An Overview of digital camera technology, basic

photographic techniques.
 DSLR, Megapixels, Image Stabilisation, Dust
Reduction, Live View, Sensors, facial
recognition..........

What does it all mean?

(and why does it matter to me?)‫‏‬

1
3 Main classifications

- Point and Shoot

- Prosumer*

- Digital SLR
- Commonly referred to as “consumer” digital cameras.

- Represent probably 90% of all digital cameras on the market

- Typically small, compact and lightweight

- Targeted at broad majority

- Typically very User-Friendly

- Image Quality has improved drastically

 -Not technically its own specification

- Common term used to describe advanced models of P&S

(now also used to describe many entry level DSLR's)‫‏‬
- Similar in shape and appearance to Digital SLR's
- Typically have extended zoom range (8-12X Optical Equiv)‫‏‬

- Typically combine user friendly

P&S features with more advanced
manual features.
 SLR Stands for Single Lens Reflex

- Have larger sensors, resulting in greater image quality

- Tend to favor manual control, lacking many automatic

settings found on P&S

- Much larger and heavier

- Ability to interchange system lenses

So What is the REAL difference between a digital
SLR and a point and shoot camera?
 But Why?
How can a 6 megapixel DSLR take a better picture than a 10 megapixel point
and shoot?

Because Size Matters!

- Each digital image is made from millions of tiny squares,
known as pixels.

- Essentially, an image is recorded by tiny microlenses (pixels)

which make up the cameras sensor
All Pixels are not created equal!

-A digital sensor is essentially made up of millions of tiny micro-lenses

(pixels)‫‏‬

- Pixels are analog devices which record light and color data

- Larger Sensors contain larger pixels, which are much better and collecting
this data
 Megapixels – Determine the total size (Dimensions) of the
image recorded by camera

- More MP does not always mean a better picture

- Digital Image dimensions do not equal print dimensions

- For example a full quality image from an 8 megapixel camera

will produce a digital image measuring approximately 9X14
inches but printing standards say that you should not print to
“Photo Quality” any larger than 8X10
Refers to the cameras ability to correct small
movements by the user while taking a picture, in
order to reduce the blur caused by camera shake.

Very Useful in low-light or telephoto situations

Represented differently by different companies:

Nikon – VR – Vibration Reduction

Canon – IS – Image Stabilization
Pentax – SR – Shake Reduction
Sony – SSS – Super Steady-Shot
Dust is more of a problem in DSLR's due to
changing lenses
Once dust gets on your sensor, it can be difficult
to remove
Dust reduction is essentially a mechanism which
shakes the cameras sensor to free any clinging
dust particles
Special anti-static coatings or filters may also be
used
 Refers to the ability to use the lcd screen on the
camera the same way you would use the viewfinder
 Shots can be composed even while holding the
camera away from your face
 Originally only a feature in P&S, DSLR’s now use
Live View also
 Camera detects faces in your frame based on color,
contrast change, etc.
 Focus is automatically adjusted so detail in faces is
high
 Color and contrast are automatically adjusted to
create pleasing skin tones
While there are hundreds of factors which can
make a photo “good”, it is still a relative term,
and good to one person may not be good to
someone else.

For our purposes we will refer to good in the

sense of a correct exposure.
A “correct” or “good” exposure occurs when you maintain as much detail as
possible in both the very bright parts (highlights) as well as the very dark
parts (shadows) of an image. How much of a range in which you can
capture detail from light to dark is referred to as the Dynamic Range. As you
are about to see, there can be many “correct” or “good” exposures

There are three factors which influence the exposure of your image:
-Shutter Speed
-Aperture
-ISO
Refers to how long the shutter is open, exposing
the image sensor to light.
(how long the camera “sees” the picture)‫‏‬

Measured in Seconds, from 30 down to 1/8000

Fast Shutter Speeds (600 and up) are used to stop
motion and will freeze the subject.
Slow Shutter Speeds (1/60 or slower) can be used
to portray movement or speed
Very Slow Shutter Speeds (5 sec. or slower) can be
used in very low light situations to obtain correct
exposure, or achieve dramatic effects.
 Beware!
As your shutter speed decreases, your chances of
getting a blurry image increase because you must
hold the camera steady for a longer period.
An aperture is defined as a hole or
opening through which light is
admitted.
Inside the camera lens is a system
of blades which open and close to
increase or decrease the opening
through which light passes into the
camera
Often refferred to as an f-stop, aperture is usually
represented by: f/1.8, or f/5.6
A Smaller # means a wider opening and is
referred to as a larger value (eg. A large aperture
of 2.0, a small aperture of 22)‫‏‬
The wider the lens is open(larger aperture value),
the more light gets in (you can use faster shutter
speeds)‫‏‬
Aperture also controls depth of field (DOF),
which refers to how much of your image is in
focus.

A wide aperture (small #) will give a shallow

DOF and can be used to isolate a subject.
 Refers to the light sensitivity of the sensor

HIGH ISO value means the sensor will be MORE

sensitive to light, meaning it will take LESS
LIGHT to get the right exposure

Similar to Film Speeds in 35mm format

Typically ranges from 100-1600
Newer Digital cameras have a higher range
(up to 64000)‫‏‬
Using High ISO values causes the sensor to
produce much more heat, which creates digital
“noise” in images.
 Noise is similar to film grain and causes loss of
fine detail in images
It is more visible in dark parts of an image and is
generally more noticeable when displayed on
screen than in print
Some cameras claim to have “Digital Image
Stabilization”
This just means that the camera will
automatically increase the ISO in order to allow a
faster shutter speed
Faster Shutter Speed will reduce the likelihood of
camera shake, but high ISO will most likely
result in a grainy image.
White Balance
White balance doesn't really affect your
exposure, just the appearance of colors in the
image

Different light sources cast their own colors,

which cannot usually be noticed with the naked
eye.
White Balance is essentially the camera
compensating for the color cast of the light in
order to reproduce the “correct” colors
The color cast of light is referred to as its Color
Temperature and is rated in degrees Kelvin
Ranges from “Cool” to “Warm”
Most Digital cameras have Automatic White
Balance, but also specific options for different
sources of light.
 Exposure Modes
There are several modes available which offer a
combination of automatic and manual control
over the three elements of exposure.
Auto, sometimes represented by an A, or simply
a green square, is fully automatic functioning.
True “point and shoot” where the camera
decides all the settings for you
 Av or Aperture Priority allows you to choose the
aperture value while the camera chooses the shutter
speed required to obtain a correct exposure

Tv or Shutter Priority allows you to choose the

shutter speed while the camera chooses the aperture
which would produce the correct exposure

M or Manual gives you complete manual control.

You choose both shutter speed and aperture
 Scene Modes
Scene Modes are basically fully automatic modes
designed specifically for a certain situation. They
typically place emphasis on one or more settings
based on the typical circumstances of the
situation chosen.
Most digital cameras have very similar scene
modes available
Backlight - eliminates dark shadows when light
is coming from behind a subject, or when the
subject is in the shade. The built-in flash
automatically fires to "fill in" the shadows.

Beach/Snow - photograph beach, snow and

sunlit water scenes. Exposure and white balance
are set to help prevent the scene from becoming
washed out looking.ds. Use of tripod
recommended.
 Fireworks - shutter speed and exposure are set
for shooting fireworks; pre-focusing & use of
tripod recommended.

Landscape - take photos of wide scenes. Camera

automatically focuses on a distant object.

Macro - take close-up shots of small objects,

flowers and insects. Lens can be moved closer to
the subject than in other modes. Hold the camera
steady or use a tripod.
Night Portrait - take photos of a subject against a
night scene. The built-in flash and red-eye
reduction are enabled; shutter-speeds are low.
Use of tripod recommended.

Night Scene - photograph nightscapes.

Preprogrammed to use slow shutter speeds. Use
of tripod recommended.
 Party - take photos in a dim lit room; exposure
and shutter speed are automatically adjusted for
room brightness. Captures indoor background
lighting or candlelight. Hold the camera very
steady when using this mode.
 Portrait - main subject is clearly focused and the
background is out of focus (has less depth of
field). Best when taking shots outside during the
day. Shoot using a mid to long telephoto lens,
stand close to your subject within the
recommended camera range and, when possible,
select an uncomplicated background that is far
from the subject.
Sports (also called Kids & Pets)- take photos of a
fast moving subject; fast shutter speeds "freeze"
the action. Best when shots are taken in bright
light; pre-focusing recommended.

Sunset - take photos of sunsets and sunrises;

helps keep the deep hues in the scene.
 The metering system within a camera measures
the amount of light in a frame and determines
the best exposure. Many cameras have more than
one metering mode and each evaluates a scene in
a different way. Essentially, by changing the
metering mode you are telling the camera to
evaluate the scene in a different way.
 Center-weighted metering

Currently the most common digital camera

metering system. Center-weighted is the
metering system of choice on digicams that do
not offer other metering modes.

Exposure metering is averaged over the entire

frame with emphasis placed on the central area.
Used for general and portrait photography.
 Matrix (evaluative) metering

A complex metering system whereby a scene is

split up into a series of zones. Overall exposure is
based on evaluating each zone individually and
taking an average of the total light readings.
 Spot metering

Spot metering covers just under 4 percent of the

viewfinder area. It takes a precise exposure
reading only at the very center of the frame and
disregards the rest. A spot meter is used when a
subject is backlit or has bright light upon it and
the background is dark -- for example, when
there are extremes in brightness in a scene.
 Partial metering
Partial metering is similar to spot metering but
covers a larger area of the viewfinder, about 13.5
percent. It is useful for taking portrait photos
when the subject is back lit Underexposure is
minimized by metering on the face.
Both spot and partial metering are considered
advanced settings. They give the skilled
photographer more control over exposure than
do matrix and center-weighted metering.
 Imagine the frame divided into three equal
sections both horizontally and vertically
 Divided into “thirds”
 The Concept is: Placing your subject or
elements along any of these lines, and
especially on or near the intersecting points,
makes a photo more naturally attractive to the
viewer.
 Again, the concept is simple: Place
subjects along the lines, or near
intersecting points
 For portraits, the eyes are often
positioned along one of the
horizontal lines preferably near one
of the power points to make the
photograph more pleasing to look at,
and naturally draw attention to the
eyes.
 For landscapes the horizon is aligned
to any of the horizontal lines
depending on how much
land/water/sky you want to show.
 Picasa
 Free to download
 Distributed by Google
 Simple, User friendly functions and interface
  Thank You!

 Now go out and take some pictures!!!