Chapter A. Appendix

Use the following tables as a quick-reference guide for a variety of camera settings. For more detailed explanations of the data listed here, see Chapters 2 and 3.

Table A-1. Exposure compensation reference guide

Lighting situation

Recommended exposure compensation (via the scale setting)

Subject against a bright sky background (high clouds on sunny day)

Overexpose by 2 (+2.0); use fill flash if within 10 feet

Light object (white color), front lit

Overexpose by 1.5 (+1.5)

Subject against white sand or snow (e.g., person skiing)

Overexpose by 1.5 (+1.5)

Landscape scene dominated by bright, hazy sky

Overexpose by 1 (+1.0)

Fair-skinned subjects with bright front lighting

Overexpose by .5 (+.5)

Subject against green foliage in open sun (e.g., outdoor portrait with background trees and shrubs)

No compensation

Dark-skinned subjects with bright front lighting

Underexpose by .5 (–.5)

Brightly lit subject against dark background (e.g., theater lighting)

Underexpose by 1 (–1.0)

Dark object (black color), front lit

Underexpose by 1.5 (–1.5)

Table A-2. Flash mode settings

situation

Recommended flash mode [1]

Outdoor portrait in open shade or sun

Fill flash (flash forced on)

Subject against bright background, such as hazy sky

Fill flash (flash forced on)

Weddings and other special events (both indoor and outdoor shooting)

Fill flash (flash forced on)

Subject in brightly lit evening scene, such as Times Square, New York, or Sunset Strip, Las Vegas

Slow-synchro flash (hold camera steady or use tripod)

Portrait against twilight sky, brightly lit monument, or building

Slow-synchro flash (hold camera steady or use tripod)

Portrait in brightly lit room where ambient lighting needs to be preserved

Slow-synchro flash (hold camera steady or use tripod)

Subject who typically blinks as flash fires

Red eye reduction flash (to eliminate recorded blinking)

Mood portrait by window, bright lamp, or other light source

Flash off (steady camera with tripod or other support)

Sporting event or outdoor concert when shooting from the stands

Flash off (steady camera with tripod or other support)

[1] On some point-and-shoot cameras, these flash settings are accessible only when you enable manual mode. Cameras typically ship in automatic mode, which limits the number of adjustments that the photographer can change. Refer to your owner's manual for more information.

Table A-3. White balance settings

Lighting condition

Recommended white balance setting

Sunny, outdoor conditions

Auto or Daylight

Open shade (e.g., under a tree), indoor portraits by window light, or when flash is on indoors

Cloudy (add fill flash when possible)

Snow setting, bluish winter light, or when overall light balance is too "cool"

Cloudy

Indoors with flash off, when dominant light source is tungsten light

Tungsten

Outdoors at sunset or sunrise, when light is too "warm"

Tungsten

Indoors, when dominant light source is fluorescent tubes

Fluorescent

Table A-4. Camera modes with explanations

Camera mode [2]

Explanation

Programmed autoexposure (P)

Camera sets both aperture and shutter speed. Good for general photography.

Shutter priority/timed value (S or Tv)

Photographer sets shutter speed and camera sets corresponding aperture. Best for action, sports, or running water photography.

Aperture priority/aperture value (Av)

Photographer sets aperture and camera sets corresponding shutter speed. Best for landscape photography or any situation that requires depth of field control.

Manual (M)

Photographer sets both aperture and shutter speed. Advanced mode for those with an understanding of photography.

Movie

Camera records video segments and saves them as QuickTime, AVI, or MPEG files. Some models also record sound to accompany the video.

Panorama

Camera designates a sequence of shots to be later "stitched together" to create one image with a wide perspective. Some cameras give you onscreen assistance to line up the sequence.

Nighttime

Allows for longer shutter speeds (even when the flash is enabled) to enable photography in low ambient light, such as at sunset or for brightly lit interiors. A tripod should be used to help steady the camera when using this mode.

[2] Your camera may have all, some, or only a couple of these modes available. Typically, aperture priority, shutter priority, and manual modes are available only on advanced models.

Table A-5. Metering modes with explanations

Metering mode [3]

Explanation

Evaluative metering

Camera divides viewing area into "segments" and evaluates each area alone and in combination with others. End result is very accurate overall exposure for most scenes. Good choice for general photography.

Spot metering

Camera reads only center portion of viewing area, usually within the center brackets or crosshairs. Good choice for situations that require precise exposure control on a particular element in the scene. Most popular use is to correctly meter a person's face in difficult lighting situations.

Center-weighted metering

Camera reads entire viewfinder area, but with more emphasis placed on central portion of scene. Typically used for landscape and general photography. Evaluative metering is usually preferred over center–weighted metering.

[3] Many point-and-shoot cameras offer only one metering mode—usually center-weighted or evaluative. Intermediate and advanced models usually include spot metering, too.

Table A-6. Exposure starting points for sunset and astrophotography [4]

Subject

ISO speed

Aperture (f-stop)

Shutter speed

Sunset (point at sky without sun shining in viewfinder)

100

Programmed autoexposure

Programmed autoexposure

Full moon

100

f-8

1/250th–1/500th of a second

Quarter moon

100

f-5.6

1/125th–1/250th of a second

Total lunar eclipse

200

f-2.8

2 seconds (use tripod)

Half lunar eclipse

200

f-4

1 second (use tripod)

Aurora borealis

200

f-2.8

2–30 seconds, depending on intensity (use tripod)

Star trails

100

f-4

10 minutes or longer (use tripod)

Meteors

100

f-5.6

30 minutes or longer (use tripod)

[4] The settings in this table should only serve as starting points for astrophotography. Allow ample time for testing with your equipment and conditions for optimum results.

Table A-7. Megapixels to print size reference

Camera type

2 MP

3 MP

4 MP

6.3 MP

8 MP

Photo-quality

5" x 7"

8" x 10"

10" x 12"

11" x 14"

14" x 16"

Acceptable

8" x 10"

10" x 12"

11" x 14"

14" x 16"

16" x 20"

Table A-8. Number of pictures to capacity of memory card reference [5]

Camera resolution

1600 x 1200 (2 MP)

2048 x 1536 (3.3 MP)

2272 x 1704 (4 MP)

2560 x 1920 (5 MP)

3072 x 2048 (6.3 MP)

3456 x 2305 (8 MP)

Card capacity

How many pictures

How many pictures

How many pictures

How many pictures

How many pictures

How many pictures

32 MB

20

17

15

13

11

8

64 MB

40

35

30

26

23

17

128 MB

82

71

61

54

48

36

256 MB

180

143

123

110

101

72

512 MB

370

287

247

221

203

145

1 GB

727

575

494

443

409

293

2 GB

1,456

1,150

989

887

820

588

4 GB

2,910

2,302

1,980

1,776

1,642

1,178

[5] The number of pictures listed for each memory card size in this table is for images saved at the highest quality setting in the JPEG format. You can "squeeze" more pictures onto a card by lowering the quality setting, but this is not recommended. Different camera brands may produce results slightly different from those shown here.

Table A-9. Color temperature chart in Kelvin

Degrees Kelvin

Type of light source

1700–1800K

Match flame

1800–2200K

Dawn, dusk, candle flame

2400–2600K

40W incandescent bulb

2800–3000K

100W incandescent bulb

3200–3400K

500W photoflood bulb, quartz bulb

4200K

Sun at 20 degrees altitude, cool white fluorescent bulb

5400K

Sun at noon

5500K

Photographic daylight

5500–6000K

Hazy sun, photo electronic flash, HMI lamp, neon bulb

6500–7000K

Bright sun, daylight fluorescent bulb

8000–9000K

Open shade outdoors, overcast sky

9000–10000K

North light, skylight window

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