Primer on Digital Camera Settings

August 26, 2010, By 1 comment

Aperture Priority Mode

This will usually be an 'A' on your mode dial, but some manufacturers prefer 'Av.' This setting is all about controlling what parts of your photo will be in focus. It is a semi-automatic mode in as far as you get to set the aperture, (or f number), and the camera picks a complementary shutter speed.

Small f numbers, (which confusingly are called large aperture values), give you a limited depth of field that has your subject in focus and the background a dreamy blur. This is great for portraits. Large apertures are also good for adding more light to low-light shooting conditions. Small apertures (large f numbers) mean that everything in your shot will be in focus. A good example of this is those stunning desktop wallpapers you have where the tall grass at the front is as sharp as the trees on the horizon.

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Comments (1):

Greg H.
Greg H. 1. Increasing the ISO does not let in more light. It changes the sensitivity of the sensor. Any ISO over 400 shows an exponential gain in noise. 2. Remember that f-stops are a fraction of the opening. A f-stop of 2 is actually 1/2 of the whole opening of the lens. This is why the small numbers are larger openings. This is the number one thing that trips up everyone. A f-stop of 16 is actually 1/16 of the whole opening or very very small. The smaller the f-stop number (larger the opening) the more light passes thru the lens to the sensor. The larger the number (smaller opening) the less light is coming thru the lens. 3. Shutter speed is the same as f-stop. It's a fraction of a second. 30 is actually 1/30 of a second. A faster shutter speed will stop action. Remember that as you change your shutter speed, you have to compensate with changing your f-stop and/or ISO. It's all give and take. 4. While this is basically correct, you have to take into consideration what you are photographing. This won't work if you're shooting on the ski slopes on a bright sunny day, or shooting a dark subject against a dark wall. The best thing to do is to bracket, and most SLRs will do this automatically. Finally, what ever camera you own, whatever you shoot, buy a book and learn about the technical aspects of photography. - 02/12/2011

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