Canon Camera

The lens, which is made of glass, is used to let light into the camera. 

Some cameras have a single, built-in lens while others have detachable lenses. 

The type of lens you use affects the appearance of the image. 

Some lenses create distortion, while others create a very close approximation to what is seen with the human eye. 

The role of the lens is to bend light to focus on the sensor inside the camera body.

Film or digital SLR cameras will most likely have a focus ring. 

This is a ring typically found on the lens that allows manual control of the camera's focus. You can decide if you want the whole image in focus, or just a part of it. 

Many cameras have an auto-focus feature in addition to the focus ring. 

The viewfinder is the area on the camera that you look through in order to compose your shot. 

For some cameras, an LCD screen is used as a viewfinder, or your camera may have the option to use either one. 

However, most professionals use the viewfinder as the true representation of what you're about to shoot.

The LCD screen is used to view and change options and settings, view pictures after they are shot, and on some cameras, as a viewfinder. 

Some cameras allow you to edit photos while they are still on camera, and the LCD screen makes this possible.

Every camera comes equipped with a shutter release button. This is simply the button on the camera that is used to snap the picture. 

It opens and closes the shutter, allowing the necessary light and information to enter the camera. The amount of time the shutter stays open depends on what you have your shutter speed set to.

Hold the shutter button half way to auto-focus.

Most cameras today have a variety of functions and automatic features. The mode dial allows you to select different options, such as automatic mode, shutter priority mode, sport mode or macro mode. 

Creative Modes: Manual, Aperture-priority, Shutter-priority, Program

Basic Modes: Automatic, Auto-no flash, Creative-Auto, Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Sports, Night-Portrait and Video.

The sensor captures light and converts what you see through hte viewfinder into an image.

Your camera's sensor determines how good your images look and how large you can scale them or print them.

Image quality depends not only on the size of the sensor, but also on how many millions of pixels fit on it, and the size of those pixels.

The mirror in a DSLR reflects light from the lens into the viewfinder, allowing you to look through the viewfinder to frame a shot. 

At rest, the mirror sits at an angle in front of the shutter and sensor, blocking the light from hitting them.

When you click the shutter button, the mirror lifts up, allowing the light to hit the sensor to make the shot.