DSLR vs Mirrorless Camera?
The Most Expensive vs What you can afford?
So Many Questions:
Today people have so many options for buying their first camera.
How much do I spend?
What am I going to use my new camera for?
How often is my new camera going to be used?
What type of photography am I going to do?
Which camera feels good in my hands?
I found this great article from TechRadar | The source for tech buying advice reviewing some of the camera's to buy in 2022:
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It is a really exciting time in photography. DSLR's are starting to see Mirrorless cameras gain market share and have some new exciting features. And let's not forget that cell phone cameras have made leaps and bounds with Artificial Intelligence.
I found this informative video from Tony & Chelsea Northrup giving excellent advice on what cameras to buy in 2022
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Below I have used some of my images to explain the different modes you will have available to you with your new DSLR or Mirrorless camera:
Auto Mode
Auto Mode Automatic Exposure is when the camera chooses the optimum shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and flash settings for your shot. All you need to do is point and shoot. This can be good if you have no idea of what settings to choose and also when you need to shoot quickly.
This is a great way to start taking pictures and not getting frustrated by all the buttons and nobs on your camera
Auto Mode
Program Mode
In its simples form the Program mode as an ISO Priority mode; you set the ISO and your camera figures out the shutter speed and the aperture.
I find this mode useful in situations where I want to intentionally use a lower ISO, such as outdoors or in bright light, or a high ISO when things are a bit darker and I prefer to not activate the flash.
The Program mode acts as a safety check when you use a different ISO’s. It will adjust the Shutter Speeds and Aperture. Your camera protects you so that you do not make a mistake on exposure, but you have a little more creativity then in Auto mode.
Program Mode
Aperture Priority Mode
A or AV[Cannon] refers to the camera’s aperture priority. This mode allows us to stet the aperture we want, and the camera will decide the shutter speed to attempt the correct exposure. You are still required to set the ISO or leave it in Auto ISO.
Aperture priority is particularly useful for experimenting depth of field Depth Of Field.
A large aperture (e.g., f/2.8) results in a narrow Depth Of Field – think of a portrait where the face is in focus, but the background is fuzzy.
A small aperture (e.g., f/22) will result in a wide Depth Of Field – think of the same portrait where the background is also in focus and the face is not the main subject of the picture.
The best way to understand Aperture Priority is to grab your camera and shoot some images in different f-stops.
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Deep Depth of Field Shallow Depth of Field
Sutter Priority Mode
In S or TV [Cannon] Shutter Priority mode, you manually set the camera’s shutter speed and the camera automatically picks the right aperture for you, based on the amount of light that passes through the lens. Again, you are still required to set the ISO or leave it in Auto ISO.
This mode is intended to be used when motion needs to be frozen or intentionally blurred. Think of freezing or blurring a racing car going around a track.
Normal walking is about 1/125 of a second. This is normal movement.
Slower shutter speeds blur motion & the slower the shutter speed the more likely you will need a tripod.
Faster shutter speeds freeze the action. Slower shutter speeds blur motion.
In Shutter Priority the camera controls the Depth Of Field.
The best way to understand Shutter Priority is to grab your camera and shoot some images in different shutter speeds.
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Slower Shutter Speed blur motion Faster Shutter Speeds freeze motion
Manual Mode
Please do not be scared of M Manual” mode!
As the name suggests you control Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO unless you set the ISO to Auto. In this mode, we have total control of the camera exposure.
To get the proper exposure we must match the Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO. Photographers think of it as the “Exposure Triangle”.
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I found this great video from SLR Lounge | Photography Tutorials explaining the Exposure Triangle :
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At easy trick depending on what you are taking pictures of is to do a test shot in Aperture Priority or Shutter Priority.
The best way to understand Manual Mode is to grab your camera and shoot some images.
Manual Mode
Manual Mode
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Understanding ISO
Think of ISO in terms of Film Cameras – Popular films were 100 200 and 400 speed films. I personally shot a lot of 100 and 400 colour film and 400 black & white back in the day. Popular brands of film were Kodak, Fuji, and Ilford. For my needs I used Kodak slide film, Fuji Color film, and Ilford Black & White film.
100/200 speed film was great for sunny outdoor days. While 400 speed film was great for cloudy days or indoors with a flash. Higher speed films were used for low light situations.
Today we have a large variety of ISO’s of our digital camera’s. The letters ISO stand for International Standards Organization (more correctly known as the International Organization for Standards). The International Organization for Standards lays out the criteria that camera manufacturers use to calibrate the ISO settings on their cameras.
As a photographer we need to be aware that raising the ISO has a side effect – it increases the amount of noise in your photos, especially in the darkest tones. This is not the problem that it was 10 years ago as modern sensors are very capable (amazingly so) at high ISO settings. But you do need to be aware of it.
General rules for using ISO
Use an ISO of 100 or 200 when taking photographs outside in sunny conditions.
If the sky is overcast or it is evening time, then use an ISO within the range of 400 to 800.
Night time or in cases of low light you might need to set your digital camera ISO to 1600 if photographing moving subjects like people or if you are hand holding the camera.
The result may be a grainy / noisy image; however, it is possible clean that up in post processing. Another alternative is to put your camera on a tripod and use a much lower ISO with a longer exposure. This is the recommended method for landscape night shots.
In most DSLR cameras, the ISO does not automatically change in the above camera modes, so you have to set it manually. If you do not want to manually set the ISO all the time and have an “Auto ISO” feature in your camera, enable it.
If you do not have an “Auto ISO” feature, then set your ISO to the lowest ISO number and increase it in low-light situations.
In modern DSLR or Mirror Less cameras the ISO can range from 50, 64, 100, 160, 200, 400, 640, 800, 1600 and higher. Check your owner’s manual for the ISO range of your model.
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Camera Sensors
There are two main sensor types offered by DSLR and Mirrorless Camera manufacturers: Full-frame and APS-C (often called “crop-frame”). Simply put the sensor inside a full-frame camera is the size of a standard frame of 35mm film.
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While camera manufacturers tend to talk most often about megapixels, it is the physical size of the sensor, rather than its megapixel count, that gives DSLR/Mirrorless cameras an image quality advantage over your smartphone or point-and-shoot.
The size of the sensor dictates the amount of light the camera captures. An image sensor is an electronic device that translates an optical image to an electrical signal. The sensor receives the light coming in via the lens into the camera, and then turns that into an image. The individual pixels on the sensor are light-sensitive elements which record the light that hits them.
When all other factors are equal, a full-frame sensor will always perform with less noise at high ISOs than “crop frame” DSLR/Mirrorless cameras.
The simple definition of camera noise the commonly used term to describe visual distortion. It looks similar to grain found in film photographs but can also look like splotches of discoloration when it’s really bad and can ruin a photograph. Noise tends to get worse when you’re shooting in low light.
Keep in mind that DSLR/Mirrorless cameras with full-frame sensors will cost more then camera with APS-C sensors. Do your research on the pros and cons of each type of sensor before purchasing your next camera.
Some Custom Camera Modes
Once you explore the above modes then it is time to learn about some of the other camera modes on digital cameras. Not all cameras have all these custom modes. It is best to check your owner’s manual and look at your camera.
a. Bulb
b. Portrait
c. Landscape
d. Sports
e. Macro
f. Night
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Top View Of A Cannon DSLR
Shutter Button
Main Dial
ISO Speed Set Button
On/Off Switch
Mode Dial
Hotshoe
Lens Auto Focus/Manual Focus Switch
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