Camera Settings and Operations
This page is where you will learn how to use our cameras.
Let's start with
holding you camera properly, and include basic buttons, exposure triangle,
In class, we use mostly Nikon D3200 DSLR cameras. The following videos will explain how to use and set up our cameras.
Our first step is to visit Moose the Camera Guy. He has a web site with a series of tutorials and videos on setting up and using the D3200 camera. Here is a link to his web site on
using the Nikon D3200. He also features other popular makes of cameras.
DSLR cameras allow users to do many things. One of the basic things to learn is how to set exposure. There are 4 shooting modes:
Fully automatic, where the camera does everything -- Auto is shown in green on the top control dial.
Aperture Priority, where you set the F/stop (a hole in the lens and controls the brightness of the light entering the camera) and the camera sets everything else.
Shutter Priority, where you set the shutter speed (controls the length of time the light enters the camera) and the camera sets everything else.
Fully manual where you set and control; everything and the camera is compliant to your demands.
ISO -- Shutter Speed -- Aperture
The first thing I want you to learn is about camera sensitivity to light. This adjustment is called setting your ISO. A low ISO is best for bright sunny days. As a scene gets darker, you have to increase the ISO.
If you double your ISO, your camera is twice as sensitive. So if you go from 100 ISO to 200 ISO, you have increased the sensitivity by a factor of 2. Here is a short
video for B&H Photo store that does a pretty good job of explaining how ISO works.
Shutter priority- where you control how much time the light strikes the sensor. On Nikons it is a letter S.
Aperture priority -- where you control how bright the light is when it shines on the sensor. Use the letter A for aperture priority.
Understanding aperture or F/stop.
After we use the semi-auto modes for a few days, we will switch to manual mode for the rest of the term. Here is a 4 minute video on setting the manual controls.
Here is a video that explains the basics of exposure from
Adorama TV.
Here is a very quick video link to help you understand exposure
Here is a printed explanation from Digital Photo School (DPS) on exposure.
On the other end of this link, the author explains how to set the proper exposure using the
camera controls. This link is for a Nikon 7200. The settings apply to the 3200, the 5300 and the D7000 (studio camera).
Simulators are a great way to learn and photography is no exception. Here is a link to
several camera simulators to help you understand exposure, focal length, depth of field and other camera operation functions.
Another key to understanding exposure is to be able to read a
histogram.
Focal length refers to the magnification of your lens. There are wide angle, telephoto and normal lenses. They all have a focal length, which is a number that tells you the magnification. In a 35 mm camera, a normal lens has a focal length f 50 mm*. This represents what our eyes see. A small number less than 50 mm is a wide angle. A number larger than 50 is a telephoto, which brings objects closer.
Note the cameras we use are called crop sensor cameras, which means the frame size is 1/3 smaller than a full frame, which equals a 35 mm format.
A general rule for hand-holding you camera is to take your focal length and turn it into fraction. So for example, you focal length is 50 mm, put one over the number and you get 1/50. This represents the slowest shutter speed you should use when hand-holding your camera. If you are using a 500 mm lens, you shutter is 1/500. What would be the shutter speed if you are using a 15 mm lens? How about a 1000 mm lens?
To help you get a feel for exposure, here is a general rule of thumb for shooting outside. It is called the Sunny 16 rule. Take your ISO number and turn it into a fraction.
So if you ISO is 100, you shutter speed is 1/100. Your F/stop is F/16.
If the sky is slightly overcast, your exposure is 1/100 at F/11.
Heavy overcast, set your camera at 1/100 at F/8
If you ISO changes to 400, your shutter speed is 1/400, the use the same F/stop settings as above, depending on the cloud covering.
Here is link to Digital Photo School explaining the Sunny 16 rule.