
Digital Cameras Menu settings & Controls Instructor: David King
Digital Cameras: Menus and Controls • Digital Camera Types • Just as there are multiple type of Film Cameras there are various types of digital cameras and digital capture devices. • Point and Shoot Cameras • SLR-’Types’ • DSLRs and Ragefinders • Digital Imaging ‘Backs’ • Digital Scanning ‘Backs’ Instructor: David King dking@sdccd.edu
Digital Cameras: Menus and Controls • “Point and Shoot” Cameras • Usually are ‘auto-everything’ but mayallow focusing. • Small and Light, easy to carry • Generally are “range-finder” types • or may view strictly on the display monitor. • Often have ZoomLenses • Have smaller sizedimaging chips Instructor: David King dking@sdccd.edu
Digital Cameras: Menus and Controls • “SLR-Type” Cameras • Frequently have all thecontrols of an SLRexcept for inter-changeable lenses. • Sometimes calledEVF or ZLR cameras. • Imaging chips are larger than P&S butsmaller than DSLR. • Are capable of verygood images. Instructor: David King dking@sdccd.edu
Digital Cameras: Menus and Controls • “DSLR” Cameras • Digital Single LensReflex. • Use interchangeablelenses • Can be used in automode, programs, orfully manual. • Imaging chips are35mm sized or APSsized • Capable of proquality images. • 6-17 megapixelscurrently Instructor: David King dking@sdccd.edu
Digital Cameras: Menus and Controls • “Digital Rangefinder” Cameras • Rangefinder Viewing • Use interchangeablelenses • Can be used in automode, programs, orfully manual. • Imaging chips arecurrently APSsized • Capable of proquality images. • 8-10 megapixelscurrently Instructor: David King dking@sdccd.edu
Digital Cameras: Menus and Controls • Digital Imaging Backs • Used with medium &Large Format cameras • Attach to back ofcamera and replacethe film back. • Chips are larger than35mm (36mm x 36mmup to 48mm x 48mm) • 16 to 39 Megapixels Instructor: David King dking@sdccd.edu
Digital Cameras: Menus and Controls • Digital Scanning Backs • Used with large format view cameras • They replace the ground glass back or are slipped in like a film holder • They are basically three-color scanners • They create huge files and are the equivalent of am 80 to 150 megapixel chip • They cannot be used for anything that is in motion Instructor: David King dking@sdccd.edu
Digital Cameras: Menus and Controls • Specialty Digital Cameras • For example… • The Seitz Digital Panoramic Camera • Has 160 Megapixels Instructor: David King dking@sdccd.edu
Digital Cameras: Menus and Controls • Digital Camera Menus Introduction • In addition to the exposure and focus controls found on film cameras, digital cameras offer menu settings that allow you to customize the way they acquire and handle an image file. • The actual layout of the menus and the labeling and sequencing of the functions vary from camera to camera. But there are a few that are very important to set correctly to maximize image quality. Instructor: David King dking@sdccd.edu
Digital Cameras: Menus and Controls • Digital Camera Menus Introduction • Some menu items are unique to a camera or model. But there are major menu items that are common to all DSLRs and some SLR-Type or upper end Point and Shoot models. • Generally there are three menus (or three main sections of one menu) • Set-Up • Shooting (or ‘Capture’) • Play Back (or ‘Display’) Instructor: David King dking@sdccd.edu
Digital Cameras: Menus and Controls • Set Up Menus • The important items to note are… • Date • Format (to Format the Memory Card) • Using camera or computer • Folders • Sensor Cleaning Instructor: David King dking@sdccd.edu
Digital Cameras: Menus and Controls • Shooting Menus • The number and type of selections and labeling of the shooting menu will vary a little from one brand and model to the next. • We will look at the important ones for getting started capturing good quality image files. • You will need to follow along with your manual to “translate” to fit your particular camera. Instructor: David King dking@sdccd.edu
Digital Cameras: Menus and Controls • Shooting Menus: Settings • ISO • Exactly like the ISO for film, this adjusts the sensitivity of the sensor to light • It uses the same scale as film. Higher numbers mean more sensitivity (which requires less light for exposure. • Generally set your camera to the lowest number and adjust when light availability requires it. Instructor: David King dking@sdccd.edu
Digital Cameras: Menus and Controls • Shooting Menus: Settings • Resolution/Quality/Size • Most DSLRs allow you to save in at least two file formats and several resolutions. • JPEG • Basic (Most compression, smallest file) • Normal (Medium compression) • Fine (Least compression, larger file) • TIFF (Uncompressed, largest file) • RAW (Mostly unprocessed file) Instructor: David King dking@sdccd.edu
Digital Cameras: Menus and Controls • Shooting Menus: Settings • Resolution/Quality/Size • Most DSLRs allow you to save in at least two file formats and several resolutions. • Full Size (Full pixel dimension) • 1 or 2 smaller sizes • Some offer more than one Resolution or Compression ratio • High or Low Quality (Resolution) • Icons are sometimesused Instructor: David King dking@sdccd.edu
Digital Cameras: Menus and Controls • Shooting Menus: Settings • Contrast • Contrast setting controls how the chip will record the range of tones in the scene. Instructor: David King dking@sdccd.edu
Digital Cameras: Menus and Controls • Shooting Menus: Settings • Contrast • Contrast setting controls how the chip will record the range of tones in the scene. • You will need to experiment with your own camera to find the best setting. However… • Start out with a setting of -1 to create a file with the most data to edit Instructor: David King dking@sdccd.edu
Digital Cameras: Menus and Controls • Shooting Menus: Settings • Saturation • Saturation setting controls how the chip will record the colors in the scene. Instructor: David King dking@sdccd.edu
Digital Cameras: Menus and Controls • Shooting Menus: Settings • Saturation • You will need to experiment with your own camera to find the best setting. However… • Start out with a setting of 0 (Zero) and then you can adjust to taste. Instructor: David King dking@sdccd.edu
Digital Cameras: Menus and Controls • Shooting Menus: Settings • Sharpening • Sharpening controls how the chip will record the edges and lines in the scene. Instructor: David King dking@sdccd.edu
Digital Cameras: Menus and Controls • Shooting Menus: Settings • Sharpening • For most cameras start out with a setting of 0 (Zero) or No Sharpening • For Canon cameras start out with a setting of +1 Instructor: David King dking@sdccd.edu
Digital Cameras: Menus and Controls • Shooting Menus: Settings • White Balance • White Balancing sets the “Color Temp-erature” for the sensor. • We’ll have a class on color… but for now the bottom line is… Instructor: David King dking@sdccd.edu
Digital Cameras: Menus and Controls • Shooting Menus: Settings • White Balance • To be ‘color balanced’ means the color temperature of the light source and of the medium (film or chip) are the same. • Digital Cameras have several pre-defined white balanced settings: • Auto • Daylight • Tungsten • Shade • Flash • Flourescent Instructor: David King dking@sdccd.edu
Digital Cameras: Menus and Controls • Shooting Menus: Settings • Metering • Most DSLRs allow for various metering types including • Overall / Averaging • Matrix • Center Weighted • Spot • Remember: The meter thinks it is looking at Middle Gray!!!! Instructor: David King dking@sdccd.edu
Digital Cameras: Menus and Controls • Shooting Menus: Settings • Other Menu Settings • Other Menu Settings May include… • Flash Setting • Noise Reduction • AE/AF Lock • Self Timer • Bracketing • Exposure Compensation • Custom Parameters / User Settings Instructor: David King dking@sdccd.edu
Digital Cameras: Menus and Controls • Shooting Menus: Settings • Other Menu Settings • Non DSLRs might also have… • Zoom Speed • Focus Assist Instructor: David King dking@sdccd.edu
Digital Cameras: Menus and Controls QUESTIONS? Instructor: David King dking@sdccd.edu