Basic Camera Operations Single Lens Reflex Basic Camera Operations

1. View-Finder Eyepiece. 2. Film Advance Lever. 3. Shutter Release Button. 4. Shutter Speed Dial. 5. Film Speed Dial. 6. Film Rewind Release Button. 7. Film Rewind Knob. 8. Lens Release Button. 9. Aperture Adjust Ring. 10. Focusing Ring. 11.Battery Compartment Cover.

Camera Parts Can you find your: View-Finder Eyepiece. Film Advance Lever. Shutter Release Button. Shutter Speed Dial. Film Speed Dial. Film Rewind Release Button. Film Rewind Knob. Lens Release Button. Aperture Adjust Ring. Focusing Ring. Battery Compartment Cover.

Exposure: Four Factors that affect Exposure: Film Speed - Available Light - Shutter Speed - Aperture What is the film speed we use? Is it bright or dim? What combination of shutter speed and aperture will expose my film properly? How does my light meter work?

Exposure: Exposure is the total amount of light that reaches your film. For any given film speed and lighting condition there is one correct amount of light to properly expose the film. Exposure= Quantity of light x the Duration Controlling film exposure involves balancing the shutter speed with the lens aperture.

Aperture: Exposure= Quantity of light x the Duration Exposure= Aperture x Shutter Speed Aperture is the opening in the lens that controls the amount of light let into the camera. F/stop numbers indicate the size of each aperture opening. f/2 f/2.8 f/4 f/5.6 f/8 f/11 f/16 f/22 f/2 is the largest opening. Therefore allowing the most light in. f/22 is the smallest opening. Therefore allowing the least amount of light in. This is a normal range of f/stops on an SLR camera. Each f/stop represents twice as much light as the f/stop after it or half as much light as the f/stop before it.

f/2 f/2.8 f/4 f/5.6 Large Amount of Light Shallow Depth-of-Field Small Amount of Light Great Depth-of-Field

Aperture Ring You can change your aperture with your aperture ring on your lens. Generally it is the ring closest to the camera body. Rotate the aperture ring until the f/stop you want clicks into place (you can also set your aperture in between f/stops at ½ stops). With electronic models you usually rotate a small thumb- or finger-wheel on the camera body to change the f/stop number on the camera’s display panel.

F/stop numbers indicate the size of each aperture opening. What are the specific f/stops on your lens or camera? f/2 is the largest opening. f/2 allows the most light in. What is the largest aperture opening on your camera? f/22 is the smallest opening. f/22 allows the least amount of light in. What is the smallest aperture opening on your camera? f/2 f/22

Shutter System: Exposure= Quantity of light x the Duration Exposure= Aperture x Shutter Speed The Shutter is a curtain or set of metal blades that opens and closes to regulate how long light is let into the camera. Shutter Speed is the duration of time the shutter stays open. Shutter speeds are expressed in fractions of a second. Therefore shutter speed “30” actually stands for 1/30 of a second. 1, ½, ¼, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000 Shutter speeds vary from camera to camera but in general the traditional sequence starts at 1 second and each increment gets shorter by half as much time. Each shutter speed lets in half as much light as the one before it and twice as much light as the setting after it.

Setting Shutter Speed 1 2 4 8 15 30 60 125 250 500 1000 Slower………………………………………………………………..Faster More Light (enters the camera)……………..Less Light (enters the camera) Blurred Motion………………………………………………..Sharp Motion Warning: when hand-holding your camera you generally do not want to set your shutter speed below “30”. In fact, if you have a long focal length (larger than 80mm) you should not set your shutter speed slower than “60”.

Shutter Speed Dial A traditional shutter speed dial is usually found on top of the camera body on the right-hand side. You can adjust your shutter speeds by rotating the dial to align with a dash mark of some kind on your camera. Modern SLR’s adjust shutter speed with a rotating thumb- or finger-wheel, usually located on the top or back of the camera body, and displayed on the electronic screen. Many SLR’s also display the f/stop and shutter speed in the viewfinder frame.

The Light Meter: To make sure you correctly expose your film you need to measure a subject’s brightness. A Light Meter is an instrument used to measure light, indicating combinations of f/stops and shutter speeds needed for correct exposure. Your camera has a built-in light meter. Light meters come in various types and some require more careful use and interpretation than others. It is most important for you to understand how your light meter works specifically.

Questions: Imagine: it is a bright, sunny day with snow on the ground. You have a shutter speed set of “125.” What aperture will most likely expose your film correctly? f/2.8……….or………f/16? f/16 Imagine: You are indoors in the evening and it is mostly artificial light. You have an aperture setting of f/8. What shutter speed will most likely expose your film properly? 1/30………….or………….1/250? 1/30 Imagine: You have just used your light meter to properly expose your film at: f/11@60. You then adjust your aperture to f/5.6. (Imagine the light is exactly the same) what shutter speed will properly expose your film? 1/250 Why do you not want to set your shutter speed slower than 30 when hand-holding your camera?