What are the best camera settings?

To me the best camera settings are those I can leave alone once they are set! Too bad it don’t work that way, huh!?

So, instead I found the simplest system, which makes sense to me. At the same time that system offers the least messing around with the camera when I am trying to get that split second shot.

There are three interdependent variables in digital photography.

1) Shutter Speed

2) Aperture

3) Film Speed

Throughout the pages of this site I talk about how these three interrelate. For now just remember each will affect the other two. When you understand and find the correct balance you will leave the world of snapshots behind and enter the world of photographs.

The buttons on a camera can be intimidating.

You just got a new camera and you are so familiar with your old one that you regret getting another. Not to fret. While it takes a little time and effort to familiarize yourself with the new layout, you undoubtedly will be happy with your decision in the long run.

For zero adjustments, read on. If you want to learn my simple method that covers nearly every shooting situation one will encounter click here.

If you demand zero adjustments EVER,

On the other hand, if you don't want to use flash,

I realize this is not, "no adjustments, ever" but it is the best for avoiding the harsh flash. You see, you have three choices for the best camera settings for indoor shooting.

Tell me Carol, what are our choices??

Behind door number 1, we have flash and the harshness that comes with it

or

Door number 2 holds a change of settings for indoors.

And, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, behind door number 3 is a professional lighting setup accompanied by - - - - bunches of money, equipment and training that all go with it!

Once you get to know me you will know I chose the lighting. I went through the effort of learning lighting because, to me, it is worth it.

All that to say you can still use the single, coverall, best camera settings. You just can't have the best of both worlds. It is not possible. You have to deal with the harsh lighting of direct flash or change settings for indoors. Now you can make an informed choice.

With experience I have found these to be the best camera settings for the greatest coverage with no adjustments necessary. These settings will slightly limit the pictures you can shoot but you will get a great cross section of shots while never having to touch your settings.

If you are less than proficient with electronics simply find someone who can set your best camera settings for you and give him your users’ manual and these instructions. You can even go to the store where you bought the camera and have them set it up.

The only problem with the store is everyone in every store knows a better way. They will invariably convince you of another method and it will get confusing for you.

The first method (above) is the simplest I have found. The second is the way I do it and the way I find works best to get the greatest variety of types of shots with the fewest adjustments.

You will be able to shoot moving subjects like children, sports and wild life. You will also be able to shoot stills like flowers, architecture and landscapes. And you will get good results.

At 4”X6” prints and in digital format your pictures will look great. Well, that ends that, huh!? One final note on this subject. I find that “Program Mode” does not work as well as “Aperture Priority” for blanket coverage.

That is all the information you need on this page unless you want to broaden your horizon to include the last 10%, or so, of pictures you will miss by always leaving your camera on the above settings. If you want those pictures read on.

In order to achieve the best quality for each individual picture I shoot, I choose to use certain settings. Then I adjust my film speed to make things work. You heard me, I change my film speed. Well who ever heard of such nonsense!?

Follow me and try it for a while. See if you don’t agree. These settings offer what I spoke of earlier. The least changes while shooting, yet coverage of all conditions without needing a tripod.

I feel the best vacation photos are action shots. Action frozen in time always makes for interesting viewing. This page is about making the most of a still/action combination of your subjects. Read about landscapes and other immobile photography here.

Fortunately for you I have already gone through this maze as well as so many others that I write about on this site. What that means to you is that I will give you what I feel are the best camera settings. From there you can jump off and expand out to what makes most sense to you.

What do I personally use?

These settings are the rule. There are exceptions.

To hand hold my camera, I set it to “Aperture Priority.” I set my Aperture to 3.5. (The widest aperture on whatever lens I am using.)

For bright sunlight;

100 ISO if I am shooting non movement.

200 ISO for slight movement.

400 ISO – 600 ISO if I am shooting movement, depending upon the speed of motion.

For shade and for early and late sun;

I set my film speed to

800 - 1,000 ISO for slight movement.

1,000 ISO and up, for faster movement in the shade.

For landscape shots;

I like a tripod and set my film speed to 100 ISO. I generally set my aperture between f8 and f14.

For close up stills like flowers;

I still like to hand hold my camera. In the bright sun I can still use 100 ISO with a wide aperture to blur the background.

If at any time you find the widest aperture doesn’t give you the depth of field you require, simply set the aperture up by a couple of stops and reshoot.

One final setting…

to periodically change is “Optimum Image.” This adjusts the brilliance of color in your photographs. For people I use softer color. For colorful objects I use normal. For scenes, low sun, and generally less colorful objects I use extra vivid.

Your camera may use different terminology, but the principle remains.

Now you can simply memorize and use these as your best camera settings or you can read on for the reasons these settings work best. I suggest reading the rest. It will set this information in your mind. You will remember it much easier. See ya on the other side.

Check out this picture!

It’s not here for any particular reason. Just for your enjoyment.

Start by exploring your camera a little.

Find the “Menu” in your camera. If you don’t know where it is, you will have to search, look at your users’ manual, or ask someone.

We will set up my personal best camera settings. This will set the camera for taking shots of both still and moving subjects.

I use these settings because they are the settings I have found offer me the widest variety of shots while making the fewest adjustments as I am shooting. It allows me to shoot a bird as it stands still, then continue shooting it as it takes flight.

On most cameras there will be more than one pathway to each of the best camera settings. By the time you have gone through this page a couple of times you will be familiar with your camera and ready to quickly change these settings whenever you choose.

I just decided the “Best Camera Settings” discussion will be several pages long. I have lots of content already jotted down and I am just getting started. I will be talking about;

Click on any blue words throughout this page to read a more in depth explanation.

I will be talking about how some of these features can interact with each other or at times even do the same job as another. Sounds like a lot but some of the features accomplish virtually the same thing as others for our purposes.

I like to hand hold my camera as much as possible. I don’t like to carry a tripod. Mounted on a tripod I find it hard to pan a subject. Hand holding my camera I got a whole usable series of this one fly-by.

When the settings are right I can hand hold my camera even in less than perfect conditions. And I can get action shots in the shade without the worry of blurring. You will soon be able to decide what your personal best camera settings are. You will know why each of the above features is available for adjustment.

To avoid using a tripod and hand hold a camera in the widest variety of situations I need a fast shutter speed. There are differing ways to achieve this.

It has to do with available, natural lighting. Shutter speed, aperture and film speed all interact with each other according to lighting conditions.

To do this I set my camera to the program known as "Aperture Priority".

The program is generally designated by an “A” on your dial. This is what allows me to change my film speed for differing shots throughout the day.

When in Aperture Priority mode all I have to do is monitor the shutter speed in the window in order to know when I have to change film speed.

Hopefully once you are well acquainted with changing film speed your camera has quick and easy access to it. Search for the shortest route to this feature.

I just make sure the shutter speed stays within certain parameters. When it comes close to one of the predetermined parameters I change my film speed (ISO) accordingly. Follow and watch how it works.

For me the Aperture Priority program allows me to shoot subjects that are stationary as well as those in motion with little or no adjustment to the camera. At the same time I get the best quality picture for both active and still subjects.

Ever try capturing a toddler? HA! Good luck!

Well with my system you’ll be capturing like a pro just about your first time out. When I set the aperture (f-stop) the way I want it, the camera finds and focuses quickly as well as blurring out everything except my subject.

I set my aperture to the smallest number there is. The smallest number means the largest opening. For those who care, I explain aperture here.

At the smallest number you will get the fastest shutter speed therefore the least blur of a moving subject, yet the background will be nicely blurred. This makes your subject stand out in the picture. Plus at this setting it’s a breeze to shoot a still subject.

Next I set my film speed to the slowest possible setting while making sure my shutter speed stays above 1/100th of a second for stationary subjects and 1/300th for moving subjects. I monitor the shutter speed each time I am looking through my viewfinder.

At 1/300th of a second shutter speed I can crisply capture almost anything.

I caught this pelican at 1/250th of a second shutter speed.

After a while you will automatically watch for 1/100th and 1/300th depending upon whether you’re shooting a still or a moving subject. For birds and other quick animals I set my film speed high enough so the shutter speed is closer to 1,000th of a second or higher.

Bear in mind, using a slower camera such as a point & shoot will take practice to crisply capture a fairly fast moving subject. Even at the most optimal settings you may have a hard time getting crisp pictures of small subjects and fast moving subjects.

Learn to “pan” (follow along with your subject’s movements) and click as you go. Panning helps keep things in focus that you want in focus. Erratic subjects like toddlers and football players will take some practice.

I use a feature called burst.

Most cameras have this. It’s another feature whereby I can be shooting a still subject and continue to shoot as it starts to move.

If these settings are not working for you, you may have a camera that just won’t do the job. Check out camera comparison to see if you may need to step up into a different camera category or possibly be content to shoot slower or stationary subjects.

In continuous mode your memory stick can fill up rapidly. Be sure to have lots of memory. Or, as I have, maybe acquire a portable hard drive. (Not an external hard drive) I like one with a viewing screen, but they take quite a bit more investment. And they are larger.

I have seen units with 80 gigabytes of memory for $119.00, 250 gig. for $199.00. Just Google something like; “travel photo storage.” When I can I will put some suggestions on this page.

Right now the only experience I have with this type of product is the one I have. I own an Epson P-3000. I love it.

As I walk into shade and as...

the sun starts getting low in the sky I may have to increase my film speed if I am going to continue to hand hold my camera while shooting moving subjects.

Remember, increasing film speed simultaneously increases shutter speed. I am monitoring the shutter speed so I know when to change the film speed. Keep your shutter speed above 1/300th of a second for moving subjects.

And keep your film speed at 400 ISO or higher. Also remember, the higher the film speed the lower the quality of your pictures. This is important if you plan to crop or enlarge or both.

Too slow a film speed equals blurred shots. Too fast a film speed equals less quality. Hence monitor your film speed and your shutter speed. Find a good balance. Only through practice will you learn what works best for you and your camera.

Shooting large birds on the move, like the Great Blue Heron, is great practice for shooting toddlers or for teens in sports. Use 400 ISO in the sunlight and 800 ISO in the shade.

Go out and practice on this type of wildlife. Or go shoot a game your son is NOT playing in. That way it won’t matter when you miss that all important first goal of the young player's life!! He ain't your young player!

Shoot in the bright sun and in the shade as well as early and late in the day in order to experience each different situation. You’ll learn much by doing. Then you won’t find yourself missing his first goal because you are still in practice mode!

Come on back home and put the practice shots in your computer. Fix ‘em up using a program like Photoshop Elements. Who knows, maybe you’ll decide to start selling your work.

You will notice that I work with only two adjustments. The third, the shutter speed is set by the camera. That is what is known as aperture priority. I set the aperture and film speed. The camera automatically sets the appropriate shutter speed.

Also notice that as the film speed increases so does the shutter speed. It is also automatic. Setting your aperture and adjusting the film speed you will be able to shoot most anything from sunup to sundown, without needing a tripod and with no other adjustments than changing film speed according to available light.

Oh, lookie thar, another most enjoyable photograph.

One deviation from the lowest f-stop setting. When you are in bright sunlight at a low numbered aperture, watch your shutter speed. You may exceed your camera's shutter speed limit if you're using too fast a film speed.

Then all your pictures will be washed out. There is no post edit compensation for extreme over exposure. To remedy this, either use a slower film speed or use a higher numbered aperture.

Once my aperture is set I increase the film speed if:

1) My target is moving swiftly (Something motorized)

2) I am going into a shady area and shooting a moving target,

3) The sun is low in the sky.

For any of these I find a film speed of about 800 ISO works nicely.

I decrease the film speed if I am shooting a still or slightly moving subject in the sun. 100 ISO or 200 ISO.

A medium speed subject (such as a bird in flight) in the bright sun typically requires 400 ISO.

If you are in bright sunlight, and at your chosen film speed your shutter speed goes to maximum, you will have to increase the number of your aperture, say to f8, or thereabouts. This is one time you will need to use a different aperture to accomplish what we have talked about here.

Example; A fast moving subject requires both a fast film speed and a low numbered aperture if you want your subject sharp and the background blurred. When taken in bright sunlight, this combination causes an extremely fast shutter speed.

In order to maintain the necessary film speed yet stay within the camera limits for shutter speed, the only option we have is to use a higher aperture (f-stop). f8, for instance, should bring your shutter speed back down into the camera’s range.

Now the background will be a little more in focus. This means your subject may not stand out. It may be interfered with by a noisy background. But at least you will get a crisp subject and get the shot. Blurring a sharp background is another thing that can be done in post editing.

Another noteworthy tidbit. With a slow film speed even if your shutter speed is fast, when shooting a quickly moving subject expect it to blur. I cannot explain this phenomenon. I just know it happens.

Panning can help but in my experience it just doesn’t work. The whole point here is to make sure you use 400 ISO and up for medium to fast moving subjects. And, if necessary, adjust your f-stop (aperture) accordingly.

If I find my pictures are coming out a little too dark or too bright I go to my EV settings and adjust that. Read about what's called exposure compensation here.

It takes a long winded explanation....

for the system explained on this page, but the system itself, once implemented is the simplest I have been able to come up with. Try it and see if it works for you. Once you have tried it my way for a time, customize it to your liking.

If you want a long depth of field this whole page has to be 86'd and go here instead. Long depth of field means that everything in your picture, foreground and background, is in focus.

If you are like me and don’t want to blindly use these settings without understanding what they are doing, click on any of the blue lettering. That will take you to the page describing each in detail.

This, once practiced, is the simple way. Unfortunately it is not a coverall. Many action shots will be lost by exclusively using program modes.

Manual mode will prevent losses like this. Learn about manual mode here.

Don’t be shy about it. It is not as difficult as it may seem. Again, once you are used to it, finding and using your own Best Camera Settings becomes second nature and happens in a matter of seconds.

Once again, here are the links to the rest of the pages concerning camera settings and how to use each.

Aperture for Depth of field.

Burst to take a bunch of pictures in a row.

Digital camera programs covers fully automatic, shutter priority and aperture priority settings.

Film speed so you'll know when and why to increase or decrease your film speed.

Three interdependent variables are the three things you should understand in order to shoot the best you can.

Exposure is how bright or dark your pictures turn out.

Exposure compensation is a fine tuning adjustment for the exposure if your pictures are constantly too bright or dark.

Bracketing & HDRI serves two purposes. By bracketing you can make sure you get an exposure that will work after you are done with the post editing you choose. Bracketing is also necessary in order to use the High Dynamic Range Imaging sofware, which is essential to many beautiful photographs.

Flash When and why I choose to use it.

Landscape is for shooting scenes. Be sure to read the page on bracketing & HDRI before you shoot landscapes.

Manual mode is, by far, the best way to learn to shoot.

Rule of thirds will teach you basics of composition, and is very important to know.

Shutter speed adjustments make a huge difference when shooting moving objects.

Read this page for a great idea on how to practice your photography expertise.

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