Olympus Essential Camera Handbook

52 

PAGES OF 

EXPERT 

ADVICE 

THE ESSENTIAL 

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR BETTER SHOTS 

HOW TO MASTER 

LANDSCAPES / 

PORTRAITS / WILDLIFE 

/ 

SETTINGS / EXPOSURE / FOCUSING / FLASH / & MUCH MORE!

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Fantastic images have never 

been easier to achieve. Even the 

most basic of DSLRs can offer 

brilliant image quality, but to 

unlock the best shots you need to know 

your camera inside and out. Aperture, ISO, 

white balance – terms like these have left 

us all scratching our heads at one point or another. So to lift 

the fog we’ve created The Essential Camera Handbook – a 

pocket-sized, jargon-busting guide that answers the 

questions you’ve asked us most frequently. Flick through and 

you’ll quickly master exposure settings, understand the 

terminology, get sharper shots and pick up a few tips and 

nuggets of advice to help you shoot specific subjects such as 

sports, wildlife and weddings. We start with a layman’s guide 

to camera buttons over the next page, so let’s get to it... 

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PRACTICALPHOTOGRAPHY.COM 3

THE PHOTOGRAPHER’S HANDBOOK 

CAMERA SKILLS 

What do the controls 

on my DSLR do? 

I bought a DSLR but 

Q it’s more complicated 

than I expected. Could 

you explain what the buttons 

and dials around it do? 

Moving up from a basic compact 

camera or smartphone to a DSLR 

opens up a whole new range 

of photographic possibilities. 

Not only will a more advanced 

camera give you increased 

control over the settings you use, 

but with a little know-how you’ll 

be able to achieve creative effects 

such as long exposures and 

blurry backgrounds. Of course, 

this added functionality means 

extra buttons and dials that may 

seem pretty alien to you when 

you first pick up the camera... 

START IN AUTO MODE 

Our advice is to start in full auto 

mode. Here, your camera will 

behave like a point-and-shoot 

compact and you won’t have to 

worry about settings. Next, move 

on to P mode, which is similar 

except you’ll be able to change 

the balance between shutter 

speed and aperture and turn 

off the flash. When you’re more 

familiar with the camera, you 

can move on to semi-automatic 

and manual. Let’s take a look at 

what some of the key buttons 

and dials dotted around your 

camera actually do... 

Mode dial 

Here you can set your 

shooting mode, from fully 

automatic to manual. 

AF assist lamp 

This light illuminates your subject 

in dark situations to assist AF. 

Command dial 

Flick this to adjust your shutter 

speed, aperture or ISO value. 

Lens release lock 

Pop-up 

flash 

This injects 

light into the 

scene to help 

you get a 

sharp shot. 

Hold this button down to release 

the lens before twisting it off 

your camera’s mount. 

Dioptre settings 

For short- and long-sighted 

photographers, dioptric 

adjustment gives a sharp 

viewfinder image without 

the need for glasses. When 

you first buy a camera, look 

through the viewfinder and 

fine-tune the dioptre for 

your eyes. 

LCD screen 

Digital cameras have an 

LCD screen that allows 

you to compose in Live 

View and also review your 

shots instantly. Use it to 

zoom in on them to make 

sure they’re pin-sharp. 

Hotshoe 

A camera’s hotshoe 

can hold a plethora of 

accessories, including 

flashguns, remote triggers 

and microphones. 

Video button 

Most DSLRs now shoot up to 30 

minutes of continuous Full HD 

(1080p) video footage with a 

fast enough card. Video settings 

are accessed through the menu, 

and recording is started and 

stopped with this button. 

Menu and 

Quick menu 

To save you trawling 

through the camera’s 

main menu system, the 

Quick menu only displays 

the most frequentlychanged 

settings, 

including exposure comp, 

ISO, white balance and 

metering mode. This gives 

you fast access to core 

camera settings. 

Exposure 

compensation 

If your image is too bright 

or too dark, you can tweak 

exposure with this button – 

simply hold it in while turning 

the finger dial. A plus figure 

(+) will brighten the image 

and a minus figure (-) will 

darken it. Not available in 

auto modes. 

Display 

setting 

Some beginner 

photographers 

prefer to have their 

settings permanently 

visible on the screen 

during shooting. 

The display button 

also brings up vital 

image information, 

such as a histogram, 

if pressed when 

reviewing images. 

ISO speed 

setting 

AF operation selection 

The higher the ISO, the more 

sensitive the camera’s sensor. 

On the plus side this gives 

you fast shutter speeds, 

which eliminates blur, but 

it introduces digital noise. 

Always use the lowest ISO 

setting you can. 

If you want your DSLR to focus once when you halfpress 

the shutter, use single shot. If you want constant 

focusing to keep a moving subject sharp, select 

continuous. Some models also have AF tracking. 

White balance 

Drive mode 

If you’re shooting sports or 

wildlife, you may wish to 

take several shots in quick 

succession. With this button 

you can switch to burst mode, 

which is usually between 4fps 

and 8fps. You can also set 

self-timer here. 

This is how you tell your camera what it should consider pure 

white in order to remove colour casts. There is an auto white 

balance setting, but you may need manual settings in tricky 

lighting conditions. 

4 PRACTICAL PHOTOGRAPHY 



CAMERA SKILLS 

What is sensor size? 

Q 

Can you help me 

compare camera 

sensor sizes? 

Before investing in a new 

camera, you’ll want to do 

plenty of research to ensure 

you’re getting the best model 

for your money. The most 

important feature to find 

out is the sensor size, as this 

has a big impact on dynamic 

range, effective focal length 

and depth-of-field. When 

you consider that the iPhone 

sensor is around 55x smaller 

than the sensor in a Nikon 

D750, it’s easier to appreciate 

why image quality is so much 

better. But it’s often shrouded 

in jargon like 1/2.7in-type 

Live MOS, or confusing 

acronyms like APS-C. 

So let’s lift the fog now, 

with our list of the most 

common sensor sizes used, 

alongside life-size diagrams of 

the sensors themselves. Every 

camera will list its sensor size 

in its specifications table. 

DEPTH-OF-FIELD 

SHALLOW: f/2.8 

LARGE: f/22 

APERTURE 

ISO 

SLOW: BLUR 

SHUTTER 

SPEED 

EXPOSURE TIME 

FAST: FREEZE 

Aperture, 

shutter 

speed and 

ISO work 

in unison 

to create 

the perfect 

exposure. 

1/2.3IN 

This sized sensor is commonly 

used in entry-level compact 

cameras, as well as some 

advanced smartphones 

and action cameras. 

APS-C 

All entry-level and enthusiast DSLRs use the 

APS-C sensor type, as well as many advanced 

CSCs and premium compact models. 

1IN AND CX 

These two sensor types are 

virtually the same size, and tend 

to be found in smaller CSCs, 

including Nikon and Samsung, as 

well as some advanced compacts. 

FOUR THIRDS 

Only used by Panasonic and 

Olympus compact system 

cameras (CSCs), this sensor is 

closer to a square shape than 

the other formats. 

FULL-FRAME 

Full-frame sensors are only generally found in 

professional-quality DSLRs, though some advanced 

CSCs and advanced compacts also have these. 

SENSORS SHOWN AT ACTUAL SIZE 

LOW: NO NOISE 

SENSITIVITY OF SENSOR 

HIGH: NOISE 

What is the exposure triangle? 

I’ve been told that the exposure 

Q 

triangle can help me understand 

how my camera works. What is it 

and what do I use it for? 

Understanding your camera is really important 

for improving your photography. Once you make 

the jump from full auto to the semi-automatic, 

shutter-priority and aperture-priority modes, 

a whole new world of techniques will open 

up to you. Using the semi-automatic modes 

successfully requires you to have a basic 

understanding of the three variables that 

control exposure, which are perhaps best 

illustrated using the exposure triangle above. 

On one side of the triangle is shutter speed, 

which describes the length of the exposure. 

Short exposures (fast shutter speeds) freeze 

fast-moving subjects, and long exposures (slow 

shutter speeds) blur them. On the other side 

is aperture, which describes the size of the 

opening in the lens. A small opening lets in 

less light, but also gives a larger depth-of-field 

(more in focus). A wide opening lets more light 

in but less will be in focus. A balanced exposure 

can be achieved with either a small aperture 

open for a long time or a wide aperture open for 

a short time. 

ADJUST YOUR ISO 

The third variable is ISO. Increasing it makes 

your sensor more sensitive to light, allowing 

you to achieve faster shutter speeds and smaller 

apertures in low light. High ISOs also means 

increased noise (grain), so using lower ISOs is 

always preferable if possible. 




CAMERA SKILLS 

Should I shoot manual? 

I’m quite new to 

Q 

photography and feel that 

I should start shooting in 

manual. Will it improve my shots? 

There’s a common misconception 

that learning to shoot in manual is the 

key that will unlock the door to more 

professional-looking images. In reality, 

most pros work in aperture-priority 

mode for the majority of the time. 

The difference between manual and 

the semi-automatic modes (aperturepriority 

and shutter-priority) is that 

the latter balances the exposure for 

you by taking control of one of the 

three exposure variables. In other 

words, in shutter-priority, you control 

shutter speed and ISO, and the camera 

RODOLFO SASSANO 

LIVE MUSIC 

At gigs, lighting conditions are 

erratic, especially at indoor and 

night-time events where there’s 

no natural light. This can play 

havoc with your camera’s metering 

system, so in the semi-automatic 

modes where exposure is balanced 

automatically, you tend to get 

unreliable results. In manual mode, 

the exposure won’t change from 

one shot to the next, so you’ll get 

more consistent results. 

balances the exposure with the 

correct aperture. This tends to 

be a faster way of working, and 

you can easily use exposure 

compensation to brighten or 

darken the shot if desired. You also 

don’t need to worry about tending to 

your settings every time you recompose 

slightly – the camera will make sure 

your exposure is always correct, even 

if the light intensity changes. However, 

unlike in manual, the camera will judge 

the exposure every time you press 

the shutter, which isn’t always 

ideal. Below are three shooting 

situations when manual is 

the best option. Or, if you feel 

more comfortable working in 

a different mode, stick to it. 

STUDIO & FLASH 

When working with studio heads 

and flashguns, the burst of light 

occurs in the precise moment 

when the shutter fires. This means 

the camera does its metering 

before the strobe goes off, and 

so the exposure is only correct 

for the scene without the light. In 

semi-automatic modes, this causes 

overexposure. Manual mode allows 

you to set the exposure for when 

the light fires. 

TIM BERRY 

Above 

The MASP 

modes give 

you greater 

flexibility. 

TIP 

Get a rough exposure 

in aperture-priority, 

then punch the very 

same settings into your 

camera’s manual mode 

to lock them off. 

ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY 

The semi-automatic modes are 

likely to overexpose your shots. This 

is because the camera meters for 

the scene, sees that there’s a lot of 

very dark sky, and tries to adjust the 

exposure to brighten it up. As you 

want the sky to stay black, it’s best 

to take full control of your exposure 

in manual. This is also true when 

shooting lunar images, as the 

surrounding black sky will cause the 

moon to overexpose. 

5 blades 9 blades 

What is aperture? 

I’m buying a new lens. 

How does an aperture work 

Q 

and does the number of 

diaphragm blades matter? 

The amount of light that passes 

through a lens and reaches the sensor 

is governed partly by the size of an 

opening in the centre of the lens barrel 

known as the aperture. By default, 

the aperture is completely closed off 

until you take a shot, when it opens 

for a certain period of time that we 

commonly call the shutter speed. 

The aperture itself is created by the 

movement of a set of blades that make 

up the diaphragm. In this illustration, 

the lens has five diaphragm blades, 

which is generally the minimum 

number found on mainstream lenses. 

So how exactly are the number of 

diaphragm blades significant? In terms 

of overall image quality, the impact is 

relatively minimal and not really worth 

worrying about. However, the number 

of blades will impact on the appearance 

of the out-of-focus areas of your images, 

also known as the 

bokeh. It shows 

up most in 

the blurred 

highlights, 

which will 

take on the 

shape of the 

diaphragm 

opening. The 

difference is 

clear to see in the 

two images below. 

Most photographers 

prefer the look of more 

circular bokeh, which is 

created by lenses that have a larger 

number of blades. For this reason, 

most lens manufacturers also build 

their diaphragms with rounded blades 

(as in the illustration above), keeping 

the aperture opening as circular as 

possible. The quality of bokeh tends 

to be of most importance to portrait 

photographers, who shoot regularly 

at wide apertures for out-of-focus 

backgrounds. 

Above left 

A five-bladed 

aperture 

produces a 

pentagonal 

bokeh. 

Above right 

With more 

aperture 

blades, the 

bokeh is 

rounder. 




CAMERA SKILLS 

Can I use a wide 

aperture in bright sun? 

A lot of the portraits I’ve 

Q 

taken recently are suffering 

from really harsh lighting 

on the face. Obviously this isn’t the 

best look, but I’m not sure what can 

I do about it. Is there a solution? 

There is, and I believe it’s to be found in 

your aperture selection. Let’s assume 

you’re shooting a portrait on a 

bright day, and you want to 

isolate the subject with an 

out-of-focus background. 

You set your lens’ widest 

aperture of f/1.8. This will 

let in the most light, giving 

the fastest possible shutter 

speed. Wide apertures are 

ideal for freezing very 

fast subjects and avoiding 

camera shake in darker 

conditions. They also 

provide a shallow depthof-field, 

which gives blurry 

backgrounds that help 

make the subject stand 

out. But there’s a problem 

– even with the ISO on 

100, the exposure can’t be 

balanced. This is because the exposure 

time needed to do this is shorter than 

the camera’s fastest possible shutter 

speed – remember, that wide aperture 

is letting in a lot of light. If you’re 

shooting in aperture-priority mode, 

what you’ll see on your camera’s display 

is a flashing shutter speed value, and the 

resulting image will be overexposed. 

So what can be done? Well, the 

obvious fix is to choose a slightly 

narrower aperture, giving a slower 

shutter speed within the camera’s 

range, which is usually either 1/4000sec 

or 1/8000sec. 

USE AN ND FILTER 

The downside to changing the aperture 

is a larger depth-of-field, which means a 

less blurry background. So a better 

solution is to attach an ND 

filter to the lens, to cut 

out some of the light. This 

produces a slower shutter 

speed, but crucially means 

you don’t have to change 

the aperture. The result is 

the ability to achieve a very 

shallow depth-of-field in very 

bright conditions. 

ND filters are available in 

different densities, depending 

on how much light you want 

to block out. A 3-stop filter, 

which lets through oneeighth 

of the light, should 

do the job, even on the 

brightest of days. A decent 

budget option should cost less 

than £20, and they’re available as 

a screw-in fit or as a square filter that 

slides into a filter holder. There’s also 

a variable ND filter that allows you to 

change the density by turning the end, 

though these can affect image quality 

more noticeably. 

Right Shooting into the sun with a wide 

aperture is likely to cause overexposure, 

so use an ND filter to control the light. 

TIP 

When shooting into 

the sun, compose with 

your LCD display instead 

of the optical viewfinder, 

which could damage 

your eyes. 

USE YOUR ND 

FILTER FOR LONG 

EXPOSURE SHOTS 

A neutral density filter can be used 

for more than just shooting wide 

aperture images in bright conditions. 

Limiting the amount of light that 

enters the lens is also a great way to 

achieve long exposures for blurring 

moving subjects. One application 

might be getting a milky effect when 

photographing a waterfall, as without 

the filter the shutter speed may be 

too fast to allow the water to blur. You 

could also use an ND filter to achieve 

blurred clouds or people. To achieve 

longer exposures of several minutes 

or more, you might consider a 10-stop 

ND, which blocks out all but 1/1000th 

of the available light. Often called a Big 

Stopper, these filters are so dense that 

held up to the eye you can hardly see 

any light through them, meaning that 

all composition and focusing must be 

done before the filter is attached 

to the lens. Of course, the exposure 

time will be way longer than the 

camera’s maximum shutter speed, so 

a shutter release cable should be used 

in Bulb mode. 

STEPHEN EMERSON 




CAMERA SKILLS 

When do I use 

shutter-priority 

mode? 

ADRIEN VECZAN 

FOUR SITUATIONS THAT REQUIRE SHUTTER-PRIORITY 

I’ve recently bought a DSLR 

Q and I’m experimenting with 

all the settings. What’s 

shutter-priority mode and when 

would I need to use it? 

To achieve a correct exposure, the 

perfect balance of aperture size, shutter 

speed and ISO are needed. In full auto 

mode your camera will take care of 

all three of those variables based on 

the available light conditions. Most 

DSLRs and CSCs also have two semiautomatic 

modes (shutter-priority and 

aperture-priority) that allow you to 

control two of the three variables while 

the camera automatically balances 

exposure using the third. In the case of 

shutter-priority mode, the user chooses 

the shutter speed and ISO while the 

camera selects an appropriate aperture. 

This is very useful when shooting both 

short and long exposures, as it allows 

you to choose a very specific shutter 

speed (usually between 1/4000sec 

and 30sec), without having to worry 

about balancing the exposure as you 

would when shooting in manual mode. 

Shutter-priority can be selected using 

the mode dial on the camera, and is 

usually represented by S or Tv. Once 

in shutter-priority, the shutter speed 

is selected using the camera’s finger or 

thumb dial. For shutter speeds longer 

than 30 seconds, Bulb mode and a 

shutter release cable should be used. 

Above 

& below 

Shutter 

priority is 

a semiautomatic 

mode that 

works out 

the aperture 

needed for 

a correct 

exposure. 

NIGEL PYE YONGYUAN DAI 

LIGHT TRAILS 

One of the most common long exposure techniques 

is light trails, where a moving light source makes 

a continuous impression on the camera’s sensor 

as it moves across the frame. The technique is 

sometimes used for shooting firework displays and 

vehicle headlights at night. It can also be used for 

photographing moving night sky objects such as stars, 

shooting stars and satellites. 

FAST-PACED ACTION 

Shutter-priority mode isn’t just useful for selecting 

slow shutter speeds. It’s also an important tool when 

shooting very fast-moving subjects such as sports and 

wildlife, where a very fast shutter speed is needed 

to freeze the subject. A quickly moving subject like a 

barn owl requires continuous autofocus and a very fast 

shutter speed of at least 1/2000sec to eliminate both 

subject blur and camera shake. 

MOVING WATER 

To give water a smooth, blurry appearance, a very slow 

shutter speed is needed, typically of between 5 and 30 

seconds. This long exposure technique is commonly 

used for photographing waterfalls, streams and 

coastal landscapes to convey a sense of movement 

within the scene. As with light trails, a sturdy tripod 

should be used to keep the camera perfectly still for 

the duration of the exposure. 

PANNING FOR BLUR 

An effective technique for conveying a sense of 

motion is panning so that the subject is sharp but 

the background is blurred. This is achieved using a 

slow shutter speed, though nowhere near as slow 

as for light trails or moving water. Typically, 1/20sec 

would be ideal, though it depends on the speed of the 

subject. Shutter-priority is the perfect way to choose 

this precise shutter speed. 

TIM BERRY 




CAMERA SKILLS 

What is metering & which 

mode is best to use? 

METERING MODES WHICH ONE TO USE WHEN… 

TIM BERRY 

I’ve heard the term metering 

Q but I don’t know what it does 

and why it’s important. Can 

you explain what it is? 

When shooting in auto or the semiautomatic 

modes, your camera has 

to estimate one or more settings to 

give you the most balanced possible 

exposure. It does this by intelligently 

analysing the intensity of the light that 

comes down the lens and reaches the 

sensor. Metering is also active in manual 

mode, though this is purely to provide 

you with a lightmeter reading. 

The problem is, most scenes have a 

wide variety of light levels that go from 

deep shadows to bright highlights, so 

the camera often has a really difficult job 

producing an accurate overall exposure. 

Let’s imagine you’re shooting an indoor 

portrait against a bright window, for 

example. The camera doesn’t know 

whether you want a perfectly exposed 

face with a blown out background or 

whether you’re actually going for a 

silhouette effect. 

UNDERSTAND 

METERING MODES 

To help your camera make the most 

accurate possible exposures, all DSLRs, 

CSCs and serious compacts have several 

metering modes you can choose from 

to suit different shooting conditions. 

They work either by considering light 

from across the whole frame, or by 

placing greater or complete emphasis on 

one specific part. Once you know what 

these modes do, and when to use them, 

you’ll be able to get much more accurate 

exposures in any shooting situation. 

Let’s check out the four most common 

metering modes in more detail... 

Above 

There are 

some rare 

situations 

when it’s 

worth 

changing 

your 

metering 

mode. 

EVALUATIVE/MATRIX 

This is usually the default metering mode for most 

cameras, taking light into account from across the 

whole frame. It places greater emphasis on the active 

focus point, as this is the area you’re most likely to 

want exposed correctly. 

PARTIAL 

Partial metering is similar to spot, but takes into 

account around 10% of the frame area, ignoring the 

other 90%. The active area usually follows the active 

focus point. This mode is ideal for making sure the 

subject on your active AF point is correctly exposed. 

CENTRE-WEIGHTED 

As with evaluative metering, the camera takes into 

account light from across the whole frame, but with 

more importance placed on the central area. The 

active AF point isn’t taken into account, so a bright or 

dark focal point is less likely to affect your exposure. 

SPOT 

This very precise mode takes readings from around 

3% of the frame area, ignoring the other 97%. On 

most cameras, this area immediately surrounds 

the active AF point. Spot metering is often used for 

portraits, though its results are very unpredictable. 




CAMERA SKILLS 

Which focusing 

mode is best? 

Should I just shoot in my 

Q 

automatic autofocus mode 

or is it best to select a 

different one? Could you explain to 

me what they all do? 

Getting your subject perfectly sharp is 

absolutely vital to the success of a shot. 

It’s most challenging when shooting 

with very wide apertures where the 

depth-of-field is extremely shallow, or 

with fast-moving subjects where the 

point of focus is constantly changing. 

Most DSLR focusing systems work 

slightly differently to those found on 

CSCs, but both are similar in that the 

frame is divided up into focus areas 

or focus points. These can range from 

nine on basic models, to over 200 on 

pro cameras. By choosing how you 

want these areas or points to behave, 

you can give yourself the best chance 

of achieving a sharp image. Or 

you might opt to turn them off 

entirely and focus manually 

for maximum accuracy. Here 

we take a look at the different 

focusing modes, and why 

they’re best for certain types 

of picture... 

Above The 

continuous 

autofocus 

mode is 

ideal for 

very quick 

subjects. 

TIP 

All DSLRs have at 

least one cross-type AF 

point, usually in the centre 

of the frame. Use them 

for more consistent 

focusing. 

UNDERSTANDING THE FOUR 

MAIN FOCUSING MODES 

1 ONE-SHOT AF / SINGLE SERVO AF 

The camera will acquire focus only once when the shutter button is 

half-pressed. Usually, this is using just one AF point, though some 

cameras allow a cluster of points to be used. Most photographers 

prefer to select this point themselves, which allows pin-point 

focusing ideal for portraits and landscapes. Alternatively, auto-area 

AF forces the camera to choose the point automatically, usually 

selecting the object closest to the camera. 

2 AI FOCUS / AUTOMATIC AF 

In this mode the camera automatically detects whether the subject 

is moving or stationary, and selects either AF-S (one-shot AF) or 

AF-C (AI servo). This is a good mode to use if your subject is mostly 

stationary, but might move unexpectedly, such as a deer or a child 

playing. If you’re not comfortable switching between the two main 

focusing modes, this is the best option to use to get started. 

3 AI SERVO / CONTINUOUS AF 

With the shutter button half-pressed, the camera continually 

acquires focus, which is ideal for any subject that moves towards 

or away from the camera. In this mode you can either have just 

one active AF point, which will keep whatever covers this part of 

the frame sharp, or choose a larger group of points. You can also 

activate 3D tracking, which will keep your subject sharp wherever 

it moves within the frame. 

4 MANUAL FOCUS / MF 

As fast and accurate as modern autofocus systems are, there are 

occasions when you’ll get more accurate results with it turned off. 

If you’re into night sky or macro photography, for example, you’ll 

work almost entirely in manual. For really accurate results, activate 

Live View, use the zoom buttons to enlarge a section of the image to 

5x or 10x, then use the D-pad to choose the area of the frame you 

want to see in detail. 

1 

4 2 

3 

CAN I USE APS-C 

LENSES ON A 

FULL-FRAME BODY? 

Q 

Will an APS-C lens work on my 

full-frame camera? 

All DSLRs have one of two sensor 

formats. Entry-level models have 

APS-C, and pro models have larger 

full-frame sensors. Full-frame lenses 

can be used on both formats, though 

will appear more ‘zoomed-in’ on an 

APS-C body. Let’s see when you can 

use APS-C optics on a full-frame body: 

Canon 

Canon’s EF-S (APS-C) lens range can’t 

be used on full-frame DSLRs as the 

mount is much deeper. 

Nikon 

DX lenses will fit on a full-frame body, 

and with DX crop mode on will use 

only the central part of the sensor. 

Pentax 

Pentax’ full-frame range is compatible 

with FA lenses, including some filmera 

models. APS-C K-Mount lenses 

can be used in a crop mode. 

Sony 

Sony’s full-frame DSLTs can be used 

with all A-mount lenses, but its APS-C 

lenses work best in the crop mode. 




CAMERA SKILLS 

Should I 

switch to 

shooting 

RAW? 

A friend told me I 

Q 

should be capturing 

my images as RAWs 

instead of JPEGs. Is this true? 

Most cameras (with the exception 

of entry-level compacts, action cams 

and most smartphones) offer both 

JPEG and RAW functionality. In the 

majority of shooting situations, you 

probably won’t notice a huge amount 

of difference between the two, except 

that RAW files are much larger so 

write slower and fill up memory cards 

faster. This doesn’t mean RAWs have a 

higher resolution, but they do hold more 

image information, containing all of 

the ‘raw’ data from the sensor. JPEGs, 

on the other hand, are quite heavily 

compressed, so some of the information 

the sensor collects is simply discarded. 

In this way you might think of a RAW 

file as the equivalent of a negative, and 

a JPEG as the equivalent of a print. 

So what information is actually lost 

during in-camera JPEG conversion? 

Well, most importantly JPEGs have 

a smaller dynamic range, so less 

image data is recorded in shadow and 

highlight areas. This means if you 

mis-expose an image at the time of 

shooting, you may struggle to correct 

it afterwards. In addition, JPEGs are 

converted to 8-bit from 12-bit or 14-bit, 

meaning significantly 

fewer shades of colour, 

which can be important 

when shooting blue skies or 

other large areas of similar 

colour. Other symptoms of 

JPEG compression can include a 

lack of control over white balance, 

ugly compression artefacts, oversharpening 

in-camera, and poor 

demosaic algorithms that reduce 

image sharpness. 

QUALITY V CONVENIENCE 

But while RAW is clearly a better quality 

format, JPEGs aren’t without their 

advantages. Their tiny file size allows 

faster burst shooting and takes up less 

storage space, and they offer a universal 

file type. JPEGs can be shared, edited 

or displayed anywhere without the 

compatibility issues of RAW. If you don’t 

process your shots on a computer, you 

might even prefer the look of JPEGs, 

which usually look a little 

punchier straight out of the 

camera owing to in-camera 

processing. RAWs offer top 

quality, but there are times 

when shooting JPEGs is 

more convenient. 

Above If 

you can’t 

open a RAW, 

Adobe’s 

free DNG 

Converter 

can switch it 

to a readable 

format. 

TIP 

Most camera’s allow 

you to shoot RAW and 

JPEG simultaneously. This 

flexibility is well worth the 

extra storage space 

required. 

How do I 

shoot in 

black & 

white? 

My new camera has a setting 

Q 

to shoot in monochrome. Is it 

better to use this in-camera 

setting or convert to monochrome 

while post-processing? 

Both methods have their pros and cons. 

Using your camera’s monochrome 

setting means that you can review 

images immediately in black & white. 

You can then make adjustments 

according to what your image looks like 

stripped of colour, such as changing 

your settings, adding filters or altering 

the composition. The danger is that 

if you shoot in JPEG mode, there’s no 

going back – your images will then 

PHOTOSHOP 

In the adjustments on the right-hand 

side of the screen, click on Channel 

Mixer. This creates an Adjustment 

Layer and opens a Properties box. 

Tick the Monochrome option in the 

Properties box. 

remain in black & white forever. 

The safest option is to shoot in RAW 

and use the monochrome setting to 

review images on the LCD screen. As 

RAWs consist of the ‘raw’ data, they’ll 

hang on to the original colour too, so 

you have the choice of both colour and 

mono back at your computer. RAWs also 

retain a greater level of tones and detail. 

Whether you shoot JPEG or RAW, a 

camera’s monochrome mode is a great 

way to hone your eye and visualise the 

world in black & white. 

ELEMENTS 

Open your pic and click on 

Enhance>Convert to Black and 

White. Now select a style from the 

options that appear, adjust Red, 

Green, Blue and Contrast to suit 

your image, and click OK. 

Above Use 

the mono 

preset on 

your camera 

to frame-up 

using just 

shape, form 

and contrast. 

LIGHTROOM 

Import your pic and hit D to go into 

the Develop module. Then select 

Basic from the list of options on the 

right and select Black & White from 

the treatment options. Your image 

will convert to black & white. 




CAMERA SKILLS 

How should I 

compose landscapes? 

I haven’t shot landscapes 

Q for some time and really 

want to get back into it. 

I remember there being lots of 

compositional rules that help 

produce more interesting images. 

Can you give me a quick recap? 

If it’s been a while since you 

photographed a landscape, and you 

feel a little rusty, recap with our seven 

compositional tips. Remember though, 

that these are guidelines rather than 

hard-and-fast rules, so don’t feel you 

have to stick to them if you have a good 

reason not to. And, of course, don’t 

attempt to include all seven at every 

single location. In reality, it’s likely that 

you’ll only need two or three to get a 

strong and impacting composition. 

1 FOCAL LENGTH 

Traditionally, landscapes are shot on 

wide-angle lenses, which enable you 

to capture a large proportion of the 

scene from a close-up position, and 

help create a greater feeling of depth. 

But this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t 

sometimes consider other focal lengths 

that can give equally impressive 

results. A telephoto lens, for example, 

will encourage you to shoot from 

further away, producing a ‘compressed’ 

perspective where the relative scale of 

the foreground and background is closer 

to reality. 

Above 

Lead-in 

lines and 

foreground 

interest work 

strongly here 

to create a 

professionallooking 

shot. 

TOMASZ ZAJDA 

2 RULE-OF-THIRDS 

Divide the frame into nine imaginary 

rectangles, then compose the shot 

so that a well-defined section of the 

scene fills either three or six of those 

rectangles. You’ll get a more balanced 

result, for example, if the sky fills either 

one or two thirds of the frame, than if 

the horizon is positioned halfway up. 

You can also place a vertical subject, 

like a tree, on one of the two upright 

lines, or a small single image element, 

like a rock or a boat, on one of the four 

points where the vertical and horizontal 

lines intersect. These are often called 

powerpoints. 

3 FOREGROUND INTEREST 

When shooting landscapes it can be 

easy to get caught up in the vastness of 

it all and forget about the foreground. 

But having something of interest in the 

bottom third of the image can really 

help to anchor the eye and draw the 

viewer into the shot. It’s sometimes said 

that foreground interest is the last thing 

a photographer thinks about but the 

first thing a viewer sees. 

4 LEAD-IN LINES 

Lead-in lines are a great way to draw 

your viewer into the scene and direct 

them towards the subject. You can use 

a fence, a path, a stream, or even a linear 

cloud formation, so long as whatever 

you choose directs the eye towards 

the centre of the frame. It’s generally 

accepted that lines emanating from 

the bottom right and left corners of the 

image are the most effective. 

5 NEGATIVE SPACE 

If the area surrounding your subject 

is relatively devoid of detail, zoom out 

a little to include some of this empty 

LOOP IMAGES 

space in your shot. Not only will this 

create a cleaner composition, it can also 

help you to portray a sense of scale or 

isolation. Negative space works best 

when there’s only one main subject, 

such as a single farmhouse nestled in 

the middle of a large field. 

6 RULE-OF-ODDS 

A photograph will generally appear to 

have more balance and beauty with an 

odd number of image elements. So if you 

have an even number of, say, trees in 

your shot, it’s best to recompose slightly 

so there is an odd number instead. 

7 LOOK FOR SYMMETRY 

If your landscape is very symmetrical, 

with one part of the scene strongly 

mirroring another, you have the 

opportunity to add balance and 

harmony to your shot. Compose 

so that a line of symmetry 

runs straight through the 

middle of the frame. This will 

mean you’ll need to abandon 

the rule-of-thirds, but this 

approach can produce a more 

eye-catching result. 

Above Here, 

the horizon 

falls in the 

middle of the 

shot rather 

than a third 

of the way 

in, but the 

symmetrical 

reflection 

adds balance. 

TIP 

Keep your eye on the 

work of landscape pros 

to see how they compose 

their shots and try to spot 

these seven rules in 

their work. 




CAMERA SKILLS 

How do I 

get a level 

horizon? 

TIP 

Some cameras have 

a built-in virtual horizon 

level that will help get an 

even horizon, but it’s best 

to use a tripod for 

accurate results. 

I’ve been really frustrated 

Q 

lately that all my landscapes 

seem to have a wonky 

horizon. What am I doing wrong? 

A slightly slanted horizon is a common 

mistake in landscape photography, and 

a sure-fire way to make an image look 

unbalanced. One reason this can happen 

is severe lens distortion – but by far 

the most common cause is the camera 

not being totally level when the shot is 

taken. This isn’t always obvious through 

the viewfinder or even on the LCD, but 

once the pic is on a computer screen 

it can look seriously lop-sided. The 

problem is most noticeable on coastal 

landscape shots, where the horizon is 

perfectly flat, and not interrupted by 

mountains or trees. Here, even a tiny 

slant is very obvious. 

LEVEL UP YOUR CAMERA 

The good news is that this is a very 

easy problem to deal with. If you own 

a tripod, chances are that its plate, or 

the section immediately below the 

plate, has at least one built-in spirit level 

(a spirit level on the legs isn’t useful). 

Get this lined up, and you know your 

horizon will be perfectly straight. If 

your tripod doesn’t have this function, 

pick up an inexpensive plastic spirit 

level that slides onto the camera’s 

hotshoe. Alternatively, your camera may 

have a virtual horizon built in. You can 

check this by activating Live View, then 

pressing the Info button until you see 

the virtual horizon appear overlaid on 

the screen. Then simply adjust the angle 

of the camera until the line goes green. 

ADJUST WITH THE CROP TOOL 

But what about images you’ve already 

taken? Don’t worry, you can achieve 

a straight horizon with a simple crop 

adjustment. Open your image in 

Photoshop, select the Crop Tool, then 

hover over any corner until you get a 

curved, double-ended arrow. Click and 

drag so the frame is ‘straight’ in relation 

to the horizon. You can do exactly the 

same in Elements and Lightroom. 

Above It’s 

easy to level 

your horizon 

both in 

camera and 

in software. 

HAMA 2-WAY 

SPIRIT LEVEL 

For tripods without a built-in 

spirit level, this affordable 

hotshoe mounted option is 

ideal. It can be used on any 

DSLR, and its small size means it will 

slide into any accessories pocket. 

VANGUARD VEO 235AB 

This lightweight aluminium travel tripod 

has a spirit level just above the ball 

head. It’s perfect for travel, boasting a 

maximum height of 145cm and weight 

of 1.5kg, which makes it easier to carry 

over long distances. 

IAN DAGNALL 

CORRECT DISTORTION FOR 

STRAIGHT HORIZONS 

If you’re sure your camera is straight but the 

horizon still looks off-kilter, your problem may 

be caused by severe lens distortion. This is 

particularly common on budget wide-angles, 

where straight lines near to the edges of the 

frame appear bent. It’s very easy to remove 

distortion in post-processing software using the 

lens correction tools. Let’s take a look at how 

this is done in Lightroom, Photoshop 

and Elements: 

LIGHTROOM 

You’ll find Lightroom’s 

Lens Corrections panel 

on the right of the screen. 

Simply click the Profile 

tab, then check the Enable 

Profile Corrections box. 

PHOTOSHOP 

AND ELEMENTS 

When opening a RAW file in Photoshop, you’ll 

first see the Adobe Camera Raw window, 

which has its own Lens 

Corrections tab. For 

JPEGs, which open 

straight into Photoshop, go 

to Filter>Lens Correction. 

In Elements, the Camera 

Raw window doesn’t 

have Lens 

Corrections, 

so click Open 

and go to 

Filter>Correct 

Camera 

Distortion. 




CAMERA SKILLS 

Which tripod 

legs do I need? 

I’ve been thinking of 

Q investing in new tripod 

legs but I’m not sure where 

to start. What do I need to know 

before I part with my cash? 

When shopping for a new tripod, many 

beginner and amateur photographers 

mistakenly assume all tripods are 

created equal, so simply purchase the 

cheapest option they can lay their 

hands on. But for most experienced 

photographers, choosing the right 

legs and head is a carefully considered 

decision, with a whole range of different 

factors taken into account. For example, 

a travel photographer will want a very 

compact and lightweight tripod that’s 

easy to carry around, whereas a wildlife 

photographer will need a very sturdy 

model that can cope with the weight of 

long telephoto lenses. Ultimately, it all 

comes down to what type of images you 

want to shoot, the weight of the gear 

you plan to use, how long you want your 

tripod to last, and how portable you 

want it to be. Some tripods come as a kit, 

so you get the legs and head together 

in the same box, whereas others must 

be purchased separately. Whichever 

you buy, resist the temptation to blow a 

disproportionate amount of your budget 

on the head – choosing the right legs is 

equally important. We’d recommend 

splitting your money roughly evenly 

between the two. 

On the right are the ten most 

important factors you’ll need to consider 

when investing in a new set of tripod 

legs. If you’ve already got a decent set of 

sticks, don’t worry. On the next page we 

check out the different types of heads 

that are available and help you to decide 

which is most likely to suit your needs... 

Above 

Tripod legs 

come with 

a variety of 

features, 

so brush up 

on the key 

points so you 

know what 

to look for. 

10 THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING A TRIPOD 

1 MAXIMUM HEIGHT 

When your tripod is fully 

extended, you’ll ideally be able 

to look through the viewfinder 

of your camera without 

bending down, so if you can, 

invest in a tripod at least your 

own height. 

2 MINIMUM HEIGHT 

If you’re shooting macro subjects such as 

insects and flowers, you’ll need your camera 

quite low to the ground. Some better tripods 

allow you to mount your camera just a few 

centimetres from ground-level. 

3 FOLDED LENGTH 

It’s worth thinking about how 

small a tripod will fold up, 

especially if you want to try to 

fit it inside your kit bag. Folded 

length is most important for travel 

and landscape photographers. 

4 WEIGHT 

If you’re an outdoor photographer and 

you carry your kit over long distances, 

a lightweight tripod is crucial. Carbon 

fibre tends to be the lightest, followed by 

aluminium alloy. 

5 CENTRAL 

COLUMN 

Most tripods have 

a central column 

that adds a little 

extra height. Some 

central columns can either 

be inverted or flipped into a horizontal 

position, allowing you to get your camera 

mounted close to ground-level. 

6 INDEPENDENT LEGS 

On cheaper tripods, the legs are braced 

together at the bottom, which means if you 

move one leg, all of the other legs will move 

with it. On more expensive tripods, the legs 

are independent. 

7 MULTIPLE LEG ANGLES 

More advanced tripods allow you to set the 

legs at several different angles. This is useful 

in situations when the ground is uneven. 

8 SPIRIT LEVEL 

For landscape 

photography, and 

in particular 

panoramas, it’s 

important to be 

able to get your 

tripod perfectly 

level, so check there’s a built-in spirit level 

before you buy. 

9 TIGHTENING LEG LEVERS 

Over time, quick-release leg levers can 

become loose, causing the tripod legs to sink 

under the camera’s weight. Check to ensure 

the levers can be tightened in case this 

happens. 

10 MAXIMUM LOAD 

If you’re using an entry-level DSLR and kit 

lens, you should be fine with most tripods. 

But if you plan to use pro bodies and lenses, 

you’ll need a much more sturdy model. Check 

the maximum load capacity to ensure it can 

support your gear. 




CAMERA SKILLS 

Which tripod head do I need? 

I own some tripod legs 

Q but need a head to go with 

them. What do I need to 

know before I buy? 

Before making any decisions, think 

carefully about what you’re going to 

be using your tripod for. If you’re a 

landscape photographer, for example, 

you’ll want a lightweight, compact 

head that you can carry around easily. 

For studio photographers, on the other 

hand, size and weight aren’t a big issue, 

but the ability to make very precise 

adjustments is essential. It’s a good 

idea to buy a tripod head that can hold 

significantly more weight than you 

need, as if you decide to upgrade your 

camera to a heavier model in the future, 

you won’t be forced to upgrade. 

Above The 

heads of 

professional 

tripods can 

be detached 

and swapped 

to suit many 

photographic 

genres. 

TRIPOD HEADS AT-A-GLANCE 

BALL HEAD 

FROM £25 

Ball heads are the best 

option for the majority 

of photographers, as 

they’re small, light and 

can be adjusted quickly and 

easily. The ball mechanism 

allows you to move the 

camera in any direction in 

a single adjustment, 

unlike pan-and-tilt 

heads where you 

can only move one 

axis at a time. Ball 

heads are not known for 

accuracy, so making precise 

adjustments can be difficult, especially when using heavy lenses. 

FLUID VIDEO HEAD FROM £35 

If you’re using your head to shoot video, it’s important it has a 

smooth panning movement. Usually fluid heads look very similar to 

pan & tilt heads, though generally only have one arm, and tend to be 

larger and heavier. The heads are called fluid because they contain 

a hydraulic system for a smooth and constant resistance. 

PISTOL 

GRIP HEAD 

FROM £90 

A pistol grip head is 

similar to a ball head 

in that it works on 

the same ball joint 

movement. However, 

rather than a lever to 

tighten and loosen the joint, there’s a trigger 

mechanism where the hand simply squeezes 

the grip to loosen the joint. This can be quicker 

and easier to use than a standard ball head, 

though pistol grips are usually larger and heavier. 

Some pistol grip heads have a trigger button built-in. 

PAN-AND- 

TILT HEAD 

FROM £25 

Sometimes called 

2-way or 3-way, 

pan-and-tilt heads are slower to use than ball 

heads and bulkier. But they allow finer adjustments 

to be made on two or three different axes – pan, tilt 

and sometimes roll. They’re also fairly inexpensive 

to buy, and suitable for studio and macro use. 

4 MORE THINGS 

TO CONSIDER 

1 WEIGHT CAPACITY 

Most decent tripod heads will be able 

to handle a load of at least 5kg. This 

equates to an advanced DSLR with a 

long telephoto lens. Be sure to check 

the maximum weight capacity. 

2 SIZE AND WEIGHT 

Most decent heads weigh around 

0.5kg, but some can weigh 

significantly more so double-check the 

specifications. Some heads are also 

quite large, which can make them less 

convenient to carry. 

3 CONSTRUCTION 

Invest in an aluminium head 

if possible, as steel heads are 

considerably heavier. Try to avoid 

plastic, especially on the plate as this 

has to take considerable strain. 

4 BUILT-IN SPIRIT LEVEL 

A spirit level will help you get your 

horizons perfectly level, which is 

important for landscape fans. 




CAMERA SKILLS 

What’s the difference 

between sensor and 

image stabilisation? 

I’m about to buy a new DSLR 

Q 

but I’m confused by the 

different image stabilisation 

systems. Could you advise which 

type is the best? 

When shooting slower shutter speeds 

handheld, there’s always a risk of 

camera shake, where even a small 

amount of movement during the 

exposure can lead to a blurred image. 

But image stabilisation systems are 

designed to banish the blur. 

SENSOR V LENS 

There are two main types of IS on the 

market – sensor shift and lens shift. 

Both systems are extremely effective, 

typically granting sharp handheld 

results when shooting 4 stops slower 

than usual. Some advanced systems 

even have different modes to 

eliminate movement from just one 

axis, for smoother panning. 

So what’s the difference between the 

two main stabilisation types? In-lens 

stabilisation, which is used by both 

Canon and Nikon, is where one or more 

lens elements are moved by tiny motors 

to compensate for the movement of the 

camera. This means that by the time the 

light reaches the sensor, the stabilisation 

correction has already been applied. 

Sensor shift stabilisation differs in that 

it moves the sensor itself, rather than 

using any mechanism in the lens. Both 

types of IS have distinct advantages and 

disadvantages, though to the average 

user both systems are more or less 

identical in terms of effectiveness. Let’s 

take a look at the key advantages of the 

two systems... 

TIP 

Without stabilisation, 

shutter speeds should 

be at least 1/125sec with 

a standard lens. But you 

can shoot much slower 

with stabilisation. 

Below 

Canon, Nikon 

and others 

build the 

stabilisation 

into the lens 

in the form 

of a moving 

group of 

elements. 

SENSOR SHIFT STABILISATION 

● In-camera stabilisation means IS doesn’t 

have to be built into every lens, keeping lens 

cost, size and weight to a minimum. 

● You can use in-body stabilisation on virtually 

any lens, including older or cheaper lenses 

that wouldn’t normally have IS built-in. 

● Sensor stabilisation is generally quieter 

than lens stabilisation, so is better suited to 

videography or shooting in noise-sensitive 

environments like weddings. 

Above Some 

companies 

stabilise 

the sensor, 

so you get 

sharper 

shots with 

every lens. 

WHAT IS MEANT 

BY EQUIVALENT 

FOCAL LENGTH? 

Okay, I’m confused. Someone 

Q 

told me the focal length printed 

on the side of a lens is incorrect. Help! 

The focal length printed on the side 

of any lens is technically correct. But, 

a camera’s sensor size will change 

a lens’ angle-of-view. So a 50mm 

lens on a full-frame camera would 

appear more ‘zoomed-in’ on an APS-C 

body. You’d therefore have to move 

further from the subject to achieve the 

same composition, altering both the 

perspective and the depth-of-field. 

ABOUT CROP FACTOR 

The size of a camera’s sensor 

compared with a full-frame sensor is 

represented by its crop factor, which 

you can use to calculate the effective 

focal length of a lens. In other words, 

if you use a 50mm lens on an APS-C 

body, you can simply multiply 50 by 

its crop factor (1.5x on Nikon or 1.6x 

on Canon), to get the effective focal 

length, roughly 80mm. The crop factor 

for your camera will be listed in the 

specs panel on the manufacturer’s 

website. Personally, we’d like to see 

the equivalent printed on the lens 

barrel to make it less confusing! 

LENS SHIFT STABILISATION 

● In-lens stabilisation is more effective for 

longer telephoto lenses, so is better suited 

to sports and wildlife shooting. 

Full-frame 

● Lens shift stabilisation systems can be 

tailored perfectly to each individual lens, 

so tend to be more effective. 

APS-C 

● On DSLRs you can see the stabilised image 

in real time through the viewfinder before 

you take the shot, unlike with in-camera IS. 




CAMERA SKILLS 

FIT THE FOCAL LENGTH TO THE GENRE 

ABLEIMAGES 

What focal 

lengths do I need 

for different subjects? 

LANDSCAPES 

Most landscapes are shot wide-angle, which means 

around 15-25mm on a full-frame body or 10-18mm 

on APS-C. Longer telephoto lenses are also used to 

get a ‘compressed perspective’ look, which gives an 

attractive layered effect. 

PORTRAITS 

As previously mentioned, a classic portrait lens of 

85mm (50mm on APS-C bodies) provides the most 

flattering perspective. 50mm is better for full-body 

shots. Wide-angle or even fisheye lenses can also be 

used to create really quirky results. 

Could you tell me which 

Q focal lengths are best to 

work with for the different 

types of photography? 

You’ve probably read or heard lots of 

advice about which lenses you should be 

using for a certain genre of photography. 

Often the advice is delivered as a hardand-fast 

rule that must be followed if 

you want professional results. In fact, 

pro photographers regularly use a very 

wide range of focal lengths in virtually 

every genre. This gives them a varied 

and creative portfolio that can stand 

out from the crowd. For example, a 

landscape photographer who uses a 

17mm lens to shoot every single image 

is going to end up with a very onedimensional 

body of work. So they may 

sometimes use a telephoto lens instead. 

All that said, there are some focal 

lengths that generally lend themselves 

best to certain types of shot, so you’re 

likely to use them more regularly. 

Head-and-shoulders portraits, for 

example, are usually taken at around 

85mm (or 50mm on an APS-C camera) 

as it’s deemed that this gives the 

kindest perspective for the human face. 

Actually, the focal length doesn’t alter 

perspective, but it does dictate where 

you stand to get the best composition. 

It’s this changing distance between the 

camera and subject that has the effect. 

For this reason the majority of your 

head and shoulders portrait images, 

though by no means all, will look best if 

taken with an 85mm lens. 

To the right we examine the focal 

lengths that generally work best for a 

handful of popular genres. 

Above There 

are a huge 

number 

of lenses 

available 

for DSLRs 

and CSCs, 

covering 

broad zoom 

ranges. 

WILDLIFE & SPORTS 

Unless you can get very close to your subject, a long 

telephoto of at least 300mm is usually required. 

600mm is ideal for very skittish subjects. If your 

camera is very near the subject, perhaps being fired 

remotely, any focal length can work. 

STREET & REPORTAGE 

Most street shooters opt for a 35mm lens, or 24mm 

on an APS-C camera. This gives them a slightly wider 

field-of-view than the human eye. However, others like 

to work from a distance using a 70-200mm, ensuring 

their shots are completely candid. 

TIM BERRY 




CAMERA SKILLS 

Before 

After 

THREE WAYS TO REMOVE 

UNWANTED DISTORTION 

What is lens distortion? 

1 PHOTOSHOP 

Open a RAW file into 

the Adobe Camera 

Raw window. Simply 

click the Lens 

Corrections icon, 

select the Profile tab, 

and check Enable 

Lens Profile Corrections. This 

automatically applies the profile 

for your lens. For JPEGs, go to 

Filter>Lens Correction. Again, 

Photoshop will apply the 

lens profile. 

CAN I STOP MY 

LENS FOGGING UP? 

I shoot a lot of night sky 

Q 

photography but can’t stop my 

lens fogging up. What can I do to get 

around this? 

I’ve noticed that straight 

Q lines in my images appear 

to bend. Is this because of 

distortion? And if it is, what can I 

do about this problem? 

There are two main types of distortion. 

The first is perspective distortion, 

where a distant object appears smaller 

than a closer object. This is commonly 

seen in architectural photography, 

where buildings appear to lean 

inwards when shot from ground-level. 

Perspective distortion can be corrected 

by using a tilt & shift lens, or with 

distortion correction software such as 

DxO’s Viewpoint 2. The effect is most 

severe at wider focal lengths, and occurs 

irrespective of optical quality. 

The other type of distortion is optical 

distortion, which is reliant on the 

quality and design of the glass. It occurs 

because the shape and arrangement of 

the elements cause straight lines that 

run near to the edge of the frame to 

appear bent. Focal length has a huge 

impact on optical distortion, with 

wide-angle lenses producing barrel 

distortion (where straight lines bend 

outwards towards the edge) and 

telephoto lenses producing pincushion 

distortion (where straight lines bend 

inwards towards the centre). 

AVOID DISTORTION EFFECTS 

The easiest way to avoid lens distortion 

is simply to correct it afterwards 

in editing software. Lightroom, for 

example, has lens correction profiles 

built-in, which do the job in a single 

click. You can also adjust manually. 

Some cameras have lens correction 

built-in, though this is only applied to 

JPEGs and not RAWs. 

As a general rule, the more expensive 

the lens, the less lens 

distortion you’ll get. 

Finally, at 50mm 

there’s hardly any 

distortion on any 

lens, so if possible 

shoot at this focal 

length by adjusting 

your position. 

Below 50mm 

prime lenses 

are relatively 

free from 

perspective 

distortions. 

2 ELEMENTS 

Open your image in 

Elements, and if it’s 

a RAW file, make any 

basic tweaks in the 

Camera Raw window 

before clicking OK. 

Go to Filter>Correct 

Camera Distortion. Unlike in Photoshop and 

Lightroom, this won’t automatically apply lens 

profiles for your particular make and model, so 

adjustments must be done manually. This is 

very straightforward – just tweak the Remove 

Distortion slider. 

3 LIGHTROOM 

Import your image in 

Lightroom, then press D 

on your keyboard to enter 

the Develop module. On the 

right of the screen, scroll 

down through the control 

panels until you reach Lens Corrections. 

Click the Profile tab, and check the Enable 

Profile Corrections box. This will automatically 

select the right lens profile. If not, you can 

always adjust it manually using the 

Distortion slider. 

Condensation on the front element is 

a real problem for astrophotographers, 

especially when there’s a heavy dew. 

It’s usually most severe on low ground 

or near water. In severe cases, a lens 

can be completely fogged up just 

five seconds after being wiped clean, 

making longer exposures almost 

impossible to achieve. 

Fortunately, it is possible to 

alleviate the problem. The first 

thing to remember is that sudden 

changes in temperature can cause 

condensation to form, so allow your 

camera to acclimatise to the ambient 

temperature before you shoot. 

The next step is to invest in anti-fog 

gel or wipes. I’d also recommend a 

battery-powered hand fan to keep 

a flow of air moving across the end 

of the lens. This discourages droplet 

formation. Serious astro shooters 

often use heat straps, which are 

battery-powered heating elements 

that stop dew from forming on the end 

of the lens. Hand warmers secured 

with elastic bands also work well as 

a budget alternative. 




CAMERA SKILLS 

What lens 

do I need for 

wildlife? 

SIGMA 150-600MM F/5-6.3 

Sigma has released two affordable 150-600mm lenses with 

excellent image quality. The cheaper version (designed for the 

Contemporary line) has a less complicated optical design, is 

smaller and lighter, and has no weather-sealing. Aside from a few 

differences, the lenses are very similar. The more expensive S lens 

belongs to Sigma’s Sports line. 

AVICO LTD 

TAMRON 150-600MM F/5-6.3 

Almost identical in spec to Sigma’s cheaper C-range 150-600mm 

lens, this budget telephoto with image stabilisation offers a very 

wide focal range, the equivalent of 225-900mm on an APS-C 

model. Advantages over the Sigma include wider zoom and focus 

rings and a slightly closer focusing distance. 

HOW CAN I GET 

BETTER QUICKER? 

I’ve bought an entry-level 

Q 

DSLR, but there’s an awful lot 

of buttons and technical mumbo jumbo 

to get my head around. What’s the best 

way to grasp the basics quickly? 

I want to shoot more sports 

Q and wildlife but I only have 

a basic DSLR and kit lens. 

What lens do I really need to buy 

to get started? 

Focusing in on a particular 

photographic genre usually requires 

an investment in specialist gear. This is 

especially true for sports and wildlife 

photography, where a long telephoto 

lens is often absolutely paramount to 

getting a decent shot. Unfortunately, 

high performance equipment doesn’t 

come cheap, making fast-action 

photography a more expensive hobby 

than shooting landscapes or portraits. 

CHOOSE THE RIGHT GLASS 

As a general rule, the price of telephoto 

lenses increases with focal length, 

although the maximum aperture also 

has a big impact. Most professional 

sports and wildlife photographers own 

a 70-200mm for close-up work, such 

as shooting a tennis match, and then at 

least one lens of around 400-600mm. 

Traditionally, the exceptionally high 

cost of these longer lenses has put 

them out of the reach of enthusiasts, 

but recently both Sigma and Tamron 

have introduced budget models that 

have opened up wildlife photography 

to everyone. I would strongly 

recommend you consider one 

of these, or if you’re on a 

budget, a 2x teleconverter on 

a shorter lens will suffice. Any 

other similar option will cost 

you in excess of £4000. Here 

are some of the best budget 

lenses for fast-action shooting... 

Above A long 

telephoto 

lens lets 

you get 

frame-filling 

images of 

faraway 

subjects. 

TIP 

A hide is a great 

way to get up close and 

personal with your subject, 

allowing you to get framefilling 

pictures without 

a long lens. 

NIKON 200-500MM F/5.6 

This very well-priced full-frame (FX) compatible telephoto zoom 

comes with Nikon’s Vibration Reduction system built in, reducing 

the risk of camera shake when used handheld. Unlike the Sigma 

and Tamron models, the 200-500mm has an aperture of f/5.6 

through the whole zoom range. Focusing is powered by Nikon’s 

Silent Wave Motor for virtually no noise. 

Practical Photography’s Camera 

School is designed to help you get 

to grips with the essential core skills 

needed for great results with any 

creative camera. The next sixmodule 

Camera School course starts 

shortly, and is packed with jargonfree 

techniques and projects that’ll 

challenge you and help you master the 

basics. Suitable for all photographers, 

it’s the perfect way to sharpen your 

skills. Stay tuned for Module One in 

the May 2017 issue, on sale 13 April. 




TIP 

CAMERA SKILLS 

If you only have one 

camera and it fails, you’ll 

be unable to shoot the 

wedding. So be sure to 

carry a back-up camera 

body on the day. 

JAMIE GRILL 

THREE OF THE BEST LENSES 

FOR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY 

SIGMA 50MM F/1.4 DG 

The 50mm lens is a staple for 

almost any kind of photographer, 

but it’s an absolute must for 

anyone shooting a wedding. 

It works well in almost any 

situation, but its real strength is 

portraiture. Use it when taking 

pre-wedding shots of the bride 

and groom getting ready for some beautiful candid 

photographs. The Sigma 50mm lens is compatible with 

Nikon, Canon, Sony and Sigma cameras. 

sigma-imaging-uk.com 

What kit do I 

need for weddings? 

TAMRON 

35MM F/1.8 DI 

If you’re a keen street 

photographer, you may already 

own a 35mm lens. Its ability to 

produce a full-length portrait that 

also showcases the background makes it essential for 

wedding photographers who want to show off a lavish 

venue. The 35mm lens is equivalent to the human eye, 

giving your images a natural effect. It’s available for 

different camera brands, including Canon, Nikon, 

Sony and Pentax. tamron.eu/uk 

I have been booked to 

Q shoot a couple of weddings 

this year and I need to 

upgrade my kit. What would you 

recommend? 

Weddings are a great way to earn 

money from your photography, but they 

shouldn’t be taken lightly and can prove 

stressful. In fact, they’re one of the few 

photographic genres where there really 

are no second chances – if you don’t 

capture it the first time, the moment is 

gone forever. In order to give yourself 

the best chance of getting a great set of 

images when you shoot a wedding, it’s 

essential you have the right kit. 

PROTECT AGAINST LOW LIGHT 

One of the main issues you’ll have to 

deal with are the low light conditions in 

churches and reception venues, which 

can make it difficult to get shake-free 

shots. As such, it’s important to have a 

body that can handle itself in low light, 

both in terms of ISO performance and 

autofocus speed. As a general rule, the 

more expensive the body, the better it 

will be in these areas. You should also 

invest in a flashgun, which will help 

Above 

A flashgun is 

essential for 

weddings, 

as it freezes 

the action 

and reduces 

blur. 

you to illuminate your subjects at the 

evening reception. 

But while camera bodies and 

flashguns are vital, any wedding 

photographer worth their salt knows 

that the right lens is the most important 

item in a kit bag. Ideally, you’ll need 

one with a wide maximum aperture for 

blurry backgrounds and faster shutter 

speeds. This often means prime lenses 

are the best option. Here’s our roundup 

of three key lenses that you should 

consider renting or buying in order to 

create stunning images of a couple’s 

perfect day... 

70-200MM 

VARIOUS BRANDS 

Available in most fits, these lenses 

are much pricier than the rest of 

our selection, but the 70-200mm 

is an invaluable part of a wedding 

photographer’s kit bag. If you don’t 

have the budget to invest in one 

outright, you can always hire one. 

Other than the usual staged family 

photos, most of your time will be spent shooting 

candids. This lens gives you the ability to capture the 

important moments without drawing any attention 

away from the bride and groom. 




CAMERA SKILLS 

What flashgun features 

do I really need? 

I want to invest in a flashgun 

Q 

as I’ve outgrown my 

camera’s pop-up flash. To 

be honest, I’m not sure what all 

the features do and which ones I’ll 

actually find useful. Please can you 

shed some light on it? 

Your camera’s built-in flash is adequate 

for getting you out of a difficult 

situation, but it’s never going to give 

you very attractive results. Not only 

is the light extremely harsh and 

unflattering, but it always comes 

directly from the camera, so your 

creativity is limited. An external 

hotshoe-mounted flashgun, on 

the other hand, opens up all 

sorts of lighting possibilities, 

and can enable you to achieve 

very professional results. Before 

you invest in a new flashgun 

though, there are some important 

things you should consider... 

Above Most 

external 

flashes have a 

tiltable head. 

GUIDE NUMBER 

A flashgun’s guide number, often 

written as GN, describes its power 

output. It represents the maximum 

distance, in metres, at which you can 

correctly expose a subject, assuming 

a hypothetical aperture of f/1 and an 

ISO of 100. It’s important to understand 

that guide numbers are measured on 

a logarithmic scale, so if one flash has 

double the guide number of another, 

it kicks out 4x the light. Most pop-up 

flashes have a GN of around ten, whereas 

decent external units are more like 

40-60. Some manufacturers like to 

muddy the waters a little by using 

feet instead of metres, and higher ISO 

settings, which of course results in an 

inflated guide number. Be aware of this 

and check the specifications carefully. 

Look for a flash with a guide number of 

at least 35. 

BOUNCE FLASH 

Most external flashguns have a tiltable 

head, allowing you to bounce the light 

upwards towards a white ceiling. This 

is then reflected back down onto the 

subject. Bounce flash is generally more 

flattering than direct flash, as it vastly 

increases the effective size of the light 

source for softer shadows. Light coming 

from above also mimics normal daylight 

so it looks very natural. Some more 

advanced flashguns have heads that 

tilt side to side as well, allowing you to 

bounce light off a wall. 

RECYCLE TIME 

When shooting at or around full power, 

it can take several seconds for some 

flashgun units to recharge for the next 

shot. Others can recycle in less than a 

second. If you’re shooting in a fast-paced 

environment, such as at a wedding, 

a very fast recycle time is 

important, so it’s worth 

checking the spec sheet 

before you buy. 

ZOOM ABILITY 

On most premium 

flashguns, the bulb is able to 

move backwards and forwards 

within the head to adjust the angle 

of the beam of light. For further away 

subjects, for example, the angle narrows 

so that all the light is concentrated on 

the subject. Most zoomable flashes have 

a zoom range of 24-105mm, and in TTL 

mode will actually adjust automatically 

to match the focal length of your lens. 

So if you’re shooting at 50mm, your flash 

will adjust to ensure no light is wasted. 

Some photographers use the 

zoom function manually for 

creative effect. By zooming in 

on the flash but using a wide 

focal length, you can achieve 

a spotlight effect. 

WIRELESS CONTROL 

Most flashguns won’t fire 

off-camera without the use of 

a cable or wireless triggers. 

But some have a built-in 

wireless control so you can 

fire it off-camera. This is 

especially useful for portraits, 

as it allows you to use more 

flattering lighting patterns. 

Some flashes can be fired in a slave 

mode, which means the flash has 

a sensor on 

it that will 

fire the 

flash when 

it detects 

another 

flash firing. 

TIP 

Some budget flashes 

don’t have TTL metering, 

which means their power 

output has to be controlled 

by hand and not by the 

camera. 

Below 

Flashguns 

are much 

more 

powerful 

than the 

built-in 

pop-up ones. 

38 PRACTICAL PHOTOGRAPHY


What flash modifiers 

are available? 

I use my flashgun a lot to 

Q 

take portraits, but I find the 

light is too harsh on skin. 

What can I do? 

CAMERA SKILLS 

HOW DO I STOP MY 

FLASH BURNING OUT 

MY SUBJECT? 

My flash portraits are all blown 

Q 

out, causing the subject’s skin 

detail to be blown out to pure white, 

and I can’t recover it in my RAW-editing 

software. What am I doing wrong? 

Flash is an extremely useful tool for 

portrait photographers, especially 

when triggered off-camera, when 

attractive lighting setups can produce 

studio-like results. The problem with 

flash is that the light comes from 

a small, single bulb, which creates 

hard shadows and harsh, unflattering 

lighting on skin. To get around this, a 

light modifier can be attached, which 

in most cases effectively increases the 

size of the light source for softer, more 

even shadows and highlights. Other 

light modifiers, such as a snoot or grid, 

direct the light to a very small area, a 

little like a spotlight, for a punchy or 

edgy effect. 

There is a wide range of different 

designs on the market, and most can 

be attached to any model of flashgun. 

You can even buy small modifiers for 

your camera’s built-in flash, though if 

you want to shoot creative portraits 

you’ll ideally want your light source 

to be off-camera. Let’s check 

out six of the best... 

VIEWFINDER 

DIFFUSER DOME 

This bulb-shaped plastic modifier helps 

diffuse and soften light for softer, more 

evenly-lit portraits. Available to fit 

most flashgun models. 

viewfinderphotography.co.uk 

POCKETBOX 

MINI SOFTBOX 

This 6x7in softbox helps to give 

a softer, more even light on the 

subject, and folds flat for easy 

storage. Fits most external 

flashgun models. fjwestcott.com 

ROGUE 

FLASHBENDER 

LARGE POSITIONABLE 

REFLECTOR 

This ultra-light attachment can 

be used as a reflector for soft 

lighting, or a snoot for a spotlight 

effect. Folds flat and fits all 

flashguns. rogueflash.com 

TIP 

The larger the 

diffusion area of your 

softbox, the more diffused 

and soft the light will be – 

smaller boxes will give 

you harsher light. 

WESTCOTT 65CM RAPID BOX 

This sturdy octabox is a large light modifier giving a 

very soft light. It folds up like an umbrella, so takes 

seconds to set up and fold down. Carry case included. 

fjwestcott.com 

LASTOLITE 

STROBO HONEYCOMB 

STARTER KIT 

This small, light and strong kit 

includes a universal bracket and 

a magnetic honeycomb grid 

for directional light. 

lastolite.co.uk 

ORBIS 

RINGFLASH 

The Orbis will attach to 

most external flashguns, 

and reflects the light around 

a reflective ring. The result is 

attractive catchlights and punchy 

but even lighting. 

enlightphotopro.com 

A flash is an essential tool for 

photographers, especially when 

you’re working in low light conditions. 

However, you may find that it’s 

more of a hindrance than a help if 

you’re struggling with unwanted 

overexposure. The first thing you can 

try is simply moving further away 

from your subject – this will give the 

light further to travel, so it won’t be as 

strong. To get the same composition 

as before, zoom in a little on your 

lens. Alternatively, try using a flash 

diffuser. You can pick these up for a 

few pounds to soften light and reduce 

flash brightness. Diffusers 

are available for pop-up 

flashes or external 

ones. If you’re not 

looking to spend 

money and 

you 

already 

have an 

external 

flashgun, just tilt 

it upwards to bounce 

the flash off the ceiling. 

This gives a softer, more 

natural-looking result. But bear 

in mind the flash will pick up the 

colour of any surface it’s bounced off. 

And a high ceiling, such as in a 

cathedral, will be too far away 

to bounce off effectively. 




Should I buy a 

hard or soft 

ND grad filter? 

I’m not sure which neutral 

Q 

density grad filter to buy. 

In what way are hard and 

soft grads different? 

If you’ve ever shot around sunrise or 

sunset, you’ve probably noticed how 

difficult it can be to get the land and 

the sky exposed correctly in a single 

shot. This is because the range of light 

intensity is unusually large, and may 

even be outside of the camera’s dynamic 

range. Some parts of the image are 

simply recorded as pure black or pure 

white, devoid of any image information. 

To get around this problem, an ND grad 

can reduce the light intensity in the sky. 

ND grads are single sheets of glass 

or plastic that are tinted at one end, 

gradually 

changing to 

clear at the 

other end. 

This effectively 

reduces the light 

intensity range in the 

scene. It’s the same principle 

as the tinted strip that you often 

get at the top of a car windscreen. 

ND grads are most frequently used by 

landscape photographers to control 

bright skies, allowing them to expose 

the sky and the land correctly within 

the same image. 

There are ND grads to suit different 

shooting situations, so before you 

invest, think about which you’d get most 

benefit from. The first thing to consider 

Above There 

are several 

different 

types of ND 

grads on the 

market, with 

different 

strengths 

and light 

blocking 

abilities. 

No grad filter Soft grad filter Hard grad filter 

is whether to buy a hard or 

TIP 

a soft grad. This refers to 

how steep the gradient is Poorly manufactured 

ND grads often have a 

between the tinted and 

colour cast, so stick to 

non-tinted parts of the 

well-known brands like 

filter. In other words, how Cokin, Lee Filters, Hoya 

rapidly the tinted glass 

and SRB. 

becomes clear. If you’re 

shooting landscapes with a very 

flat horizon, such as coastal scenes, 

a hard grad, where the gradient is very 

small, is ideal. On the other hand if you 

shoot mountain environments, where 

the horizon is not so flat, the wider 

gradient of a soft grad is better. 

CHOOSE THE RIGHT STRENGTH 

The second thing to consider is the 

density or ‘strength’ of the tint. Darker 

densities tend to suit sunrises and 

sunsets, whereas lighter densities 

tend to suit daytime conditions. If in 

doubt, invest in a grad kit with a range 

of densities and hardnesses. Cokin’s 

H250A ND grad kit is a good option, 

although as a P-size kit it won’t suit 

ultra-wide focal lengths. 

Below You 

can get a 

more evenly 

exposed 

landscape 

using soft or 

hard ND grad 

filters which 

can darken 

bright skies. 

WHAT IS THE 

B MODE ON MY 

CAMERA FOR? 

CAMERA SKILLS 

I’m just getting to grips with my 

Q 

DSLR but can’t really figure out 

the B mode. What is this for? 

The Bulb mode allows users to set 

a very slow shutter speed for long 

exposure photography. In all other 

modes, the longest available exposure 

time is usually 30 seconds, but in low 

light conditions this sometimes isn’t 

enough to achieve a properly exposed 

image. In Bulb, you can keep the 

shutter open for as long as required; 

for several minutes or even hours. 

Bulb mode is useful for fireworks, 

vehicle light trails and astro work. It’s 

usually used with a remote shutter 

release, as users would otherwise 

have to keep a finger pressed on 

the shutter button for the duration 

of the exposure, leading to camera 

shake. A sturdy tripod is also needed 

to keep the camera perfectly still. 

When shooting in daylight, a neutral 

density filter will be necessary in order 

to achieve very long exposures. On 

some cameras, Bulb is represented 

by B on the mode dial, but on others 

it’s accessed by changing the shutter 

speed setting to beyond 30 seconds. 




CAMERA SKILLS 

ELAN FLEISHER 

How can I get the best 

from a circular polariser? 

I love my circular polariser 

Q but I’ve no idea how it 

works. Can you explain it 

to me in layman’s terms? 

A polarising filter is a key staple of 

the landscape photographer’s kit 

bag, filtering out light from certain 

directions. With careful adjustment, 

this enables the photographer to 

increase saturation and reduce glare 

and reflections from shiny non-metallic 

surfaces such as glass and water. This 

includes blocking scattered, polarised 

light from a clear blue sky, giving a 

much deeper colour. Polarisers can 

also be used to reduce the intensity of 

highlights, effectively decreasing the 

dynamic range of the scene. 

CARRY A TRIPOD 

The main disadvantage of polarising 

filters is that because they block much 

of the light entering the lens, longer 

exposures are necessary, and therefore 

a tripod is often required. Polarisers are 

also only fully effective when the sun is 

at 90° to the camera. This makes 

it difficult to use polarisers 

around sunrise and sunset. 

If you’re not too sure how 

best to use your circular 

polariser, check out the three 

steps on the right. 

Above If you 

need to add 

contrast to 

blue skies 

or reduce 

glare and 

reflections, 

a polariser 

is the filter 

for you. 

TIP 

The thinner the 

polariser, the less 

vignetting it will cause on 

ultra wide-angle lenses, 

so look out for slimline 

models. 

1 COMPOSE YOUR IMAGE 

For maximum impact, ensure your camera is perpendicular to the 

sun. To achieve this, point your finger directly at the sun with your 

thumb at a perfect right angle. Keeping your finger pointing at the 

sun, rotate your hand, and any angle towards which your thumb 

points is the ideal shooting direction. For landscapes, this makes 

noon, when the sun is highest in the sky, the best time to use 

a polariser. 

2 TWIST THE 

POLARISER 

Once your shot is composed, 

twist the very end of the filter 

so one piece of glass rotates 

against the other. As you look 

through the viewfinder, you 

should notice a change in 

reflections, glare and haze, 

as well as in the saturation of 

greens and blues. You may 

decide to twist the filter to its full effect, but more often than not 

a halfway position gives a more subtle, natural-looking effect. 

Uneven effect 

3 CHECK FOR AN EVEN SKY 

Balance your exposure as normal and try a test shot. If your scene 

has a blue sky, check the image carefully to ensure the exposure 

is even across the whole sky. This is important when shooting with 

a very wide-angle lens, where the filter can have more of an effect 

on one part of the image than another, causing a dark band. If you 

notice a problem, adjust the filter slightly to reduce its effect. 

ELAN FLEISHER 

WHAT IS AUTO ISO? 

I’ve noticed my camera’s ISO 

Q 

can be set to auto. In what 

situations would this be recommended? 

While film had a fixed sensitivity to 

light that could not be altered mid-roll, 

digital cameras have the benefit of 

allowing adjustments to their sensor’s 

sensitivity at the twist of a dial. This 

sensitivity level is called ISO, and 

alongside aperture and shutter speed 

is part of the exposure triangle that 

dictates how bright or dark an image 

will appear. Lower ISOs are less 

sensitive to light and produce less 

noise, while higher ISOs are more 

sensitive but produce more noise. 

Most DSLRs feature an auto ISO 

option where you can set a maximum 

ISO level and minimum shutter speed. 

The camera will then automatically 

adjust the ISO to ensure a well-exposed 

image within the chosen boundaries. 

When quickly moving between areas 

with different lighting conditions, 

for example inside and outside at 

a wedding, this function can be a 

highly useful tool for achieving correct 

exposure quickly. Should the camera 

fail to achieve a well-exposed image 

within the bounds set, only then 

will it begin to increase its ISO past 

the maximum level. This gives the 

photographer a far greater level of 

control when using aperture-priority. 




CAMERA SKILLS 

SAFELY CLEAN YOUR SENSOR 

USING WET SWABS 

How do I clean my 

camera’s sensor? 

I keep seeing lots of black 

Q 

spots on my images, 

especially when I shoot a 

clear blue sky. Are there any steps 

I can take to fix this issue? 

There comes a time in every camera’s 

life when, despite your best efforts, the 

sensor surface picks up specks of dirt. 

This is more likely to be an issue if you 

regularly change your lenses outside, 

where dust, sand and water can easily 

get in. Even if you shoot primarily 

inside, such as in a studio, oil and grease 

from the inner workings of your camera 

can still splatter onto your sensor. 

You might find that you don’t even 

notice these little marks until you are 

shooting a clear and bright background 

that really shows just how dirty your 

sensor actually is. Some cameras have 

automatic sensor-cleaning systems, 

although they’re not always effective. 

CLEANING YOUR SENSOR 

You may decide that getting your 

sensor cleaned professionally is the 

best option, but this can cost upwards 

of about £30. If you’re on a budget, why 

not try cleaning it yourself? While this 

might seem like a daunting task, if you 

work carefully you can’t go wrong. For 

instructions on how to do this, follow 

the three steps on the right. If you’re 

looking to invest in a decent budget 

sensor-cleaning kit, The Dust Patrol 

Sensor Cleaning Kit is a great option. 

Check it out at thedustpatrol.com 

Above It’s 

easy to 

clean your 

camera’s 

sensor 

yourself 

when you 

know how. 

1 PREPARE YOUR 

CAMERA 

The first thing you need 

to do is get your camera’s 

mirror out of the way. If 

you own a CSC you won’t 

have this problem, so you 

can go straight onto Step 

2. If you own a DSLR make 

sure your battery is fully 

charged, then turn your 

camera on and go into the Setup Menu. Click the ‘Lock mirror up for 

cleaning’ option and select Start. Once the mirror is out of the way, 

you can then remove the lens. 

2 CLEAN YOUR 

SENSOR 

With your sensor exposed, 

now use a manual air dust 

blower to remove the dust 

that is just sitting on the 

sensor. Ensure that you 

do not use any canned 

air or blow on the sensor 

yourself, as you will run 

the risk of making it worse. 

Once you have removed all of the dry dirt, you can try using a wet 

swab cleaner by following the instruction manual that will come 

with your cleaning kit. 

3 CHECK THE 

RESULTS 

When you have finished 

cleaning your sensor, 

check that there are no 

marks that you have 

missed. Put your lens 

back on and turn off the 

camera in order to put your 

mirror back where it should 

be. Set your aperture to 

f/22, take a shot of a clear background and then check it on your 

computer. A clear blue sky works well for this, but a piece of white 

paper will also do the job. 

CAN I USE AN OLD 

FLASHGUN ON A 

MODERN DSLR? 

I’ve just bought a DSLR but 

Q 

don’t want to splash out on 

a new flashgun. Can I buy an old 

secondhand flash online? 

Buying secondhand equipment is a 

great way to save money, but with 

flashguns you need to exercise some 

caution. This is because flashes 

from the film days work on a much 

higher voltage than DSLRs, and can 

do serious damage to your camera’s 

circuitry. The simplest answer is to 

invest in a hotshoe adapter like the 

SMDV Hot Shoe Safe Sync pictured 

above. This regulates the voltage to 

protect the camera. The other option 

is to connect the flash to your camera 

using cheap wireless triggers, so if 

there is an issue it won’t damage the 

camera. The last option, and in my 

opinion the most sensible one, is to 

buy a cheap flashgun. With an influx 

of high quality third-party models from 

the East, it really is a buyer’s market. 

Yongnuo’s YN-565EX TTL is 

a fantastic budget option. 




CAMERA SKILLS 

What 

settings 

do I need 

for DSLR 

video? 

I want to start making some 

Q 

movies of my family on my 

DSLR. Is there anything I 

need to know before I start? 

Almost all modern DSLRs, CSCs 

and advanced compacts have Full 

HD video functionality built-in. The 

quality is so impressive that many 

leading video companies are 

using professional DSLR 

cameras for high-end TV 

productions, including 24 

and House. So if you own a 

modern DSLR, you already 

have everything you need 

to start shoot professionallooking 

video. 

The basic principles of 

videography are the same as they are 

for stills photography, therefore so long 

as you understand that aperture, shutter 

speed and ISO work together to control 

exposure you’re already halfway there. 

You’ll be shooting in manual mode, but 

the shutter speed stays the same for 

most of the time, so it is actually more 

similar to working in aperture-priority 

mode. This means that you only have 

to worry about ISO and aperture when 

balancing your exposure. 

TIP 

4K video has 4x the 

resolution of Full HD, so 

record in this format and 

you’ll be able to crop in 

and still have great 

quality footage. 

CONTROL AUDIO 

Your camera will have 

a built-in microphone, 

the sensitivity of which can 

be changed in the menu. You can 

buy higher quality external mics that 

plug into the audio-in port on the side 

of the camera. There may also be an 

audio-out port so that you can connect 

headphones and hear the audio as it’s 

recorded. Finally, take a quick look at 

the other video options in the menu, 

as there may be some useful features, 

such as wind reduction. Before you start 

shooting, follow these three steps to get 

your camera properly set up... 

Above 

There’s a 

wide range 

of video 

accessories 

available for 

DSLRs to 

improve the 

quality of 

your footage. 

SET YOUR CAMERA UP FOR 

SHOOTING QUALITY MOVIES 

1 SET THE 

RESOLUTION & 

FRAME RATE 

Put your DSLR in 

movie mode and select 

the highest video 

resolution from your 

camera’s menu, which 

on most is Full HD 

(1080p, not 1080i). 

Choose a 25fps frame 

rate, or 50fps if you think you’ll want to slow your footage down. 

Next change the mode dial to manual, and set a shutter speed of 

1/50sec (or 1/100sec if you’re shooting at 50fps). 

2 BALANCE 

YOUR 

EXPOSURE 

Select an ISO of 100 

for minimal digital 

noise and adjust the 

aperture while looking 

at the lightmeter 

through the viewfinder 

until the exposure is 

at 0. If you’re shooting 

in dark conditions, you may need to use a higher ISO to balance the 

exposure, though this will introduce noise. Note that wide apertures 

may not be possible in particularly bright conditions. 

3 FOCUS & 

STABILISE 

While most cameras 

can now autofocus 

during video recording, 

manual focusing is 

more accurate and 

much smoother than 

an autofocus motor 

jerking back and forth. 

So flick the switch 

on your lens from AF to MF. While you’re there, also turn on image 

stabilisation if it’s available, unless your camera is mounted on a 

tripod, in which case it’s best to leave it turned off. 

WHEN SHOULD I 

SHOOT VIDEO AT 

50FPS? 

My new DSLR has Full HD video 

Q 

at 50fps as well as 25fps. 

Which mode should I shoot in, and is 

50fps better? 

As well as stills, most modern DSLRs 

and CSCs can shoot Full HD (1080p) 

movies. In the UK, most video is 

recorded at a frame rate of 25fps, 

which effectively means 25 still 

frames are flashed up consecutively 

per second, producing smooth, 

seamless footage. But if you slow that 

footage down 2x for slow-mo effects, 

then you’ll only have 12.5 frames-persecond, 

which will look a little jumpy. 

For smoother slow-mo, film at 50fps 

so that when it’s slowed down by 2x 

there are still 25fps to play with, and 

the footage still looks smooth. You can 

watch 50fps footage on a computer 

screen and some TVs, but as soon as 

it’s uploaded to YouTube or Vimeo, it 

will be converted to 25fps. Watch out 

for progressive (p) and interlaced (i) 

too. Progressive records each of its 

25 or 50 frames as whole images. 

But interlaced only records half of the 

picture per frame, though you can’t tell 

when played back at full speed. 



#ITSNOTYOUITSME 

I NEED 

MORE STABILITY 

Photographer: Gabrielle Motola gabriellemotola.com, 

gmotophotos 

TIME TO BREAK-UP WITH YOUR OLD DSLR? 

5-Axis Image Stabilisation Re-developed exclusively for the E-M1 Mark II, 

the image stabilisation mechanism provides up to 6.5 shutter speed steps 

of correction performance for reliable camera-shake compensation. 

Find out why so many are making the switch at: 

itsnotyouitsme.co.uk

Olympus Essential Camera Handbook

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