shooting menus. SEE MORE: 49 seriously good Canon DSLR tips, tricks, shortcuts and time savers 2 Self-timer If you don't have a remote controller, Canon's two-second self-timer drive mode works very well in conjunction with the mirror lockup function.   3 Mirror up Nikon's mirror up function works in the same way as in Canon cameras, but is available from the drive mode and cannot be used with a self-timer delay. SEE MORE: 100 Nikon DSLR tips you really need to know 4 Exposure delay For those without a remote controller, the exposure delay mode applies a one-second delay after the mirror flips up. Some bodies give options for longer periods of delay. READ MORE 10 reasons why your pictures aren’t shop (and how to fix them) Master your camera’s autofocus – which AF points to use and when to use them Banish bad pictures: 9 quick fixes for common camera complaints Beginner photograph tips: the most common mistakes (and how to avoid them)

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