You Are a New User & Purchased a DSLR Camera. DSLR is Not a Ready to Use Device. Here is Use How To Use DSLR Camera For Beginners & Where From You’ll Start. Possibly this article was better published at the begging of our all the articles on Digital Photography. But, late is better than never.
How To Use DSLR Camera : For Beginners Who Never Used a DSLR
We are technical website, we do not talk about the artistic part of the Photography. Basic big difference with most of the DLSRs with a Point and Shoot Camera or a Phone Camera is the more power of Manual or Semi-Automatic modes. In Point and Shoot you can actually take a photo better without too much knowledge. High end DSLRs might not have any auto or semi automatic mode at all.
So, it is important to understand the way the DSLR is constructed.
Now you need some basic knowledge about the controls. We have very good infographics which you can print out and use as guide, we will link to those articles in the next subheader. Next possible important point is how to hold the DSLR camera properly. Do not buy hundreds or even one accessory at the beginning, use the lens which is provided.
How To Use DSLR Camera For Beginners
Always see what is happening on the screen when you are pressing a button.
DSLRs will have dials and lot of buttons when compared to a point and shoot. There are addition on screen menu settings plus stuffs which which can be adjusted. More badly, manufacturer to manufacturer the icons, the placement of the buttons and dials can vary.
The third point to learn after holding the camera is the shooting modes. It is the most prominent dial usually at the right side when the camera is on your hand – towards the shutter, with various labels like labelled with Auto, Av, Tv, P, M and so on. Normally, if you set it rightly and half press the shutter, you’ll get the focus. Full click will take the photograph. These comprise mostly of the semi automatic modes. This is the topic which we were saying about the infographic – which camera mode to use depending on which condition. M is usually full manual mode, which you’ll not use initially. All semi auto modes are explained on that guide. In other words we either used aperture priority or shutter priority mode.
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Next is setting the ISO Sensitivity. Program mode is also referred to as ISO mode. If you are using P on the dial, you do not need this way, so at the beginning you are avoiding Manual and Program mode of the above described dial.
In the body, usually beside the LCD/TFT display there will be a four way navigation button. Top arrow would be ISO, it is usually a toggle to with between the values of 100 to 1600. ISO 200 – 400 normally covers almost all the situations at the beginning. When light will be lesser we actually need to increase the ISO.
These two new things completed a big word named exposure triangle.
Now you have to find button named Metering. See your camera’s official booklet and find it. Set it either average or centre weighted. There will be a (+/-) button near the shutter, this is very useful thing – it controls the kind of “brightness”. Use it, you’ll understand it.
There will be another button for Autofocus. AF means Autofocus, M or MF means manual focus. Set your camera to use a single focus point by reading your camera’s booklet. Last button is White Balance – it is usually written as WB and usually beside the LCD/TFT display where where the four way navigation button we found for ISO. Down arrow is usually WB. It sets the modes like – sun, cloudy, light bulbs, fluorescent etc. Normally Sun or Cloudy works fine.
You do not need to learn more for now. Do these everyday for one month. Then automatically questions will arise your mind and you will learn. Rely us – over 30% new DSLR users can not use these buttons properly. How cleverly we guided you, you’ll understand later!
