Camera Settings

[cabinetman]

Since I started using a digital camera, I've always used the "auto" setting. Back in the pre-digital days I used a 35mm SLR and was fairly competent with manual mode settings for aperture and speed even though there was an "auto" setting.

I have yet gone into "menu" to see what is available. But I was thinking...that a cool function for a digital would be when in the "auto" mode, to have a little readout for what the aperture and speed would be for that shot if set on "manual".
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[poolhound]

What camera have you got as many do what you want alhough you may have to enable a mode. Also does it have aperture and speed priority modes as that will essentially let you choose one or the other and let the camera set the other so you get more flexibility.

I wrote a short article recently on a related topic. I will see if there is some way to post it here.

[Richard in Smithville]

I have a DSLR and I love the fact that I can adjust one function and leave the rest in auto. It also has a complete manual mode. If I'm doing "snapshot" pictures, I'll leave it in auto.

[drumpriest]

My canon reports this (XTi DSLR) in Program mode, which is the "auto" that we use to retain raw files. I use this when I want to snap quick shots without a chance to think about the exposure, or when my wife is using the camera. I think most point and shoot cameras should show this info if you set the display correctly.

Some other info...

Other modes for my camera (common to many) are as follows.

Aperture priority - you set the f stop, camera auto determines the exposure time.
Time priority - you set the time, camera auto determines the f stop.
Manual - set everything

I have rarely needed Manual to get a good exposure, mostly when shooting astronomical bodies. Aperture priority is useful for shooting portraits, to control depth of field. Playing with long exposure times is fun when shooting water, etc... we did a cool one with a sparkler where we would draw things in the air during the exposure.

[MilDoc]

Uh, first question is, what camera do you have?

[poolhound]

Here is a short article I wrote for a local magazine. The topic is undoubtedly much deeper than this but they limit me to around 600 words.

For some strange reason you cant upload a PDF greater than 19.5K so I had to zip it.

[cabinetman]

Uh, first question is, what camera do you have?

It's Fuji 3800...not the latest or greatest of cameras. It's a hand-me-down from LOML. I'm familiar with the option settings that Keith listed as my 35mm camera is a Minolta XD-11.

What interest's me would be to have the info displayed while in "auto" mode just for info's sake. My Minolta has a 3 position option over the settings one way or another for either mode when making a shot. So, I was thinking if I set up for a picture, and do the "light touch" for the shutter and see the aperture and speed, I may want to go to manual mode to get a different setting. I don't know if I explained this correctly. It would be like having a camera expert standing next to me when I'm taking a picture and the camera is in the "auto" mode, and he tells what the settings are and makes suggestions to go to "manual" and go up or down in aperture or speed for a better picture.

I appreciate the input as some of you guys are really up on the new technology.
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[LCHIEN]

I used to be a real camera buff, I had Olympus OM system, three or four manual and auto bodies, a slew of lenses from 28 to 400 mm including macro and zooms, plus equipment to do closeup macro photography, stands, belllows, extension tubes, not to mention the whole darkroom setup - autofucus enlarger etc.

recently I tried to do some macrophoto stuff with my Fuji S5100 which is a nice, magazoom dSLR-like camera but with a fixed 10X zoom lens.

I had a ring flash but no synch socket. But i did have a slave flash trigger (see, I told you I was well equiped) and a set of closeup lenses (not as nice as extenison tubes or bellows, but it worked). Unfortunately I needed to stop down to F16 or F22 due to the closeness of the ring flash, but even in the manual mode the smallest F-opening was only F9. I tell you with my Film SLRs I always used small F-openings when possible for macrophotography because of close flash work and very deep depth of field to get ultimate sharpness so F9 was to me, almost unimaginable. Yes, I was using the slowest speed sensitivity ISO setting.

Well, anyway, the net result of this experiment was that I needed some better equipment than a very good point and shoot camera to do some serious photo work.
I haven't looked at the minimum F-openings on dedicated camera systems because I'm not ready to start over with bodies costing $900 and up plus similary costly lens systems that may very well be obsolete in 3 or 4 years.

[poolhound]

F-stops on PandS cameras tend to get a lttle mixed up and it is of course due to the lens but also relates to the small sensor size which is way smaller than 35mm.

Typically the lenses on my SLR go to f/22

[poolhound]

It's Fuji 3800...not the latest or greatest of cameras. It's a hand-me-down from LOML. I'm familiar with the option settings that Keith listed as my 35mm camera is a Minolta XD-11.

What interest's me would be to have the info displayed while in "auto" mode just for info's sake. My Minolta has a 3 position option over the settings one way or another for either mode when making a shot. So, I was thinking if I set up for a picture, and do the "light touch" for the shutter and see the aperture and speed, I may want to go to manual mode to get a different setting. I don't know if I explained this correctly. It would be like having a camera expert standing next to me when I'm taking a picture and the camera is in the "auto" mode, and he tells what the settings are and makes suggestions to go to "manual" and go up or down in aperture or speed for a better picture.

I appreciate the input as some of you guys are really up on the new technology.
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I know exactly what you mean. My camera does excactly what you are saying in every mode and even in full manual there is a display that lets you see if the camera think the setting you are choosing will be good or over/under exposed.

Sometimes there are various display modes. I noticed in the link you posted there is a DISP button. On an older panasonic I had if you pressed the disp button it had 4 modes one of which did also show all teh exposure information.

[cabinetman]

I used to be a real camera buff, I had Olympus OM system, three or four manual and auto bodies, a slew of lenses from 28 to 400 mm including macro and zooms, plus equipment to do closeup macro photography, stands, belllows, extension tubes, not to mention the whole darkroom setup - autofucus enlarger etc.

recently I tried to do some macrophoto stuff with my Fuji S5100 which is a nice, magazoom dSLR-like camera but with a fixed 10X zoom lens.

I had a ring flash but no synch socket. But i did have a slave flash trigger (see, I told you I was well equiped) and a set of closeup lenses (not as nice as extenison tubes or bellows, but it worked). Unfortunately I needed to stop down to F16 or F22 due to the closeness of the ring flash, but even in the manual mode the smallest F-opening was only F9. I tell you with my Film SLRs I always used small F-openings when possible for macrophotography because of close flash work and very deep depth of field to get ultimate sharpness so F9 was to me, almost unimaginable. Yes, I was using the slowest speed sensitivity ISO setting.

Well, anyway, the net result of this experiment was that I needed some better equipment than a very good point and shoot camera to do some serious photo work.
I haven't looked at the minimum F-openings on dedicated camera systems because I'm not ready to start over with bodies costing $900 and up plus similary costly lens systems that may very well be obsolete in 3 or 4 years.

Wow Loring...I'm really impressed with your knowledge... overwhelmed actually. We here are exceptionally lucky. But, I'm trying to figure out what all this has to do with this thread.
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[Mr__Bill]

C-man, your camera should store the picture with all that information in the file, with a viewer you can usually see the EXIF info (IRFANView is a good example).

My little Canon stores all this:

Make - Canon
Model - Canon PowerShot A590 IS
Orientation - Top left
XResolution - 180
YResolution - 180
ResolutionUnit - Inch
DateTime - 2009:05:20 16:26:57
YCbCrPositioning - Centered
ExifOffset - 196
ExposureTime - 1/50 seconds
FNumber - 2.60
ISOSpeedRatings - 200
ExifVersion - 0220
DateTimeOriginal - 2009:05:20 16:26:57
DateTimeDigitized - 2009:05:20 16:26:57
ComponentsConfiguration - YCbCr
CompressedBitsPerPixel - 5 (bits/pixel)
ShutterSpeedValue - 1/50 seconds
ApertureValue - F 2.59
ExposureBiasValue - 0.00
MaxApertureValue - F 2.59
MeteringMode - Multi-segment
Flash - Flash not fired, auto mode
FocalLength - 5.80 mm
UserComment -
FlashPixVersion - 0100
ColorSpace - sRGB
ExifImageWidth - 3264
ExifImageHeight - 2448
InteroperabilityOffset - 3178
FocalPlaneXResolution - 14506.67
FocalPlaneYResolution - 14485.21
FocalPlaneResolutionUnit - Inch
SensingMethod - One-chip color area sensor
FileSource - DSC - Digital still camera
CustomRendered - Normal process
ExposureMode - Auto
White Balance - Auto
DigitalZoomRatio - 1.00 x
SceneCaptureType - Standard

Maker Note (Vendor): -
Macro mode - Normal
Self timer - Off
Quality - Superfine
Flash mode - Auto + red-eye reduction
Sequence mode - Single or Timer
Focus mode - Single
Image size - Large
Easy shooting mode - Full Auto
Digital zoom - None
Contrast - Normal
Saturation - Normal
Sharpness - Normal
ISO Value - Auto
Metering mode - Evaluative
Focus type - Auto
AF point selected -
Exposure mode - Easy shooting
Focal length - 5800 - 23200 mm (1000 mm)
Flash activity -
Flash details -
Focus mode 2 - Single
White Balance - Auto
Sequence number - 0
Flash bias - 0 EV
Subject Distance - 79
Image Type - IMG:PowerShot A590 IS JPEG
Firmware Version - Firmware Version 1.01
Image Number - 1000229
Owner Name -

Thumbnail: -
Compression - 6 (JPG)
XResolution - 180
YResolution - 180
ResolutionUnit - Inch
JpegIFOffset - 5108
JpegIFByteCount - 3757

Now just what that all means is another matter

Bill, on the Sunny Oregon Coast

[poolhound]

Cman,

I just checked the manual online for the Fuji 3800 and it doesn look like you can do it on this camera. the options are pretty limited and it appears the manual mode isnt really full manula but lets you set a few other options such as exposure compe and Aperture Priority.

Bill is right that the EXIF should tell you what exposure settings it used but not until you download the pics. However, even in the AP mode you only have a choice of 3 f/stops f/2.8, f/4.8 & f/8.2 so not much flexibility there.

[Gary Lange]

I have a Canon SX100IS and just checked to see if it displayed the Aperture and Speed when in Auto Mode and sure enough it does. So if you are looking for a Camera that does what you want this on does it. It also has Manual Mode, Aperture Mode, or Speed Mode, Video Mode and several others Modes.

[cabinetman]

I have a Canon SX100IS and just checked to see if it displayed the Aperture and Speed when in Auto Mode and sure enough it does. So if you are looking for a Camera that does what you want this on does it. It also has Manual Mode, Aperture Mode, or Speed Mode, Video Mode and several others Modes.

Have you been ready to shoot on "auto", then see the settings, and then switch to one of the manual modes and use a one or two up or down to make the shot?
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