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Beginning with the old 35mm cameras and thru to today, there are some very basic things all cameras do that you can easily understand. From film to digital, the same concepts apply.
Your camera has an "eye" which is the lens. You camera has "film" which today is the chip in your unit opposed to the film in older cameras. It has an "iris" to the eye which actually functions a lot like yours. And it has "film" even if it is digital in today's world.
And, outside of you camera there is an "image" you are attempting to capture. Part of the outside world that all photographers are attempting to capture. And to put this together, your camera is attempting to capture that image for you.
Sounds easier than it is. Because that image.....
- may be in harsh mid-day light or low light
- it may be moving, very fast
- it may be very close, or very far away
All of which your camera attempts to reconcile for you.....in an instant. And even if you run your camera on "full auto" you should understand its limitations and what it is trying to do for you. Your modern camera is a small computer with some very specific settings.
ASA/ISO which used to be the "speed" at which the paper film could capture an image.
TV or Time Value which is the amount of time the "eye" (shutter) of your camera is open.
AV, f-Stop or the amount of light your cameras "eye" lets in (think of it as the Iris in your eye, or your cats eye!).
And "full auto" balances all of these for you. Which takes part of the fun out. So, while you experiment with your options remember that there are "trade-off's" in the options.
You make up for low light with a faster ISO setting, most digital cameras go up to an ISO of 1600. The "film" captures the image "faster" meaning that the shutter does not need to stay open as long and the "iris" does not have to be open as "wide." But the higher you drive the ISO the lower the quality of the color in your final product. Yes, PhotoShop makes up for a lot of this! So, the higher the ISO, the less light you need and faster shutter speeds are available to you.
TV (time value) or shutter speeds. Less light requires longer shutter speeds, open longer. The trade off is simple. If your subject is very still you can get away with 1/60th in shutter speeds. If its a race car, your image will be blurred. Under 1/60th and your subject should be inanimate. Humming birds require shutter speeds of over 1/1000th! Very quick, stops the motion. Your trade off is based on your image, but remember, the lower the shutter speed the higher you or your camera can get away with an AV or f-stop setting (the iris of your eye). The trade off in shutter speeds, is based on the image you are capturing.
You also compensate for lighting with the f-Stop or AV (aperture value) setting on your Camera. If your "iris" is wide open, vision in low light is better. Your camera can get away with a faster shutter speed to freeze your subject. The ISO can be lower to improve image quality. However, your AV setting also controls your depth of field which is especially critical when shooting images that are closer to you. Think of it as taking your photo with your arm stretched out in front of you. The hand is in focus, you are not. Or, you are focused and your hand is not. Depth of field. Shallow depths of field will focus only PART of your subject. Low AV values=shallow depth of field.
Higher ISO=lower quality
Shutter=the capture of you image...how long it is exposed to your "film."
AV=how much light comes in, but critical to depth of field.
And, you balance those to capture an image. Think of it in terms of your finished product. If one of the issues above has been frustrating your photography it's fairly simple to diagnose. Just bear in mind what the cause/effect is, and experiment. Because when all is said and done you can get some amazing images by using extremely low shutter speeds and very low depths. Its all part of understanding your camera and what it is doing for you.
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