Camera Settings

[LCHIEN]

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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I was trying to make 2 points:
One was that you don't even realize what settings are available when you look (its not on a dial like old film SLRs)
and two that the range of settings on anything less than a expensive DSLR are likely to be more limited than ywhat you are used to from film days.

[cabinetman]

I was trying to make 2 points:
One was that you don't even realize what settings are available when you look (its not on a dial like old film SLRs)
and two that the range of settings on anything less than a expensive DSLR are likely to be more limited than ywhat you are used to from film days.

Thanks for clearing that up. Your reply this time is much easier for a simple guy like me to understand.
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[Gary Lange]

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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No I have not but I may try that one of these days. I am usually taking pictures of fish or moving boats so I don't have a lot of time.

[elderfrost]

PhotoME is a WIN program that will give you camera and exposure information. It is free to download and only asks that you donate to the developer if you find it usefull (guilt-ware). Go to http://www.photome.de/download_en.html

[drumpriest]

Loring, many of the Canon point and shoot cameras still retain the SLR dial for setting priority modes, etc, as do their DSLRs. I have a couple of friends with higher end canon point and shoots who use it in play of their DSLRs on trips for portability, and they still feel that they are flexible. So not all is lost

Cabinetman's camera certainly doesn't expose priority modes on the dial, giving only a few auto modes (with hints as to your usage), so yeah, I'm not sure what all control you'll have there. As Loring points out on many of the point and shoot cameras you have to navigate menus to get to settings, which is often just not practical when you are trying to get a shot.

It does look like some of those modes are available ( and exposure comp ), but through menus rather than on a convenient button or dial on the body.

BTW, I'm referring to the horizontal disk dial, not the wheel dial, sadly those don't seem to be on point and shoots.

[Tom Slick]

Read a forum on the lower end DSLRs like the Canon Rebel series (what I own) and you'll see how many folks struggle with non fully automatic settings. Average P & S cameras are aimed squarely at folks that don't want to fiddle much, understanding and utilizing f-stop, iso, and shutter info is overload. My wife, for instance, wants to operate an on/off switch, zoom to frame the shot, and press the shutter button. even waiting a second for AF is a bit of a challenge.

[drumpriest]

That is certainly true Tom, but the Rebel series do include full auto modes. My wife know just enough to get my setup into an auto mode so she can act like it's a point and shoot, but still would rather use her little Olypus than pick up a DSLR. She sure does love the resulting pictures though....