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  • About Me
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    • Fashion and Lifestyle Photography
    • Location Photography
    • Event Photography
  • Google + 360 Photography
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How to Reduce Light Stops Entering Camera by Using F-Numbers

  • 0 comments/
  • August 25, 2016

So rather than try to write a description about the numbers I decide to draw up a chart.

Please feel free to download this chart for your own use, and if you do wish to share it, please credit me. Thanks

How to use the Chart

The chart is pretty simple to understand, along the top are 3 columns, starting with Full Stop, 1/2 Stop then 1/3 Stop, reading down each column you see the camera F Numbers. The gap between the F Numbers is the amount of light you are reducing or increasing into the camera.
Lets say you want to reduce the light by 1 Full Stop of light, simply look at the first column titled Full Stops and switching the F-Number on your camera between these settings will decrease or increase the amount of light accordingly. Using the second column and switching between these F-Numbers will reduce light by 1/2 Stop and finally switching between the F-Numbers in the 3rd column will reduce light by 1/3 Stop.
I hope this all makes sense, any questions just let me know in the comments.
PDF DOWNLOAD
JPG DOWNLOAD
  • Under : camera, CAnon, f number, f stop, how to reduce camera light, lens settings, light, light painting, need to know, photography, ratio

What is the difference between TimeLapse and HyperLapse Photography?

  • 0 comments/
  • March 25, 2016

After posting about doing some TimeLapse photography and my test shots, I had a few people ask me what is the difference between Timelapse and HyperLapse.

So I thought I would answer them in a post, so here goes.

I will start by briefly explaining what the two are in their own right, and hopefully you will be able to see the difference.

What is TimeLapse Photography?

I will start by showing you a simple example of a TimeLapse sequence

As you can see the movement in this shot is done by the lapsing of time, hence the name TimeLapse. Simply put in a TimeLapse shot the camera position is fixed and a shot is taken at set intervals, during each interval time passes, which means when the next shot is taken the scene has changed.

These shots are then stitched together into a moving format, gif, movie or similar.

What is HyperLapse Photography?

Once again I will show you an example of a HyperLapse sequence

This time rather than the camera remaining in a fixed position, the shot is taken by the camera which is then moved between each shot, hence the name HyperLapse. So simply put we get the effect by having a moving camera position and a shot taken at each position, each time the camera is moved to a new position a new shot is taken, (at each shot the camera is fixed and doesn’t move) after each the camera is moved and physical distance has passed, so the next time the shot is taken the scene has changed.
Again these shots are then stitched together into a moving format, gif, movie or similar.

So what is the difference between TimeLapse and HyperLapse?
Now you should already know the difference by to put it simple the difference is
1. Time-lapse photography allows time to pass between each shot, whilst the camera remains fixed.
2. Hyper-lapse photography allows distance to pass between each shot, the camera moves between each shot, but is fixed at the time of taking the shot, after all we are not making a movie here.
NOTE
TimeLapse is often also referred to as Time-lapse or Time Lapse Photography, as HyperLapse is often referred to as Hyper-lapse or Hyper Lapse Photography.

  • Under : 7d, artistic photography, CAnon, cows, hyper-lapse, hyperlapse, movement, richmond, stairs, time-lapse, timelapse, walking, what is hyperlapse photography, what is timelapse photography

Why your Mobile Phone is not as good as a Real Camera

  • 3 comments/
  • October 24, 2015

Being the photographer that I am, I get a lot of people asking me what type of camera they should get, and more often in todays climate, why should they even buy a camera at all. Especially when their mobile phone has a camera and it has a massive? 21 mega pixels, where as a DSLR may only have 16 mega pixels.

On the face of it, you may think they are right. Surely having 21 mega pixles or 21 million pixels is better than only having 16 mega pixels or 16 million pixels!!

The answer is a very simple NO!!

The problem is with the two main elements that are the basis of photography and these are light and drawing as in the word itself.

Photo (light) graphy (drawing)

So having a good quality photograph requires that you maximise the elements involved to produce the best results.

Light

In order to get a good photograph you need the right amount of hitting the sensor (more on the sensor in a bit). This means having a lens that allows the most light in so it can create your photo. This is where one of the mistakes people make in comparing mobile phones with actual cameras comes in and that is the F Number of the lens (check out my article about F Numbers).

In most cases in order to maximise the light into the lens you need a large aperture and a fast lens, this usually takes the form of a lens with a low F Number something like an f/2.8 on the new iPhone 6s. So you will be thinking, thats great my new iPhone has the same F Number as a more expensive camera lens, so why do I need to buy a camera.

Simple – Not all lens are the physically the same size.

As you can see from the diagram above, the F Numbers on the mobile phone cameras can be the same as those on a DSLR camera, However as you can clearly see the actual lens opening (aperture)  is different. Put simply the DSLR lens has a larger diameter and as such even set to the same F Number will allow a lot more light in and therefore a lot more lights hits the sensor.

In simple terms fully open the lens on your mobile will be a few millimetres maximum, where as fully open the lens on a DSLR will be a few centimetres. (this is also why some lens can allow more light to enter compared to a faster lens at the lower F Number)

Drawing

The next important element in taking a good photograph is the drawing (graphy) or information stored during exposure.

This leads to one of the biggest mistakes in comparing mobile phone cameras and DSLR cameras, and that is mega pixels.

A mega pixels is simple an area of 1 million pixels that captures the information during exposure of a photography, so generally the more mega pixels the more details and the higher resolution the shot you will take.

This is where it gets interesting, not mega pixel is either the same quality or the same size. The sensors used in most modern mobile phones are way smaller than those used in modern DSLR cameras.

As you can see from the simple diagram above. If we take a 4 mega pixels mobile phone camera and compare it to a 4 mega pixel DSLR you can clearly see the size of each mega pixel is larger and in turn the size of the pixels inside are larger. So we get 4 million larger pixels in our DSLR as opposed to 4 million smaller ones in the mobile phone.

This means that we get more information stored and more detail in the photograph by the DSLR compared with a mobile phone.

In Closing

In modern day mobile phones and DSLR the technology has dramatically improved, this means it is possible to take decent photos on a mobile phone in low light, this is due to additional factors such as the actual sensor type and camera chips used in processing the photos. However, the same rules apply, no matter how much jiggery pokery you get from technology, the DSLR will always produce better photos.

However even the sensors in DSLR cameras are of a difference type and size, but more on that later.

  • Under : aperture, apple, CAnon, dslr, iPhone 6s, lens, light, mega pixels, opening, photography, sony, why your mobile phone is not as good as a real camera

What does the F Stand for in F Number and F Stop?

  • 0 comments/
  • October 23, 2015

The F in F Number, F Ratio or F Stop stands for Focal Length. 

(it should be noted that in terms of F Stop the F can also just be Focal when viewing light not through a lens)

Focal length is simply the size of a lens or a given point on a tele-photo lens such as 50mm, 100mm, 300mm.

What are F Number / F Ratio and F Stop?


Although many people use the these to mean the same thing,  they are in fact different things all together. To put it simply they are.

F Number / F Ratio

F Number / F Ratio is simply the ratio of light entering the lens aperture to the focal length of the lens.

“The diameter of  the lens opening and the amount of light entering, expressed as a fraction of the focal length of the lens” Ansel Adams

For Example

A 300mm lens with an aperture diameter of 75mm has an F Number of  4 or f/4
Or 300mm / 75mm = 4
A 50mm lens with an aperture diameter of 25mm has an F Number of 2 of f/2
Or 50mm / 25mm = 2

So in order to gauge the F Number and the size of the aperture and available light, just divide the open aperture with the focal length of the lens.

As you can see from the diagram above, the larger the F Number the less light allowed to enter the lens and the more depth of field you get (more of the frame will be in focus and less Bokeh).

F Stop

A measurement of light, the current light level in your situation is always classed as 0, reducing the light level is known as stopping down, so if you decrease the amount of light by the same amount of light available, you have stopped the light down by 1.

  • Under : aperture, bokeh, CAnon, depth of field, f number, f ratio, f stop, fast lens, focal length, focus, how to get bokeh, light, nikon, what does the f stand for in f number, what does the f stand for in f stop

Whether to take Photo With or Without a Reflector

  • 0 comments/
  • January 9, 2012

Although I have spoke of this in another post, loads of people have asked me if they really do need a reflector and why.

The first thing to remember is the most important thing in photography, and that is light. Without light you dont have any shot at all, so getting the right light is crucial. There are several ways of getting the light right, and playing around with it, everything from using the light available to you, known as the ambient light or using flashes and strobes, known as artificial light.

What is a Reflector

A reflectors main purpose is to reflect available light in order fill in any area you are missing light, the actual light you choose to reflect is up to you.

The benefit of a reflector over another light source is in the name it simply reflects available light onto an area you wish to light up on your subject, without being too over bearing.

When to use a Reflector

A basic rule as to whether you need to use a reflector or not is to ask yourself. “is your subject lit up enough for the look you are going for?”, remember although there is such as thing as a technically perfectly lit shot, you know the one the histogram being right in the middle, there is no reason to always aim for this. Remember photography is an art and if you want to shoot different images from perfection and thats your style thats fine.

Using the reflector to just create a bit of a catchlight is fine, you dont always need to use it to completely light up your subject.

Reflector Technique

So you may be thinking now you know what a reflector is for, but when do you use it. The simple rule of thumb is you need to use a reflector when part of your subject are dark, this darkness can be solved by using another light, but this can be over powering on your subject, by using a reflector you are only ever reflecting back available light, and as such it will always be less powerful than the original source.

A quick tip is to remember the further away the reflector is from either your subject or the light you are reflecting the less intense the effect, also remember that by tilting you reflector you can also reduce the effect on your subject.

There is also an added bonus in that is it way cheaper to buy a reflector than it is to buy another light.

Practical Example

Photo Taken with and without reflector

If you look at the shot on the left above you can see that although you can see most of the face, it just looks too dark. Now if I used another light the subject would be too lit up and I would lose the effect of the image, so the solution is to use a reflector.

Now if you look at the image on the right you can clearly see that by using a reflector we can now see the subject more clearly without the light being too over powering on the face.

Big thank you to Jenna for being so patient during this shoot.

Final Thoughts

So I would suggest that even if you are just starting out, go and buy a reflector as they make your job as a photographer a whole lot easier, and remember to buy a 5in1 reflector that way you get the ability to not only reflect white light but also gold and add that something special to your shots.

  • Under : CAnon, how to use a reflector, lighting, photo, photo with reflector and without, photography, photography reflector, reflector

Canon 1DX Now officially launched

  • 0 comments/
  • November 10, 2011

I just thought I would post and make you all aware that the Canon 1DX is now officially launched, and as it is a full frame, 18 meg professional DSLR its going to be a great addition to any photographers tool kit.

The anticipated arrival date in most stores will not be until March next year, although there will be a worldwide roll out between now and then, so you may be able to grab one a bit sooner.

The main features of the Canon 1DX are

  • 18.1 MP full frame CMOS sensor
  • Up to 12fps plus 14fps High speed mode
  • 100-51200 ISO, up to H:204800
  • 61 point AF system
  • 100,000 pixel RGB AE metering
  • Full HD 1080p EOS movie
  • Dual “DIGIC 5+” processors
  • Clear View II 8.11 cm (3.2”) 1,040k LCD
  • Ethernet port
  • for full product information visit the Canon website

    This will definately be on my wish list.

    I think thought that the initial rush to buy this new camera will not only push prices high, for at least the next 12 months, but will also make supplies limited. So if you are lucky enough to get your hands on one, let me know.

    • Under : 1d, 1dx, camera, CAnon, canon 1dx, canon eos-1dx march 2012, dslr, eos, launch, launches

    DSLR Controls – Front Controls

    • 0 comments/
    • October 28, 2011

    I must start first off by saying that the shots in this post are of my Canon 7D and whilst most Canon cameras all have the same layout, Nikons do not. This does not really make a lot of difference as the operation of most DSLR cameras are the same, and whilst the buttons may not be in the same place, they do operate in the same or similar way.

    Also another important note is that you can program the buttons on most DSLR to do different functions as you prefer, the diagrams and descriptions although are correct for the functions may not operate the same as your camera as these layouts are the default layouts.

    The way this will work is I will cover each side of the camera in turn, Back, Front and Top. I am not going to mention stupid things like where the batteries go, or how to attach a strap but the more necessary things as well as somethings that when I first started I just could not figure out. Also I have changed the names slightly to help you make more sense of things and not be too technical.


    Front of DSLR

    Front of Canon 7D


    The front of most DSLR cameras looks the same with the lens mount being in the middle with a release button to allow you to remove it.
    Again I will start at the bottom left of the picture and work clockwise.
    Lens Mirror
    When you remove your lens and see inside your camera, you see the lens mirror. this is the bit that makes you camera an SLR and allows you to see through the viewfinder.
    DO NOT TOUCH OR PUT ANYTHING IN HERE.

    Remote Sensor

    This is the sensor used by the camera when being operated by infrared remote control, it is not the same place that a remote camera cable release would use.
    Shutter Button
    The button your press to actually take the photo, at default settings pressing half way down will start focus and lock exposure, full press will take the shot.
    Red Eye Reduction / Self Timer Indicator
    This little light is a dual purpose little fella, when using the self timer it flashes to let you know when the shot it going to be taken.
    It also works to reduce red eye in your shots.
    Lens Line Up Marks
    On all DSLR there is a mark to show you where to connect your lens. On some makes of Canon which take both EF and EFS lenses there are two marks.
    Red for EF lenses
    White for EF-S lenses
    To connect a lens simply line up the make on the side of the lens with the mark on the camera and turn.
    Flash Button (only on certain models)
    On models with a built in flash there is a button to pop up the flash when you need it. This is normally only needed in manual modes as the flash will pop up automatically when needed in auto modes.
    Lens Release
    To the left of the lens mount there is a large button, this is to release the lens in order to remove it from the camera. Just press the button and turn the lens to remove.
    How to attach a lens to a DSLR
    In order to attach a lens to your DSLR camera simply do the following
    1. Remove the lens cover and lens cap from your lens.
    2. Line up the white or red mark at the base of your lens with the white or red mark on the lens mount on the camera.
    3. If the marks are lined up correctly the lens will just slip onto the camera, do not try to force it, if it does not just slip on you have not lined it up correctly.
    4. Now turn the lens, normally clockwise, until it clicks. Your lens is now on your camera.
    How to remove a lens from a DSLR
    To remove a lens from your DSLR simply do the following
    1. With one hand press the Lens release button (normally to the side / left of the lens)
    2. Now with the other hand turn the lens, normally counter clockwise, until it comes of the camera. It does not take any force to remove the lens so if it feel stuck make sure you have pressed the release button. Your lens is now off your camera  
    Depth of Field Button
    On certain DSLR such as the Canon 7D there is a depth of field preview button, pressing this shows you the best depth of field for your chosen settings.

    Final Note
    Most of the camera buttons have a dual function and in order to make adjustments you need to use either the rear dial or the top dial depending on what you want to change.
    • Under : 7d, attach, button, buttons, CAnon, controls, dslr, front, lens, operation, shutter

    Camera Lens

    • 1 comments/
    • October 28, 2011

    OK there is lots that can be said about camera lenses, good bad and ugly. It is not my aim on my blog to get really techical about lenses I am simply going to help you by giving you some basic necessary information to help you out, and in most cases this info applies to both video cameras as well as DSLR.


    Again the shots used are based on Canon, but all DSLR lenses work the same work, only slight differences are connected to two areas

    1. All telephoto or zoom lenses have a zoom ring, but on some makes of lense the ring turns in a different direction to others, noticably Sigma lenses turn the opposite way to Canon lenses in order to zoom.
    2. NOT all lenses have a form of Image Stabilizer on them, and on some its called something different such as VR on Tamron lenses.



    DSLR Lens Controls

    Canon IS Lens



    Again for this I will start at the bottom left of the diagram and work clockwise.


    Image Stabilzer Switch (IS) Switch

    This switch is used to turn on or off the image stablizing functions of the lens, again remember this switch may be called something different on your lens but will work in the same way.

    Switching this on will give you a bit of assistance when hand holding the camera, normal this is around 1 stop of light, but put simply means you can shoot in a slower shutter speed or narrower aperture than without using it, lettginy ou take more professional shots. I would highly recommend taking a look at David Petersons Book as it is full of very useful tips and tricks to get more out of your photography.


    NOTE – remember when using a lens with built in stabilzation that when ever you mount the camera on a firm surface or a tripod turn off the IS in order to avoid it interferring with your shots.

    Lens Mount Indicator

    The is the mark that you line up with the matching mark on your camera body to mount your lens. In canon lenses it also indicates the of lens. EF lenses are RED and EF-S lenses are white.

    How to attach a lens to a DSLR
    In order to attach a lens to your DSLR camera simply do the following

    1. Remove the lens cover and lens cap from your lens.

    2. Line up the white or red mark at the base of your lens with the white or red mark on the lens mount on the camera.

    3. If the marks are lined up correctly the lens will just slip onto the camera, do not try to force it, if it does not just slip on you have not lined it up correctly.

    4. Now turn the lens, normally clockwise, until it clicks. Your lens is now on your camera.

    How to remove a lens from a DSLR
    To remove a lens from your DSLR simply do the following

    1. With one hand press the Lens release button (normally to the side / left of the lens)

    2. Now with the other hand turn the lens, normally counter clockwise, until it comes of the camera. It does not take any force to remove the lens so if it feel stuck make sure you have pressed the release button. Your lens is now off your camera



    Auto / Manual Focus Switch

    This is the switch you use to switch the lens between Auto and Manual Focus. Again remember that no matter what settings are on your camera it will not fiocus if this switch is set to Manual. To manually focus your lens after switching this to manual use the Focus Ring.

    Focus Ring

    This is used to focus your camera on yoru subject, only works after you switch the Auto / Manual Focus Switch to manual. Then simply turn the ring as you look through the view finder or at the Live View screen to focus.

    Zoom Ring (only on Tele-Photo / Zoom Lenses)

    This ring is used to bring your subject closer or further away. Please note that some lenses work in the opposite direction to zoom in or out.

    Filters

    I thought I would briefly touch on the use of filters with your lens, filters are a way to change the light entering the camera and can be used to simply add colour, or to control the light entering the camera in a variety of different ways, the most common filters for controlling light are known as an ND or neutral density filter and a polarizing filter.

    Although filters are more common in landscape photos they can be used in any environment to enhance your shots.

    UV Filter

    My first suggestions and HUGE piece of advise which I am happy to repeat is to fit a screw on UV filter to your lenses, this will not change anything in your photographs but will protect your lens from getting scratched, and being that it is cheaper to replace a screw on UV filter than your lens this makes sense and is exactly what I do.

    Filters are generally attached to the front of your lens as either a dual threaded screw on fitting which simply screws directly onto your lens front, or in filter holder arrangement such as Cokin holders, these attach to your lens by an adapter ring screwing onto your lens, on this is attached the filter holder into which you put your filters.

    Cokin P Filter Holder and Adapter Rings

    The Cokin filters are all the same size for the holder normally A or P size, the filters simply slide into the holder and you use the same filter for each lens, and you only need to buy different size adapter rings as per the thread size fo your lenses.

    Cokin P Size ND Filter



    So in short buy and keep a screw on UV filter on your lens, then buy a Cokin P filter holder and adapter ring, and simply buy cokin P filters as you need then, cokin filters are numbered so for example a P164 is a Circular Polarizing filter.




    Neutral Density ND Filter


    A very useful tool in your photography arsenal is a set of ND filters. An ND filter will block out light entering the lens without effecting the colours of the photograph, these are normally number and the higher the number is more light will get blocked by the filter, yet at all times retaining the colour of your photograph.

    Shot taken without ND Filter

    As you can see from the above shot trying to capture some scenes during strong daylight is impossible and you end up with a very over exposed shot.

    Shot taken with ND Filter

    Now if we look at the second shot by adding an ND filter, you can clearly see that the light in greatly reduced but the colours remain.


    Circular Polarizing Filters CPL


    Circular Polarizing Filters known as CPL filters reduce the amount of reflective light in your photo as they do this by removing white light from the photo they are also used to enhance the sky or to remove the reflection from a pond, glass or anything else.

    Shot taken without Polarizing Filter

    As you can see in the above shot, although the colours are generally ok the sky is totally washed out and we cant make out the clouds.

    Shot taken with Polarizing Filter

    Now if we look at the second shot the colours are less washed out and we can now make out the detail and clouds in the sky.

    Remember though when using a polarizing filter it will effect your whole image and unlike ND filters they do have an effect on the colour of your shot.

    NOTE – with modern DSLR cameras make sure to use a Circular Polarizing Filter CPL and NOT a Linear Polarizing Filter LPL, as the Linear filter can have an adverse effect on your cameras auto focus, although if you intend to only use manual focus you can use either filters

    • Under : auto focus, CAnon, circular polarizing, cokin, cpl filter, dslr, Image stabilzer, IS, lens, manual focus, nd filter, neutral density, sigma, tripod, uv filter, vr zoom ring

    DSLR Controls – Left Controls

    • 0 comments/
    • October 28, 2011

    I must start first off by saying that the shots in this post are of my Canon 7D and whilst most Canon cameras all have the same layout, Nikons do not. This does not really make a lot of difference as the operation of most DSLR cameras are the same, and whilst the buttons may not be in the same place, they do operate in the same or similar way.

    Also another important note is that you can program the buttons on most DSLR to do different functions as you prefer, the diagrams and descriptions although are correct for the functions may not operate the same as your camera as these layouts are the default layouts.

    The way this will work is I will cover each side of the camera in turn, Back, Front, Top and Left. I am not going to mention stupid things like where the batteries go, or how to attach a strap but the more necessary things as well as somethings that when I first started I just could not figure out. Also I have changed the names slightly to help you make more sense of things and not be too technical.


    Left Side of DSLR (under flaps)

    Left Side of Canon 7D

    The diagram above is the left handside of the Canon 7D and again is used as an illustration of what is typical on most DSLR cameras.
    I will start from the bottom left of the picture and work clockwise.

    Remote Shutter Release
    This is where you attach a remote camera shutter release / trigger cable.
    PC Terminal / Flash Sync Cable

    This is used to connect flash (strobes) that have a PC sync connection via a PC Sync Cord for remote triggering, or to connect a studio flash unit using a PC Sync Cord.
    Microphone
    This is for use with an external microphone for use during video recording.
    USB connection / non HD video output

    This connection has two main purposes

    1. To connect the camera to a computer using a USB cable in order to either control the camera remotely for view and print photos on the camera. (some DSLR’s can also print directly via a USB cable to compatible printers)
    2. To play back video using the AV cables provided. (NOTE this will play back video in non HD format)

    HD Video Output
    This is used to play back video in full HD format using a mini HDMI connector.
    Final Note
    The connectors above are on the Canon 7D and whilst most DSLRs have the same connectors they may not all be in the same place, notice should be take to the fact that not all DSLRs can shoot video or HD video.

    NOTE the connections are normally located under either a plastic or rubber cover.



    • Under : 7d, CAnon, hd output, hdmi, mini hdmi, pc sync cable, pc sync connector, remote shutter release, video output

    DSLR Controls – Top Controls

    • 0 comments/
    • October 28, 2011

    I must start first off by saying that the shots in this post are of my Canon 7D and whilst most Canon cameras all have the same layout, Nikons do not. This does not really make a lot of difference as the operation of most DSLR cameras are the same, and whilst the buttons may not be in the same place, they do operate in the same or similar way.

    Also another important note is that you can program the buttons on most DSLR to do different functions as you prefer, the diagrams and descriptions although are correct for the functions may not operate the same as your camera as these layouts are the default layouts.

    The way this will work is I will cover each side of the camera in turn, Back, Front, Top and left. I am not going to mention stupid things like where the batteries go, or how to attach a strap but the more necessary things as well as somethings that when I first started I just could not figure out. Also I have changed the names slightly to help you make more sense of things and not be too technical.


    Top of DSLR

    Top of Canon 7D

    The top of most DSLR cameras looks the same with the Hot Shoe in the centre and the LCD screen to one side. I am going to start from the bottom left of the picture and work clockwise, ok so here goes.

    On / Of Switch

    This is the main on / off switch on your camera, and although your camera may go into powersave mode after a period of non use in order to turn it off completely simply switch this switch to off. Then back to on to switch it on.

    Mode Selector Dial

    This is the mode your camera will operate in simply turn the dial to the desired mode, everything from Full Auto right up to Full Manual. To select a mode just line up the indicator with the small white line on the camera body to the right of the dial.

    I am going to list the selection here, but note these are specific to Canon and whilst other makes have exactly the same options they are labelled differently. Although they will function in exactly the same way, I will start at the green square and work anti-clockwise.

    Green Square – Full Auto
    This is fully automatic mode, the camera will take care of everything just point and shoot.

    CA – Creative Auto
    This stands for Creative Auto, and whilst the camera will take care of everything you can change some setting to be a bit more creative, such as depth of field, picture style, etc.

    P – Program AE
    This is the Program AE mode, it is the next best thing to manual, in this mode the camera sets the basic exposure setting shutter speed and aperture, but you set everything else.
    TV – Time Value
    This stand for Time Value and in this mode you set the shutter speed and the camera automatically sets the correct aperture, again you have full control over everything else as this is classed as a manual mode.

    AV – Aperture Value
    This stands for Aperture Value and is the opposite of TV in that this time you set the aperture and the cameras sets the correct shutter speed, again you have full control over everything else as this is classed as a manual mode.

    M – Manual
    This is Manual mode and this is for big boys only. In this mode the camera does not set anything, its all doesn to you, aperture, shutter speed and everything else. This is fully manual mode, and my personal choice.
    B – Bulb
    This stands for Bulb and in this mode the camera opens the shutter when you press the shutter release and closes it when you let go. In this mode it is important to use a remote trigger to avoid camera shake.

    C1, C2, C3 – Custom
    These are custom modes and all you to save specific camera setting and recall them simply by selecting the option such as C1. for example you can setup you camera perfect for night photography and save it under C1, then simply select C1 everytime you want to take night photos.

    Metering / White Balance

    This allows you to change the white balance settings and metering mode of the camera.
    AF Mode / Shot Drive Selection

    This allows you to select the auto focus mode type, such as spot, centre. This button also lets you change how many shots are taken when you press the shutter.

    Multi Function / Manual Focus Point Selection
    This button works differently depending on the chosen camera mode, but it is mainly used for setting the focus mode of the camera. After you press this button you can choose the focus mode by pressing the Focus Mode button (third button top right on the rear of the camera) repeatedly until you get the desired focus mode.

    Setting Selection Main Dial

    This is one of the two main dials on the camera, whilst the larger dial on the camera rear is the main system dial, this dial allows you to change other settings such as aperture, shutter speed and basically works with the large dial for all camera buttons that are dual function such as when you press the AF Mode button.

    ISO / Flash Exposure Compensation
    This button allows you to change the ISO of the camera as well as make adjustment to the cameras flash compensation.
    LCD Screen Back Light
    This turn on and off the back light for the top LCD screen.
    Settings LCD screen

    This is the main setting screen, where you can view and change settings such as aperture, shutter speed, ISO, etc.
    Dipotric Adjustment
    When ever you use the view finder it is factory set for most people with normal eyesight, however if you where glasses or have poor eye sight you may find that you think shots are in focus when in fact there not. To combat this you can adjust the viewfinder by moving the Dioptric adjuster to match your eye sight and bring everything into focus.
    Hot Shoe / Flash Attachment
    This is where an on camera flash connects, its also where any off camera flash accessories connect to such as triggers or off camera flash cords.

    HUGE IMPORTANT NOTE – check in your user manual before connecting anything here, check for the trigger voltage and that it does not exceed that advised for your camera. For the Canon 7D this is 5v but will vary from camera to camera. But check before you attach anything in order to avoid damage to your camera.

    Final Note
    Most of the camera buttons have a dual function and in order to make adjustments you need to use either the rear dial or the top dial depending on what you want to change.
    • Under : aperture value, av, bulb mode, c1, c2, c3, CAnon, creative auto, dslr, full auto, functions, program ae, settings, td, time value, tv

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