The Textbook of Digital Photography - PhotoCourse

ChApter 1. digitAl CAmerAs & imAges

26 For more on textbooks in digitAl photogrAphy, visit http://www.photoCourse.Com

http://www.photocourse.com/itext/G-continuous/

Continuous Photography...

In most situations, you normally take one photo at a time, but you’re not

limited to that way of shooting. You can also capture sequences of photos. In

this continuous mode, you just hold down the shutter button and images are

captured one after another until you release it. The number of images you

can capture in a single burst is usually limited by the size of the camera’s buf-

fer—a form of memory capable of rapidly storing images as they are captured

one after another. On less expensive cameras with smaller or nonexistent

buffers, the camera may use a smaller image size to capture sequences be-

cause this reduces the processing and storage time.

After capturing a sequence you can choose the best image from the sequence,

use all of them to create an animation so the images are quickly displayed

one after the other like frames in a movie, or join a series of sequences to-

gether into a short movie.

Continuous mode

can capture a series
of images much like
movie frames. You can
select the best one for
printing, use them all to
created an animation,
or use the series to
analyze an action such
as the swing of a golf
club or baseball bat.

Continuous (top)

and single (bottom)

shooting mode icons.

The speed at which you
can capture images
in continuous mode is
specified in frames per
second (fps). This is
often between 3–5 fps.

Click to see how

continuous mode can be

used creatively.

A camera can store

images in its buffer

faster than it can

transfer them to

a memory card. A

large buffer lets you

shoot more images

continuously.