Digital photography pocket guide

170 Pages·2005·3.823 MB·English

by  Story, Derrick

,TITLE.25034 Page iii Friday, June 23, 2006 12:11 PM
THIRD EDITION
Digital Photography
Pocket Guide
Derrick Story
Beijing • Cambridge • Farnham • Köln
Paris • Sebastopol • Taipei • Tokyo
,COPYRIGHT.25159 Page iv Friday, June 23, 2006 12:11 PM
CDihgiataplt Perho2tography Pocket Guide, Third Edition
by Derrick Story
Copyright © 2005, 2004, 2003 O’Reilly Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Published by O’Reilly Media, Inc., 1005 Gravenstein Highway North,
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Editor: Colleen Wheeler
Production Editor: Genevieve d’Entremont
Cover Designer: Mike Kohnke
Interior Designer: Marcia Friedman
Photographer: Derrick Story
Print History:
July 2003: First Edition.
November 2003: Second Edition.
August 2005: Third Edition.
The O’Reilly logo is a registered trademark of O’Reilly Media, Inc. The O’Reilly
Digital Studio series designations,Digital Photography Pocket Guide, and related
trade dress are trademarks of O’Reilly Media, Inc.
Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their
products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this
book,andO’ReillyMedia,Inc.wasawareofatrademarkclaim,thedesignations
have been printed in caps or initial caps.
While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the
publisher and author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions, or
for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.
ISBN: 0-596-10015-9
[DS]
CChaoptenr1tents
Who’s in Charge? xiii
1. What Is It? 1
Overview of Camera Categories 2
Feature and Component Comparisons 5
Anatomy of a Compact Camera 5
Flash 7
Focus assist light 7
Microphone port 8
Optical viewfinder lens 8
Picture-taking lens 8
Confirmation light 8
Display control button 9
LCD monitor 9
Menu button 10
Mode dial 10
Multifunctional jog dial 10
Set/OK button 11
Trash button 11
Computer connection 11
Shutter button 11
Tripod socket 12
Video out connection 12
Zoom/magnify lever 12
vii
Battery 12
Direct Print 13
Image sensor 13
Memory card 14
PictBridge 14
RAM buffer 15
USB Mass Storage 15
Advanced Amateur Cameras 15
Battery types 16
Diopter adjustment 17
Exposure metering options 17
Hotshoe 18
Image stabilizer 18
Infrared sensor 19
LCD viewfinders that swivel 19
Memory card options 19
Remote release 20
Zoom lenses 20
Professional Cameras 22
Electronic flashes 23
Image sensors 24
Optics 27
WiFi image transfer 27
Hybrid Devices 28
Cameraphones 28
DV Camcorders That Capture Stills 30
Still Cameras That Record High-Quality Movies 31
Putting It All Together 32
2. What Does It Do? 33
Digital Camera Controls A–Z 33
Aperture Value (Av) Mode 34
Autoexposure 36
AVI 36
Burst/Continuous Shooting Mode 36
Close-ups 39
viii Contents
Composition 41
Compression and Image Quality 43
Continuous Shooting Mode 45
Deleting Images 45
Digital Zoom 45
DNG 46
Erasing Images 46
Exposure Compensation 48
Exposure Lock 52
Exposure Metering 53
File Formats (Still Images) 54
Film Speed 56
Flash Compensation 56
Flash Modes 56
Focus Lock 59
Format Card 60
Infinity Lock 60
ISO Speed 61
JPEG 62
Macro Mode 62
Magnify Control 62
Manual Exposure Mode 62
Movie Mode 64
MPEG-4 Movie Format 66
Panorama Mode 66
Partial Metering Area 70
Photo Effects 70
Programmed Autoexposure 73
Protect Images 73
RAW 74
Resolution 74
Contents ix
Self-Timer 75
Sequence Shooting 76
Shutter Priority Mode 77
Spot Meter 77
TIFF 77
Timed Value (Tv) Mode 77
White Balance 80
Zoom/Magnify Control 84
Putting It All Together 85
3. How Do I…? 87
Shooting Tips and Tricks: How Do I… 87
Take Great Outdoor Portraits 88
Set Up Group Shots 93
Capture Existing-Light Portraits 95
Take Passport Photos and Self-Portraits 96
Take Interesting Kid Shots 99
Capture Engaging Travel Locations 100
Take Pictures at Weddings 103
Prevent Red Eye 105
Take Pictures from the Stands at Sporting Events 106
Capture Action Shots 107
Shoot in Museums 110
Shoot Architecture Like a Pro 112
Shoot Items Using Tabletop Photography 114
Create Powerful Landscape Images 115
Shoot Infrared Images 118
Take Flash Pictures of People Who Blink at Flash 120
x Contents
Computer Tips and Tricks: How Do I… 120
Send Pictures via Email 121
Share Pictures on the Web 125
Get Photo-Quality Prints 126
Present a Digital Slideshow 128
Work with RAW Files 130
Archive Images for Future Use 131
Manage Movies Made with a Digital Camera 133
Stitch Together Video Clips into Short Movies 134
Where to Go from Here 138
Appendix 139
Index 147
Contents xi