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Jump Start—Taking Photos with Full Auto Mode...1
All digital cameras have an automatic mode that sets focus and exposure for
you. With the camera set to this mode, all you have to do is frame the image
and press the shutter button. You’ll find that this mode is ideal in the vast
majority of situations because it lets you focus on the subject and not on the
camera. Here are some things to expect and things to do when using auto
mode on almost any digital camera.
- Getting the camera ready. Turn the camera on and set it to auto mode.
If possible, to conserve your batteries, turn off the monitor and compose your
image using the viewfinder. If the camera has a lens cap, be sure to remove
it. The first time you use the camera, or if the batteries have been removed or
dead for an extended period, you should enter the date and time. When ac-
curately recorded in your images, the date and time help you organize, locate,
and identify them later.
- Checking settings. Always check camera settings at the beginning of a
session. Notice how many pictures you can take at the current settings and
the status of the battery charge. Also, learn what any icons mean because it’s
not at all unusual to change a setting, then forget you have done so. Some of
these settings remain changed even when you turn the camera off and back
on again and affect all subsequent pictures.
- Holding the camera. When taking pictures, hold the camera in your right
hand while supporting the lens with your left. Be sure not to block the flash,
sensors, or lens.
- Framing the image. Use the monitor, or viewfinder if your camera has
one, to compose the scene you are going to capture. If your camera has a
zoom lens, you can zoom it in and out by pressing a button or lever or by
turning a ring on the lens. Zooming out widens your angle of view and zoom-
ing in narrows it. If the image in the viewfinder is fuzzy, see if the camera has
a diopter adjustment dial you can use to adjust it.
Many digital cameras
have a mode dial you
turn to select various
exposure modes
including automatic.
Some digital cameras
have more than one
focus area and the
one that’s being used
lights up or blinks when
you press the shutter
button halfway down
(top arrow). When
focus locks, an indicator
light is often displayed
(bottom arrow) and the
camera may beep.
Jump stArt—tAking photos with Full Auto mode
