How Well Do You Really Know Your Camera?

One of the challenges of today's digital age is that you can read your camera's instruction manual six times from cover-to-cover and still not understand how your camera really operates. In some cases its because the manual may tell you how to do something but says little about why you might want to do it or when. In other cases its because certain features aren't fully documented. You have to actually use the camera, try things out, and take careful notice of what it does and doesn't do.

Here's an example from the Canon EOS 10D, 20D, 30D, 40D series cameras: Whatever you set the camera to in Manual mode will stay that way, even if you switch exposure modes. Set the camera to 1/125 at f/16 in M mode and even if you switch to AV, when you later switch back to M, the camera will still be set to 1/125 at f/16. This fact isn't mentioned in the instruction manual, however; I had to discover it on my own.

"So what?" you ask. Well, suppose you were shooting outdoors on a bright sunny day. You could set your camera for the correct exposure in M mode and know that every object lit by direct sunlight would be correctly exposed, even if some of it was in deep shadow. If you went indoors, you could switch to one of the auto modes. When you went back outside you could switch back to M mode and as long as the sun was still shining brightly, you wouldn't have to reset the exposure. (This assumes you didn't also change the ISO, of course.)

I have no idea whether other DSLRs work this way. The point is that unless you take the trouble to develop an intimate knowledge of how your camera operates and how to put these features to good use, then you're really only getting a fraction of its full value. So, what cool but poorly documented features have you discovered about your camera? If you care to share, be sure to mention the camera as well as the feature. I'm sure I'm not the only one who'd love to know how to expand my horizons.

Comments

[Ron]

Not a DSLR, but my Pentax Optio WR33 (Water-Resistant) has a configuration section that allows me to say what's stored in memory when the power is switched off (and remains the same when it comes back on).

Once I set things right, I could take interval exposures of a hummingbird feeder in Maine and the manual macro-focus would remain, exposure would stay the same, etc., as it powered off and then back on 30 seconds later.

(Search my Flickr site for the tag "hummingbird".)

[Gordon Lewis]

That's a well thought-out feature. I imagine it would also help save battery power. After all, if you had to leave the camera on to maintain a particular setting, you'd tend to leave it on longer.

[D.B. Walker]

I just discovered the utility of moving the AF functionality to the AF/AE lock button on my 400D (Rebel XTi). I found a great tutorial on how CF:4 works, but can't seem to locate the link now. Anyway, set your 400D CF:4 to 3. AE remains on the shutter button, but AF moves to the AF lock '*' button. Set AF to AI servo and you have the best of all AF worlds: You can one-shot focus, release the AF button and reframe, or select a focus point and follow a moving subject in AI servo mode. This is great for shooting kids in low light running around the house, or sports I suppose.

[Gordon Lewis]

What you have described will work on practically any Canon EOS model (film included) that has Custom Functions and an AF lock button on the back. It's yet another example of the many cool things todays cameras can do if you just "know how to ask."

[robert e]

I see now that it's not just M mode that's sticky. At least on my 20D, Av will retain the last aperture used, and Tv will retain the last shutter speed set. This may be standard behavior for a DSLR, but I hadn't thought to check before. I'm thinking this could be very handy. For example, I can be shooting in Av and have Tv pre-set to freeze or blur motion. Or shoot Tv with Av pre-set for a particular DOF or sweet spot. Easier and quicker than trying to dial in one parameter by fiddling with the other. Thanks! - robert e

[Gordon Lewis]

Some other DSLRs may have this feature, but I can tell you for sure that the Olympus E-series cameras (E-410, E-510, etc.) don't have it. Regardless, my main point is that today's cameras have many very cool features that few photographers take advantage of, either because they aren't well documented in the owner's manual or because the owner simply doesn't notice them. I'm happy to hear that you've "noticed."