1. Camera Basics

2. Three things effect the exposure: 2. The size of the aperture or hole that allows light in. 3. The length of time light is admitted into the camera through the shutter. The key is to combine these elements so that you allow the correct amount of light into the camera to record an image with acceptable detail. 1.The sensitivity of the imaging sensor, referred to as ISO.

3. Each stop doubles or halves the amount of light admitted into the camera. For example: Increasing the exposure by one stop will double the amount of light entering the camera. Decreasing the exposure by one stop will divide the amount of light in half. Each of the three elements of exposure (ISO, aperture, and shutter speed) can be measured in stops.

4. Measuring Exposure The amount of light needed to create an exposure is affected by the 3 Elements of Exposure: ISO Aperture Shutter Speed It is at the intersection of these three elements that an image’s exposure is worked out. Most importantly – a change in one of the elements will impact the others. This means that you can never really isolate just one of the elements alone but always need to have the others in the back of your mind.

6. ISO (also known as film speed) refer to the imaging screen’s sensitivity to light or the amount of light needed to get a good exposure. Lighting conditions vary, even within the same scene. You must set the ISO for the available light. The lower the number, the less sensitive it is to light. This film requires more light to expose and works best in bright lighting. The higher the number, the more sensitive it is to Light. This film requires less light to record an image And work well in low lighting.

7. Similar to f-stops and shutter speeds, each ISO number is one stop apart in sensitivity. Each stop progressively doubles or halves the amount of light needed to take a picture. To make a good exposure, 100 ISO film needs twice as much light as 200 ISO. 100 ISO is considered slow. 400 ISO film requires half as much light as 200 ISO film. 400 ISO is considered fast. The ISO you select will depend on the lighting conditions and the type of pictures you want to take.

8. Fortunately most of the time you don’t need to worry about selecting the correct ISO. Most cameras have an “Auto ISO” setting. With Auto ISO, the camera will measure at the amount of light in the scene and change the ISO appropriately so that the shutter speed doesn’t get too slow. If you choose to use a manual ISO, what values should you use? ISO 50-100- Suitable for bright light (like outdoors on a sunny day). ISO 200- Great for overcast or cloudy days. ISO 400 and 800- Use these values when the light is getting dim but it is not yet night. ISO 1600 and above- Use for indoor or night shots. Also useful to freeze the action in sports shots. These values will produce the most noise.

9. ISO and Resolution Slow ISO produces finer resolution and work best for portraits, especially if you plan to make enlargements. This will require the use of flash in low light situations to ensure best picture quality. Fast film speeds are grainy. When you are shooting sports or action, choose a fast film. It allows you to use faster shutter speeds to freeze motion. However, you will have to compromise some resolution due to visual noise. ISO 100ISO 400

10. ISO 100ISO 3200 Think of ISO as the gain knob on an amplifier for an electric guitar. The more gain, the louder the guitar’s sound, but it also becomes distorted compared to the clean sound of the guitar without gain. In a photograph, the higher the ISO, the more distortion (noise) shows in the image.

11. ISO and Sensor Size When it comes to noise, sensor size matters.. Cameras with smaller sensors, such as cell phones and compact cameras, have thumbnail-sized sensors, and on these cameras noise can reach unacceptable levels even at ISO 400. By the time you reach ISO 800 or higher, the picture may end up looking like an impressionist painting and lose sharpness, detail and color fidelity. Cameras with larger sensors, such as DSLRs, produce lower grain at higher ISOs. The larger the sensor, the better the grain at comparable speeds. More advanced cameras will also have noise reduction settings built in.

13. The aperture is the hole that allows light to enter through the lens. Each aperture has an f-stop number. The f-stop is a ratio of the focal length of the lens to the diameter of the hole. Because this number is a fraction, a small f-number represents a large aperture opening; a large f-number represents a small aperture opening.

14. F-stop Each f-stop indicates a standard amount of light. So, f/8 on a 24mm lens allows the same exposure as f/8 on a 50mm lens. The numbers are set so that each f-stop progressively doubles or halves the amount of light admitted into the camera. Big numbers let in less light; small numbers let in more light.

15. In addition to controlling the exposure, the f-stop also effects depth of field. Depth of field refers to how much of the scene is in focus, both in front of and behind the focused subject.

16. Depth of Field The smaller the f-stop number, the narrower the depth of field As the f-stop number is increased, the sharpness also increases The larger the f-stop, the wider the depth of field

17. SHOT AT F/2.8SHOT AT F/22

20. Shutter speeds control the amount of time that light is allowed to hit the film or imaging chip. There are two types of shutter: 1.The diaphragm or leaf shutter, found on point and shoot cameras, is found in the lens body and is made up of overlapping movable leaves. 2.A focal plane shutter is found on a single lens reflex camera. It consists of two blinds that pass in succession. It is located in the camera body, allowing you to change lenses without exposing the film or imaging chip.

21. Shutter Speed Dial The numbers on the shutter speed dial represent fractions of a second. For example, 60 really means 1/60 of a sec. Speeds can be as fast as 1/8000 of a sec or as slow as several seconds. Many cameras also have a B setting. This setting allows the shutter to remain open for as long as the shutter release is held down.

22. Like f-stops, shutter speeds are one stop apart. Each stop progressively doubles or halves the amount of time the shutter remains open. 2000 1000 500 250 125 60 30 15 8 4 2 1” 2” 1/60 lets in twice as much light as 1/125 and half as much light as 1/30 The f-stop and shutter speed work together to set the correct exposure. If one is reduced by one stop, the other must be increased by one stop.

23. Slower the speeds, like 60 or below, allow the subject to move during the exposure, resulting in blur and loss of detail. Fast speeds of 125 and above, freeze motion and record detail.

24. In addition to recording subject motion, the camera will also record your movement. It is important to hold the camera steady at speeds below 1/60 0f a second.

26. Each of the elements of exposure (f-stop, shutter speed and ISO) are measured in stops. The stops work together to expose correctly. Over-exposure means too much light was admitted into the camera. Your pictures will be bright. Under-exposure means that not enough light was admitted into the camera. Your pictures will be dark.

27. The exposure meter will help you select the correct f-stop and shutter speed combination to get the best exposure, based on lighting conditions and ISO.

28. Types of metering systems: Manual meters-a device that allows you to set the f-stop and shutter speed separately. Aperture priority-allows you to set the f-stop and the camera to set the shutter speed for you. Shutter priority-allows you to set the shutter speed and the camera to set the f-stop for you.