Set Up Your Camera For Best Field Use

Get the most from your camera by having it dialed in for nature photography

Text And Photography By Rob Sheppard

Labels: Camera Technique, How To

This Article Features Photo Zoom

With today’s LCDs, this isn’t necessary, and a short review time is pretty much worthless. Sure, you can always press the playback button to look at your pictures, but that requires an extra step rather than simply having your image show up immediately after the exposure. Pressing an extra button can definitely interrupt the flow of your shooting. I recommend that you change your default setting to eight seconds or so, depending on what’s available in your camera, which gives you the ability to do a quick review of your shot. This control is usually found in the camera or shooting menu.

I like to immediately see what my picture looks like. I don’t do this for every shot, but I certainly like being able to do it as needed in order to get a quick check on exposure and white balance. Plus, I can quickly see if I like the composition—that’s such a great feature of shooting digital. If you want the review time shorter, simply press the shutter release lightly, and the LCD review goes away.

Use 1⁄2-Step
Exposure Levels
Whenever you use Exposure Compensation or auto bracketing (which is great for HDR, or high dynamic range, work), you set your camera to change exposure in steps as you take several shots. The default for many cameras is 1/3-steps, which is 1/3 ƒ-stops or shutter-speed steps, but usually you also can choose 1⁄2-steps. I recommend the latter.

Some photographers find the 1/3-step valuable, but for most of us, this is a waste of time and energy because of the extra shots we have to take and deal with later. With 1/3-steps, you must take three exposures for every full ƒ-stop change, for example, while you only need two with 1⁄2-steps. I shoot a lot of pictures in a year and have never had a need for anything other than 1⁄2-step changes.

I also think it’s a waste of time and energy for most photographers to use anything other than full stops for ISO settings. I know some photographers will find an esoteric use for this, but I’ve never found a need for this and have yet to meet an outdoor photographer who needs anything other than full stops for ISO settings (i.e., 100, 200, 400, etc.). The smaller steps just take added time and thought, taking you away from your photography and getting the shot, with little real benefit.

Check Out Your Camera

So get your camera out and see how it’s set. Try the settings noted in this article, and you may find your camera handling better, which will lead to better photos, as well.

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13 Comments

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Professional makes this comment

Saturday, 05 September 2009

Thanks for the article!
michelle makes this comment

Thursday, 02 July 2009

Been pushing that shutter release for 40 some years. Eventually some learn; most never learn. I don't still shoot film because I'm an 'old foggy' but because it is essential that I stay on top of things and not have to resort to cheating with Adobe Photoshop. Same with the different film formats. Digital is *only* used when having to change film rolls would undo the efforts for the day, like shooting a race or some other fast paced event. Want to know more and be better at all of this? Go to a photo school that is at least two years!
Creek makes this comment

Wednesday, 01 July 2009

anything that bogs you down in the field and sucks up energy from the battery and/or takes away from the actual shoot should be looked at-double check your settings-you may be suprised to see what is lagging on your camera settings
Ami makes this comment

Wednesday, 01 July 2009

hey brother, what is ISO? is it something to do with taking pictures outdoors? many thanks.
William O'Connell makes this comment

Monday, 29 June 2009

I never worry about battery-saving techniques while shooting. I either use "8 second" or "hold", depending on what I'm shooting. If your battery gets low, just pop in 1 of your charged extra batteries. No pro goes anywhere without a couple (minimum) of spare camera batteries and cards and at last 1 set of AA's for their strobe, and neither should you. I own 6 extra batteries for my Canons and 3 chargers.
Bob Lurie makes this comment

Sunday, 28 June 2009

I disagree with your recommendation on Auto ISO. On my Nikon 300 ISO sensitivity auto control lets me set the maximum ISO and the minimum shutter speed. Thus in Aperture control I can set the ISO for anything I want (usually 400); but with Auto the maximum is 3200 and the minimum shutter speed is 1/125. Thus when I walk into a temple in Cambodia and the monk is talking to us, I find that without auto control his lips are blurred (non-correctable); but with auto on the ISO, the ISO may go up to 1600 but I still get a non-blurred picture. I find this setting fabulous and it has saved me many times. Sure, if I am using a tripod and am taking the world beating scenic I can easily turn this off or, more likely will still be in the settings that I intended. The amateur on a tour versus a pro with his own time schedule needs different settings.
The Most Interesting Man In The World makes this comment

Friday, 26 June 2009

I don't always drink beer; but when I do, I prefer Dos Equis.
Fujichrome makes this comment

Thursday, 25 June 2009

Digital photography did NOT kill Kodachrome. The far superior Fujichrome Velvia 50 did. Just ask any film pro, such as Art Wolfe. Best of all, Fuji still makes them and sells lots of them to pros today.
Bill Keiter makes this comment

Thursday, 25 June 2009

Camera manufacturers seem to be more into computers than camera operations. A really simple way to be in manual mode without peering through the viewfinder for settings or groping for the right buttons would be a nice manual feature that I bet could be easily part of the multiple program featured modern digital camera and would make picture taking less of a geek experience.
Hagen makes this comment

Thursday, 25 June 2009

Rather than the 8 second preview which seriously wastes power, turn the LCD review off and have the camera turn on the review with an easy to reach button. As you are rotating the camera down to look at the image, just press the button. Image will be ready for your viewing by the time you get it into position to see. Not only do you save power, but you also can review the image for as long as you want. Just push any "shooter" related button to get back.
Michael Perham makes this comment

Wednesday, 24 June 2009

Great article. Very interesting to hear how others set up the optional parameters of their camera and why ...no one has a monopoly on good ideas and this kind of article is very useful in todays world where the options and parameters of digital cameras can be overwhelming.
Ed Ham makes this comment

Tuesday, 23 June 2009

Wow - I just heard about Kodachrome getting shut down. What will happen to this magazine? Maybe they will focus on some digital issues?
Kodachrome makes this comment

Tuesday, 23 June 2009

I got a Nikon Camera. Momma just threw my Kodachrome away.

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Set Up Your Camera For Best Field Use

Get the most from your camera by having it dialed in for nature photography

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