Using Your Camera

Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO

The Joys of Manual Mode

As more and more people give up their point and shoots for digital SLR and compact ILC cameras, they learn the versatility and creativity afforded by switching their cameras to manual mode.

The Aspects of Manual Mode

When you switch your camera into manual mode, you take control of the amount of light that gets let into your camera. And in photography, light is everything.

Aperture

Together with shutter speed and ISO, your camera’s aperture helps control the amount of light that enters your camera.

The smaller the aperture, the larger the opening, and the more light that gets in.

Shutter Speed

If aperture governs the amount of light that enters the camera, shutter speed controls the amount of time that light has to reach the camera’s sensor. Photographers can use a slower shutter speed to slow down a chaotic scene, and a higher shutter speed to capture action shots.

ISOISO is the number that regulates a camera’s light

sensitivity. The lower the ISO, the lower the light sensitivity; the higher the ISO, the higher the light sensitivity.Higher ISOs enable the camerato capture images in low light without the use of a flash.Note: ISO can be tricky. Dialit up too far, and you increasethe likelihood that yourphotos will appear grainy.

So, What’s the Perfect Setting?

Unfortunately, there is no aperture-shutter-speed-ISO “sweet spot.” Light conditions, subject variabilities, and your purpose for the photo will determine which combination you use.If you let too much light in, for example, you will overexpose your image; don’t let enough light in, and your image will be underexposed.

Our Advice? Play.It’s important to play around in with your camera. Treat it

like a musical instrument. You would never expect to pick up a guitar and play it perfectly the first time. The same is true with photography. So, practice, remembering that you’re not capturing images, you’re capturing light.

Using Manual ModeReady to play? Switch your camera’s setting into Manual

Mode by turning to M on the main dial. Then, use your camera’s owners’ manual for instructions on setting aperture, ISO and shutter speed.

For more information about aperture and depth of field, please visit our blog.

About Cameta

Cameta Camera is a true brick-and-mortar camera store in Amityville, NY. We’ve been selling photography equipment and distilling advice to professionals and hobbyists alike more than 25 years.

For more photography tips, visit our blog at Cameta.com/blog.