How to Get the Best Out of Your Compact Digital Camera

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7 September 2009

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You have bought a compact digital camera and you are enjoying taking photographs with it. It is easy to use that all you need to do is just point to your subject and click the button. But did you know that your camera maybe capable of doing more? If not, you should.

Knowing your camera’s features very well will lead you to make better decisions about what settings to use in different situations. Most compact cameras come with a preset of automatic settings used in specific situations. These setting will work well in most cases, but in some, they will not yield the expected results . That’s why manual setting are usually more preferred. The more manual controls you have, the better your ability to adjust your photos as desired will be.

If printing photographs is desired, the camera should be set to maximum quality and the photographs should be stored at the maximum resolution. Prints usually require high resolution, and any compromise in the photo’s quality is not a good thing. This will lead to an increased usage of the storage space, which means that you will have to take care of the storage and backup issues.

Almost all compact cameras today have a main feature called autofocusing. When taking your picture, just press the shutter button half way down and keep holding it that way. According to the available objects in the viewfinder automatic focus will be chosen. Holding down the button half way down allows maintaining the focus as well as the exposure even when the camera is moving. Pressing down the other half will capture the image.

One of the main drawbacks of photographing in low light situations is the difficulty to get a decent photo without a tripod. The reason is that the camera will try to compensate for the low light with long exposure. Most compact digital cameras will not produce very clear images in low lighting even when a tripod is used, so it is always advisable to improve the lighting if possible.

In all the features that your camera is capable of, some are not very useful. Most compact cameras produce bad photos at high ISOs (>400) and they should only be used for capturing fast moving objects. Using the built-in flash should be avoided except when there is no other efficient light source. The small distance between the lens and the flash source will produce very harsh shadows behind the subjects making them look like cardboard. It is usually better to consider external light which will give your photos a better professional look. The only feature that you should never use is digital zooming.

Getting to know your camera well requires experimenting . Fortunately, this can only increase its worth by making it produce better photographs and increase your experience by making you a better photographer.

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