Chapter 13 provides a troubleshooting guide, discussing ten common picture problems and how to avoid or repair them.
Chapter 14 shows you ten accessories that can make your photography life easier, more fun, or both.
Beyond the Book
When you have time to go online, visit www.dummies.com and enter the text Digital Photography For Dummies Cheat Sheet in the Search box. The Cheat Sheet offers a quick reference guide to important camera settings.
Icons Used in This Book
Here’s a quick guide to the icons used in this book:
Where to Go from Here
The answer depends on you. You can start with Chapter 1 and read straight through to the index, if you like. Or you can flip to whatever section of the book interests you most and start there.
The one thing this book isn’t designed to do, however, is insert its contents magically into your head. You can’t just put the book under your pillow and expect to acquire the information by osmosis — you have to put eyes to page and do some actual reading. With our hectic lives, finding the time and energy to read is easier said than done; but if you spend just a few minutes a day with this book, you’ll soon able to capture any subject, from a newborn baby to a towering monument, like a pro.
Part 1
Fast Track to Super Snaps
IN THIS PART …
Discover which camera features make it easier to take different types of photos. If you're ready for a new camera, get the information you need to find just the right model.
Get the scoop on essential (and sometimes confusing) camera settings, including the shooting mode, shutter-release mode, resolution, and file type (JPEG or Raw).
Find out how to get the best results when you rely on your camera's fully automatic shooting mode. Also take a look at scene modes, which automatically select settings considered best for specific categories of pictures, such as portraits and action shots.
Explore settings related to video-recording features and get help shooting your first movies.
Chapter 1
Choosing the Right Camera
IN THIS CHAPTER
You've probably heard the saying “It's a poor carpenter who blames his tools.” Well, the same is true for photography: A knowledgeable photographer can produce a masterful image from even the most basic camera. That said, certain camera features make photographing some subjects easier. A fast autofocusing system improves your odds of snapping a sharp shot of a lacrosse game, for example, and a lens that can capture subjects from a distance enables you to photograph a wild cougar without getting dangerously close.
This chapter helps you figure out whether your current camera offers the features you need for the type of photography you want to do, and, if not, guides you toward more suitable gear. At the end of the chapter, I provide some tips for getting the biggest bang for your buck if you go camera or lens shopping.
Choosing the Right Level of Camera
Digital cameras come in a variety of sizes, styles, and even colors. Later sections in this chapter provide details to help you narrow your shopping list to a few contenders. But first, it helps to consider whether you’re best suited to a basic, intermediate, or advanced camera. Here’s how I define these categories:
Basic models: I use this term to describe entry-level cameras that offer few (or no) controls over exposure, focus, and so on. Smartphone and tablet cameras also fall into this category.A basic model is perfect if you're a casual photographer. That is, you enjoy taking selfies, shooting pictures of the gang at special occasions, and sharing photos of your kids or pets online. Or perhaps your work requires photographic documentation of some sort. For example, an insurance adjuster needs to include pictures of hail damage in order to process a claim. Either way, you want your pictures to be as good as possible, but you aren't interested in taking classes or otherwise learning advanced photography techniques.
Intermediate models: By intermediate, I mean a camera that offers both automatic and manual picture-taking controls. Go this route if you want to explore photography but don't know much about the topic yet. That way, you can rely on automatic shooting modes while you're learning, and gradually step up to manual options. You can find a wide range of models in this category, some of which provide only a handful of advanced options and others that offer nearly pro-level controls.
Advanced models: Cameras in this category are designed for photographers who want more sophisticated controls than intermediate cameras provide. For example, with some high-end cameras, you can use the built-in flash to trigger off-camera flash units, providing lighting flexibility that's often required for professional portrait photography. You also get substantially more ways to customize your camera, from tweaking autofocus performance to changing the function of camera buttons. Often not included on cameras in this category are automatic shooting modes or other make-it-easy features that you find on basic and intermediate cameras. Some models don’t even offer a built-in flash, requiring you to buy a separate flash unit. This leads me to offer the following caution: No matter how much the camera salesperson (or your professional photographer friend) tries to convince you to “start at the top,”