Preset modes
Your DSLR camera is a sophisticated computer and the preset programs are the result of an enormous amount of information that has been programmed into it. These preset modes set up the camera functions to match the subject you have selected, choosing combinations of shutter speed, aperture, flash, colour balance and focus that the camera decides is ideal for each subject.
Preset modes are very useful when you are starting but you can’t override the automatics. As your knowledge increases you will probably find this very limiting in creative terms and will want to move on to taking your own decisions.
Quick tip
• It’s all too easy to get carried away and forget to change your preset modes. Always check that you are on the right one for the subject you are shooting or the settings will be unsuitable.
Playback
The ability to see a picture as soon as you have taken it rather than waiting for negatives and prints to come back from a processing lab is one of the most attractive features of digital photography – particularly when you are shooting one-off events such as weddings or competitive sports.
The playback button
This button gives you access to the pictures that are recorded on your card. When you push it, the last picture taken will appear on the monitor.
Playback button
Image information
By using the multi selector, you can gain a lot of information from playback. All the technical data about the images is recorded and will stay attached to the pictures when they are transferred to the computer – exposure mode, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, exposure compensation, date and time of the exposure, focal length of the lens, flash mode used, white balance setting and histogram.
Image information
Viewing multi images
Viewing multi images
This is the digital equivalent of contact sheets or thumbnails. You can bring four or nine pictures up on the monitor for review, depending on your camera model.
Close up
You can zoom into close up on a portion of the picture in stages using the +magnifier button, and likewise zoom out with the – magnifier button. Using the multi selector, you can also manoeuvre the magnified section of the image around the monitor to check details of your picture for sharpness and colour.
The histogram display
This is a graphic representation of the image exposure; the left side of the graph represents the shadow areas of the image and the right side the highlights. If the peak of the graph is over to the left the image will be underexposed and if it is on the right it will be overexposed. When the peak is in the centre it represents a normal exposure. This graph can be a bit confusing, but it’s not something to worry about until you become more experienced.
A problem with digital photography is that it’s hard to retain detail in extreme highlights. The histogram is useful to check this. If the graph runs into the right edge of the box (below centre) you’ll be losing highlight detail, so you’ll need to reduce the exposure.
Protecting images from deletion
Use this button to mark individual images so that they are safely protected from accidental deletion.
Protecting images from deletion button
Deleting individual images
To delete an unwanted photograph from your memory card, press the delete button. You’ll need to confirm this with a second press of the button, or with a different one, depending on your camera.
Don’t be too hasty in deleting images at the time of shooting – you may make decisions you’ll regret later. Wait until you have the chance to go through them at leisure. Also, time can add significance to a picture; a shot taken on the first day of a holiday can have much more meaning in the context of the holiday as a whole than seemed likely at the time, for example.
Deleting individual images button
Playback tips
• Playback is really useful when you are shooting portraits – you can show your subject a picture to give them more confidence in your work.
• Each photograph you shoot has a number, shown on the monitor when you view it. You can record the frame number to link the picture to any notes you are taking at the time.
Underexposed
Overexposed
Correctly exposed
Image quality
There’s more to a successful photograph than an interesting subject and pleasing composition – the quality of the image must be good.
Understanding ISO
Before you make an exposure, you must choose the ISO setting on your camera. The ISO (International Standards Organization) index is a system for calibrating the sensitivity to light of film emulsions and digital sensors. The ISO settings on most cameras go from 100 to approximately 3200, depending on the make of camera, and the higher the ISO number the more sensitive the film or sensor is to light. The ISO rating of digital sensors is based directly on the film ISO, so the 200 ISO setting on a digital camera is the same sensitivity as 200 ISO film.
ISO button
The practical difference between the ISO setting on a digital camera and the ISO speed of a film is that when using digital the photographer is able to change ISO settings on every frame. In contrast, once you have set the camera’s ISO for a film you must leave it on that setting for the whole film as it will be developed for a specific ISO. However, you can raise the ISO rating of a film from the manufacturer’s given speed (known as