Ah, these wonderful Canon cameras that are just begging to be held! Everyone who works hard, saving money for the coveted EOS, knows what they are doing. Canon cameras are distinguished by high performance speed, enviable autofocus, high image quality and simply magical color reproduction. This is why many photographers (both new and old-school) can spend hours drooling over the display window, looking at the most powerful boxes and lenses.
Since you already own a dream and are eager to learn how to manage it, we suggest, as part of general development, to understand the brands of Canon cameras.
What do the numbers and letters on your camera brand mean?
Most “beginner photographers” who consider themselves at least Lezek Buznowski have no idea what EOS stands for. If you ask such a “professional” what the letter D in the brand of his camera means, he, with an embarrassed look, quietly tries to go to Wikipedia. Well, perhaps a real talent does not need this knowledge, and only those who like to show off in the company of friends remember this, but we believe that in order to learn how to photograph, you must know Canon by heart.
- The abbreviation EOS (Electro-Optical System) is consonant with the name of the goddess of dawn Eos, who can be found in ancient Greek mythology. The first camera in this series was the Canon EOS 650, which was released back in 1987.
- The D in the name stands for Digital.
- Cameras with 3 or 4 digits in their names (EOS 400D, EOS 1000D) are positioned as cameras for beginners.
- If the name has one or two numbers, but they do not start with one (EOS 33V, EOS 30D), then this is a semi-professional camera.
- Canon for professionals is: EOS 5D Mark III, EOS 1D X, EOS 1D C.
Now you are sitting in front of the monitor, and in your hands, for example, a Canon 600d - how to take photographs?
How to take photographs correctly: Canon for beginners
It is known that in Auto mode the camera independently selects the settings in such a way that the result is a suitable exposure. But it’s worth considering that if you shoot in difficult lighting, then even the coolest camera will not always be able to cope with its task. Moreover, you want to learn how to take photographs with a Canon DSLR, using all the possibilities, and not just randomly press a button and wait for your luck. You can take a good photo only after you master the basic settings. Only then will you intuitively figure out how to photograph on 500d, 550d, 7d, 1100d, 600d, 650d, 60d, 1000d and other “d”.
There are three main settings and all of them are related to light in one way or another:
- Aperture is the size of the “hole” opened by the camera that allows light to pass through. The wider the aperture is open, the more light there is in the picture: everything is logical here.
- Shutter speed is the time for which you open access to light to the camera matrix.
- Photosensitivity (ISO) – the higher the photosensitivity, the more light the matrix receives.
Learning to set Canon settings correctly
The aperture of your camera is designated as “f/” + a number that will demonstrate how open/closed the “hole” is that allows light to pass through. If you want a blurred background, open the aperture; if you want a completely clear photo, close it. The wider the aperture is open, the smaller the number next to “f/”.
By adjusting the aperture value, you can focus on a specific object and draw the viewer's attention to the subject you have chosen. Like here:
An open aperture works amazingly well in pictures with butterflies, flowers and small objects. How to photograph a portrait correctly? Canon with an open aperture - nothing is simpler. Do you need to visually distinguish a person from the rest? Again - Canon with an open aperture.
You need to close the aperture when shooting crowds, landscapes and streets, in general, wherever you need the entire picture to be in focus.
Students often ask: how to photograph with shutter speed? Canon is best suited to master this setting. First, you need to decide how you want to capture movement? After all, the longer the shutter speed, the more movement the camera will be able to capture; a short shutter speed, on the contrary, will freeze the moment.
Long shutter speeds are used when shooting a city at night, but you should use a tripod. Also, these interesting photographs are taken with long exposures:
As for the fast shutter speed: it is good when shooting falling objects.
Light sensitivity is measured in ISO units with values of 100, 200, 400, and so on up to 6400. Higher values are used if the shooting takes place in poor lighting, but noise (small dots) often appears in the pictures.
So, before messing around with this setting, decide:
- Do you have enough light to take a photo at the lowest ISO setting?
- Do you want a photo with noise or not? Black and white pictures with noise look pretty cool, but it sometimes ruins color pictures.
- If you have a tripod or any other way to secure the camera? Light sensitivity can be compensated by making the shutter speed longer, but then you cannot do without a tripod.
- If your subject is constantly moving, then the ISO simply needs to be raised so that the photo does not blur.
You will have to set a high ISO in the following cases:
- Sports games, dancing, indoor children's party. In general, when a short shutter speed is simply necessary.
- In areas where the use of flash is prohibited.
- That moment when the birthday person prepares to blow out the candles on the birthday cake. A flash can ruin the cozy light and the whole mood of the moment, so just increase the camera’s light sensitivity.
How to take photographs with Canon using the full power of the camera?
Daily observations show: The vast majority of SLR camera owners shoot only in Auto mode - green square. And this sad fact makes such an expensive purchase simply pointless. Suppose you paid about 27,00 thousand rubles for your Canon 600d, but in auto mode your camera only works 5400, i.e. Only 20% of the capabilities of an excellent DSLR camera are used. Do you want to learn how to take photographs with Canon 600d and other models? Do you want to use your camera one hundred percent? Then remember, or better yet, write it down.
Semi-automatic modes.
In this part we will discuss working with the following modes: P, A (or Av), S (or Tv), M, A-Dep. These modes are excellent helpers for beginners who do not yet know how to take photographs with their Canon, and generally do not know what they are doing. Experienced photographers also highly respect these modes because they save them a lot of time.
1.The simplest mode is P (programmed autoexposure) mode. This mode will help you get a good exposure of the frame, select aperture and shutter speed values depending on what ISO you set. This is incredibly convenient for beginner photographers who are just experimenting with light sensitivity.
You can also change the exposure pair values (exposure parameters of shutter speed and aperture), for example, on a Canon 550d camera this can be done by simply scrolling the video. If you need to set a faster shutter speed, then simply scroll the video to the right, and the camera will slightly close the aperture, keeping the exposure at the same level. This will allow you to photograph any falling object, which will simply freeze in the air in the picture.
2. Mode A or Av – aperture priority.
The whole point of this mode is that it allows you to control the strength of the background blur in the photo. You need to set the ISO value and adjust the aperture yourself, but the camera will set the required shutter speed so that you end up with a good shot. Here you need to decide whether you want a blurred background, then set the appropriate aperture value, and the rest is up to the camera. Convenient, right?
When shooting a portrait on Canon, set the ISO and open the aperture completely (the smallest number) to get a blurred background, and the camera will set the shutter speed itself.
3. Mode S or Tv – shutter priority.
It works exactly the same as the previous modes: you set the ISO, and the aperture value remains up to the camera.
In order to practice using this mode, find any moving object (person, cat, car, fountain): set a short shutter speed - this way you will get a clear photograph of the object “stopped” in the frame. Now set the shutter speed longer, place the camera on any stable surface and gently press the button. Most likely, you will get a beautiful “smear” that reflects the beauty of the dynamics of movement.
4.And the last mode is A-DEP (depth of field priority). By the way, it is not available on all cameras. This mode allows the camera to set the aperture and shutter speed so that all objects in focus are sufficiently sharp.
It’s worth adding that once you mess around with manual settings or semi-automatic modes at least a little, you’ll never go back to the “green square”.
If, after reading this article, you still have questions about what to do with your camera and how to photoengrave on Canon, then our teachers will be glad to see you in their courses.
Often, when going for a walk around the city or into nature, I take a camera with me. I am sure that millions of fellow amateur photographers do the same, trying not to miss beautiful shots. No, we are not talking about serious landscape photography with preliminary selection of the place, time, position of the sun... But nevertheless, landscape scenes make up the majority of photographs in such situations. Today we'll look at how the Canon EOS 6D copes with this kind of shooting and what features and settings can help the photographer get the best results.
A warm summer evening is the perfect time to take pictures. The sun is already leaning towards the horizon, its oblique rays help to create volume in the photographs. The warm shade of light adds zest to the color scheme of the frame. In general, if we talk about central Russia, then all natural landscape photography ultimately comes down to the search for such “highlights” and various accents in the frame. The Central Russian landscape is monotonous and vast: forests and fields are almost identical for many thousands of kilometers. And the photographer’s task is to search for any element that stands out from the landscape and wait for the most favorable light and weather for photographing it.
A hill, a lonely tree, a road - all this looks great in the sunset light. But the camera sees everything differently than the human eye. And even a perfect modern camera is not able to convey all the details of such a contrasting plot. The sky is overexposed; next to the sun in the photo there is a large white spot. Even when trying to process a RAW file, the color cannot be extracted from overexposure. Of course, you can “complete” the missing section of the image in Photoshop. But these are not our methods! It's better to turn to the camera for help. In the settings we find HDR shooting. I decided to keep things simple with the settings, leaving the right to choose the exposure level up to the camera. In this mode, the camera takes a sequential series of photographs with different exposures (from a completely dark frame to a very light one) and independently combines them into one photo, preserving both the very dark and very light areas of the image.
Canon EOS 6D SETTINGS: ISO 3200, F8, 1/1250 secLately, I have been trying to minimize the labor costs for processing images in a graphics editor: both the lack of free time and the specifics of working as a photo tester have an impact - after all, in our tests we publish photographs directly from the camera, without processing. Therefore, I adjust the white balance, exposure compensation, and image style in the camera especially carefully. When it comes to white balance, I completely trust the automatic in the Canon EOS 6D. She copes with her task almost flawlessly. Exposure compensation has to be used periodically, fortunately it does not take much time: this function is located on the rear control wheel of the camera and does not even require pressing a special button. But it makes sense to talk about the image style separately.
Almost every camera has a similar setting. It is responsible for the saturation, contrast, and sharpness with which the data from the camera matrix will be converted into the final JPG image. The Canon EOS 6D has an Auto setting for this setting, which is what I used for most of the scenes in this test. But still, for a number of shots I used a special landscape setting. This made it possible to embellish reality a little, adding brighter and richer tones to the pictures and enhancing tonal transitions. I also use the camera's auto brightness correction with the standard setting.
To shoot from the lowest point, I use the Live View mode: this allows you to lower the camera almost into the grass and, only crouching down, you can conveniently frame the frame using the display. The exposure of the future photo can be seen immediately on the screen. I sometimes make small adjustments to achieve the optimal result from my point of view. But if you shoot in RAW, then this most likely won't be necessary. Similar minor adjustments can be made at the conversion stage. Another plus of the Live View mode is the electronic level, which helps not to block the horizon, and the framing grid on the camera display.
Naturally, in my photographs, especially landscape ones, I want to see maximum sharpness. Therefore, of the two lenses with a focal length of 24-70 mm that came to our editorial office, I preferred the newer version - Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM. With the exception of literally a couple of frames, all the pictures on this page were taken with its help. The detailing at the maximum magnification of the images ended up being simply excellent both in the telephoto and wide-angle positions.
However, it does a pretty good job with background blur as well. I like to shoot different parts of the landscape, blurring the background using an open aperture. For this scene I used an aperture of f/2.8. By the way, many photographers are skeptical about the minimum shutter speed limit in the Canon EOS 6D 1/4000 s (for professional DSLRs, the de facto standard is a minimum shutter speed of 1/8000 s). This scene, shot on a sunny summer afternoon, required a shutter speed of 1/2500 and ISO 100. That is, with a faster lens, I could shoot without overexposure in the same conditions at f/1.8. To do this, I would simply have to lower the ISO to 50 units (the camera allows this). So I can say with confidence: for most shooting situations, 1/4000 s will be enough.
However, for most scenes I still close the aperture, both to increase depth of field and for some artistic techniques. For example, in this frame I really wanted to convey movement, to show that handmade “flowers” do not stand still, but rotate in the wind. An aperture of f/16 was sufficient to provide a shutter speed long enough to blur motion.
Going on another walk, this time in the morning, I took with me a Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L lens. My goal is to shoot and show you a couple of frames so that you are not in a hurry to retire this lens model, which is still young by photographic standards (it was introduced in 2002). I deliberately took the picture with an open aperture to separate the foreground and add volume to the frame. Well, you can open the pictures in full size and appreciate the resulting detail: the sharpness of the lens was enough to draw every drop of dew on a blooming wild lupine. Naturally, by closing the aperture, you can get higher detail with this lens.
What's in the bottom line? The Canon EOS 6D boasts good... no, very high detail images if you use a quality lens. It is more convenient to construct a frame using the display in Live View mode. If the scene does not contain moving objects, then even in the most contrasting lighting you will be able to get a good result by shooting in HDR mode. Rest assured, the camera will work perfectly. Just choose an interesting scene, wait for the spectacular light and press the shutter button.
During the filming process, and especially post-production, I often dreamed “Oh... how cool it would be if this piece of video was in RAW... I would then “pull out” the clouds and remove the extra shadows...”.
In this lesson I will tell you how, using the Magic Lantern firmware and additional modules, you can make it possible to shoot RAW video on many Canon amateur cameras.
Cameras that work with CompactFlash (CF) are best suited for RAW recording, since the speed of such cards is many times higher than the speed of SDHC cards.
Cameras that work with SDHC cards can also shoot in RAW, but the frame size will be smaller since regular SDHC can only read/write data at up to 40 MB/s depending on the model. The most common and recommended 10-speed video cards have a speed of 10 MBps. Now affordable, fast SDHC UHS-I cards with higher speeds of up to 100 MBps are starting to appear on the market. So the faster the card, the higher RAW video resolution you can use. But don't forget about the limitations of the camera's processor.
List of supported cameras and restrictions:
Canon EOS 5D Mark III |
This camera is by far the best choice for shooting RAW. The camera supports shooting up to 1920 x 1080 at a maximum frame rate of 29.97 fps |
Canon EOS 5D Mark II |
The camera supports shooting up to 1880x940 at 24 fps or 1600x900 at 29.97 fps, or 1880x940 at 24p or 1600x900 at 29.97 fps. |
Canon EOS 7D |
The camera supports shooting up to 1728x972 at a frame rate of 24 fps. |
Canon EOS 6D |
|
Canon EOS 70D |
The camera supports shooting up to 1840×460 at a frame rate of 24 fps. |
Canon EOS 60D |
|
Canon EOS 50D |
The camera supports shooting up to 1584x1058 at a frame rate of 24 fps. |
Canon EOS 700D |
|
Canon EOS 650D |
The camera supports shooting up to 1280x720 at a frame rate of 24 fps. |
Canon EOS 600D |
|
Canon EOS 550D |
The camera supports shooting up to 950x540 at a frame rate of 24 fps. |
Canon EOS 500D |
The camera supports shooting up to 950x540 at a frame rate of 24 fps. |
Canon EOSM |
The camera supports shooting up to 1280x720 at a frame rate of 24 fps. |
In this tutorial I will show you the process of installing Magic Lantern firmware and additional modules on a Canon EOS 600D camera. In a similar way, you can install firmware and additional modules on almost all of the above cameras, except Canon EOS 5D Mark II, III, where The installation process is slightly different.
You will find everything you need for shooting in RAW in the archive, which I have prepared for your convenience.
Here are a few steps to prepare your camera for shooting RAW video:
1. Move the camera mode wheel to position M (Manual).
2. Go to the main camera menu by pressing the " Menu" and go to the penultimate tab.
3. You need to make sure that the official Canon firmware version on the camera is 1.0.2. This is true for the 600D camera. Required versions of original firmware for other cameras:
| Canon EOS 5D Mark II | 2.1.2 |
| Canon EOS 50D | 1.0.9 |
| Canon EOS 60D | 1.1.1 |
| Canon EOS 500D | 1.1.1 |
| Canon EOS 550D | 1.0.9 |
| Canon EOS 600D | 1.0.2 |
If the official firmware version is different from the one specified, you should update it. From this link you can download the official firmware 1.0.2 for the Canon EOS 600D camera (Win, OSX).
4. You need to format the memory card.
5. We take out the memory card from the camera and insert it into the computer (card reader).
6. Installing alternative firmware Magic Lantern. If you downloaded the archive with installation files, then you can simply overwrite the contents of the folder Magic Lantern to the root directory of the flash card.
7. We remove the flash card from the computer and insert it back into the camera.
8. Go to the penultimate menu tab and update the firmware by clicking on Firmware Version 1.0.2. We answer the question about updating the firmware in the affirmative.
9. After successfully installing the firmware, turn off the camera and remove the battery, then insert it back and turn on the camera. And now, if you click on the delete button, the Magic Lantern menu will appear.
The Magic Lantern 2.3 firmware itself does not allow you to shoot RAW video. To make this possible, you will need to install a collection of additional modules. I chose the Tragic Lantern build, but it is not the only one.
Tragic Lantern is an interesting topic for a separate lesson, but for now we are only interested in the possibility of shooting RAW video.
10. Installation Tragic Lantern also a fairly simple process. First, turn off the camera, remove the memory card and reinsert it into the computer (card reader). I included the latest version to date in the installation package, but you can always go to the page Tragic Lantern and check the latest version.
11. to install Tragic Lantern open the Tragic Lantern folder and also open the flash card. Rewrite with replacement file autoexec.bin. We also rewrite the folder with replacement M.L..
12. We insert the card back into the camera. Turn it on. Press the delete button to go to the firmware menu. Go to the tab " Modules". Here is a list of additional modules. I won't go into details now. I will devote one of the next lessons entirely to these additional modules, but for now I’ll just I activate a module that allows you to record 14-bit Raw video.
13. Turn off the camera and turn it on again. Go to the tab " Movie» alternative firmware and see at the bottom of the screen RAW Video. Button press " Set» activate the module and when you press the button Q opens menu with RAW video recording settings.
14. On the menu RAW Video You will find the following settings:
Resolution: This is the key setting parameter for shooting RAW Video. It allows you to change the resolution of the video you shoot. Shown at the bottom of the screen required flash card speed which will make it possible to record RAW video.
Sound: No - unfortunately there is no option to record sound into RAW video files. This option only allows you to turn on or off the audio signal for the start and end of recording.
Modern cameras from phones to high-end DSLRs are designed to make decisions for us. And for the most part, they do the job quite well. Put your camera in Auto mode, and more often than not, you'll get pretty sharp photos with decent exposure. If you just want to document the world around you, then do just that, switch. The disadvantage of such images is that they look alike - with uniform depth of field and exposure. If you want to go beyond automatic settings, you must have a good understanding of your camera, how to use it, and most importantly, what effect the changed settings will have on the final image. Here are the five most important camera settings and how they affect photography.
ISO
First of all, the ISO acronym is terrible, it basically makes no sense from a photography perspective. It stands for International Standards Organization, a European non-governmental organization that ensures that industries use the same standards. When it comes to photography, they guarantee that ISO 800 on Canon is the same as on Nikon, Sony or Fuji. If this standard did not exist, the settings would not be applicable to all brands. So, if I took an image with my Canon camera at 1/100 sec. at f/2.8 and ISO 400, and you set the same settings on your Nikon, then we would not get the same exposure. Fortunately, all major manufacturers adhere to ISO standards.
This night image required using a fast shutter speed to preserve the details in the fire, so I had to use a highISO(3200). In the following detailed shot you can see the noise in the original fileRAW. (By the way, this photo shows what happens when you release methane from a bubble in the ice of a frozen pond in the boreal forest and then set it on fire.)
Yes, yes, but what is ISO? This is a measure of the sensitivity of a digital camera sensor to light. The lower the number, the less sensitivity. The higher the number, the greater the sensitivity. If you're photographing in low light, say in a dimly lit room or at dusk, an ISO setting of 100 will require more light to enter the sensor, as would a setting of 400, 800, or 1600.
Pay attention to noise in the details of the person's clothing and in shadowed areas.
Flaws high valuesISO
So why not shoot at high ISO all the time? There are two reasons: 1. High ISO often creates digital noise in the image (although camera sensors are getting better and better) and 2. Sometimes you need to use a slow shutter speed, in which case you will need less sensitivity to light. This might be the case when you want to capture blurry motion such as flowing water, wind movement, or create a nice blur in sports photography.
- High ISOs often create digital noise in the image (even though camera sensors are getting better and better).
- Sometimes you need to use a slow shutter speed, in which case you will need less sensitivity to light. This might be the case when you want to capture blurry motion such as flowing water, wind movement, or create a nice blur in sports photography.
In short, ISO is one of three tools at your disposal that give you control over your exposure.
Excerpt
The length of time a camera's sensor is exposed to light is called shutter speed. Many cameras have a mechanical shutter that opens and closes to allow light to enter the sensor, others use a digital shutter that simply rotates the sensor for a set period of time. Shutter speed has a huge impact on the final image. A slow shutter speed will create blur in moving objects. As a landscape photographer, I often use long shutter speeds to blur the movement of water, expose starlight, or capture the movement of wind.
For this image I used a shutter speed of 0.5 sec to blur the waves a bit but still retain the detail.
30 second exposure to blur the Yukon River to make the surface look like a mirror.
A fast shutter speed has the effect of freezing movement. Use a shutter speed of 1/2000 second to clearly capture the movement of a runner or cyclist.
This image of a bicycle was taken with a shutter speed of 1/500 of a second. It was just enough to maintain sharpness at the same time as a sense of movement in the wheel area.
The use of shutter speed must be conscious to create a good image. Think about what kind of photo you want to get. Does it have fuzzy components or should it be clear? Do you want to capture or convey a sense of movement? Think, experiment, and then decide on exposure.
Diaphragm
Aperture, or f-number, can be the most confusing aspect of photography for many photographers because it affects images in unexpected ways. Essentially, aperture refers to the size of the hole in the lens. The smaller the hole, the less light will get inside; the larger the hole, the more light will pass through it. People are often confused by the numbering system: the lower the number, the larger the hole. So, at f/2.8 the opening is larger than at f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11, etc. Lenses with the widest possible aperture (a small number like f/2) are considered “fast,” meaning they can let in more light.
Diaphragmsf/11at 17 mm was enough, to do All image from himself the edges before rocks in the distance harsh.
But it's not just about the light and how wide the lens can be opened. Aperture also affects image sharpness. Most lenses (dare I say all?) are a few stops sharper (this is called a "sweet spot"). A lens with a maximum aperture of f/2.8 will produce a sharper image at f/8 than at f/2.8. The better the quality of the lens, the less this matters, but it is noticeable with most lenses.
Very small depth sharpness V this image does bird, hiding V bushes, V focus, A Environment Wednesday from branches blurred V haze.
Depth sharpness And application
Next, the aperture also controls the depth of field. This is the amount of the image that is in focus. When the lens is wide open, such as f/2.8, the image will have less depth of field than at f/11.
As with shutter speed, your use of aperture must be deliberate. Want to get a landscape image where everything from foreground to background is in focus? Then you're better off choosing a high f-number (like f/11). How about a portrait where you want a clean, soft background but a very clear look? Then use a very small f-number (like f/2.8 or f/4) and keep an eye on the focus point.
Aperture has a direct effect on shutter speed. A large f-number will require the use of a slower shutter speed to ensure adequate exposure. A lower f-number will allow you to use a fast shutter speed. These two are completely interrelated, there is no way to avoid it, so you NEED to understand both.
Balance White
White balance, like ISO, is sensor-related, but in this case, it interacts more with the color of the light rather than its intensity.
Different light sources have different shades. Our eyes often can't tell the difference, but you can bet the camera does. Have you ever seen a photo of a home interior lit with soft white lamps and also a window? Usually, the interior of a room looks natural when the light from the window is artificially blue. This is white balance. The camera (or photographer) uses room light (warm-hued lamps) as a neutral color, and then the natural light from the window appears blue.
When White Balance is not set correctly, colors become distorted. They look too yellow, blue or orange. When White Balance is correct, everything looks natural or as our eyes see.
This is the camera's automatic White Balance setting. Northern lights colors seem too purple and yellow
In this version, using the same exposure settings in post-processing, I set the White Balance in the bluer range, thereby making the colors more natural and pleasing.
How about automatic white balance?
I have a confession to make. I almost always use Auto White Balance mode. Cameras are quite good at distinguishing shades and choosing the appropriate White Balance. When it is not detected correctly, I check the image on the screen and make changes for the next shot. Secondly, I only shoot in RAW format, which means I can make adjustments on the computer. I trust the image on a computer monitor more than the small screen of a camera.
However, there are times when White Balance needs to be adjusted. Firstly, if you shoot in JPEG. This format will not give you the opportunity to adjust the White Balance later, so it must be correct initially. Secondly, in the case of combining images for high-contrast scenes or panoramas. A slight change in hue when combining HDR or panorama shots will make this more difficult or impossible. You can use White Balance when you intentionally want to take a photo with cool or warm tones, or when using artificial lighting. (Now THIS topic warrants its own article...)
Be aware of white balance, learn what it means and how it affects your images, and then decide how to use it.
Compensation exposition
Here I used Exposure Compensation to make sure the image was bright enough to show the details in the foreground without blowing out the bright sunset in the background.
These two images show how useful Exposure Compensation can be. The image below was taken in bright sunlight but was deliberately underexposed by three stops, turning the mountains black but preserving detail in the sky, thereby creating a surreal image.
Know your camera well
Exposure compensation is a tool that you should be able to adjust without even looking at the camera. Exposure compensation allows you to very quickly add or reduce the amount of light in an image. Too dark? Use Exposure Compensation to add light. Too light? Exposure compensation will quickly reduce exposure. Its setting depends on your camera.
I often use Aperture Priority mode. This means that I choose the aperture and the camera determines the shutter speed. If I set Exposure Compensation, the camera will maintain the selected aperture and simply recalculate the shutter speed. If I were to use Shutter Priority mode, as I sometimes do, the camera will set the aperture. In Auto mode, the camera makes these decisions for me.
I use Exposure Compensation all the time. This is my usual way of fine-tuning exposure while shooting. On my Canon DSLR I can do this by simply turning the wheel. In other cameras, exposure compensation is adjusted on the front panel, a wheel next to the shutter button, or the same system of buttons on the rear panel. Learn how your camera works and learn how to set it up quickly and efficiently. Understanding these important tools means you won't miss out on a good shot whether you're working outdoors or in the studio.
Conclusion
These five settings are the most important to understanding the camera. Experiment with them so you know how they affect the final image and how to change them quickly and without too much fuss. Once you do this, you'll be on your way to creating thoughtful images.
Setting up Canon autofocus is a simple process that consists of several steps designed to check the accuracy of the focus and make corrections if necessary. To present the material as best as possible, I use part of the answer from Canon technical PR specialist Chuck Westfall, who answers user questions 12 times a year in the online resource TheDigitalJournalist.
As unfortunate as it may be, the accuracy of the autofocus system is a really big problem for Canon. There may be technical manufacturing flaws and cases of incompatibility. In general, the incompatibility of initially compatible parts is a very philosophical topic, but this phenomenon sometimes happens, and not only with Canon.
Perhaps because of this expressed problem, an autofocus adjustment system was developed, which is, of course, very, very convenient! This function allows you to customize almost any working lens! It's great! Previously, in order to adjust the kit, you had to take the camera and lens to an authorized service center. This was a huge problem for people from small towns, where such a service center simply did not exist.
Now autofocus correction has become accessible and convenient, and our task is to figure out how to use it.
Before getting down to business, I’ll say a few more words about the adjustment process. In short, to determine the accuracy of a lens, you need to take a series of shots that will tell you whether the autofocus is hitting or missing. Misses can be of two types: overshooting the focus point and undershooting, back focus and front focus, respectively.
If everything is fine, then you forget about this article and enjoy life. If you find mistakes, then you need to understand what they are and make the appropriate correction to the camera, which, by the way, does not change the factory firmware. This type of correction works as follows: the camera receives not one command (to focus), but two, the second command is to shift the focus point back or forward by a certain amount.
This autofocus adjustment can also be divided into two types according to autofocus misses. In the first case, the camera misses with all lenses the same way, and in the second with each lens by a different distance.
Both types of settings are absolutely no different. Unless it costs time if you have a large fleet of lenses, in this case the first setup option will be faster.
Let's finish the long introduction and move directly to autofocus adjustment, which, by the way, was written by the above-mentioned Chuck Westfall.
How to set up autofocus on Canon?
- mount the camera on a good, strong tripod;
- set the correct target with which to check autofocus. You can download it. The characteristics of the target and its location are described in detail in the article “”;
- sufficient uniform light must fall on the target;
- the distance to the target must be at least 50 times the focal length of the lens. For example, for a lens with a focal length of 105 mm, the target should be located at a distance of 5.25 m (105 mm x 50 = 5250 mm = 5.25 m);
- Canon autofocus mode must be turned on on the lens;
- camera focusing mode – One-Shot AF;
- the test requires a central focusing point;
- test shots are taken with the maximum aperture;
- use the Aperture Priority mode (Av) or fully manual mode (M);
- correct exposure is necessary for a successful test;
- use the highest ISO possible;
- if the lens has a stabilization system, be sure to turn it off;
- To prevent movement, use a cable release or shutter timer;
- an excellent result will be achieved by turning on the mirror pre-raising function;
- you need to take three series of shots in which autofocus adjustment will be used with values from -5 to +5. The series will be as follows: 3 pictures in a row with a value of -5; three pictures in a row with values 0 and the last 3 pictures with -5;
- view the photos you took on a calibrated monitor with a zoom of 100%;
- repeat a series of test shots with different autofocus adjustment values and thus achieve the sharpest photos;
- Enter the resulting maximum sharp adjustment values into the appropriate camera menu.
Before checking and adjusting autofocus, I recommend that you read the recommendations below, which will allow you to conduct tests even more accurately:
Eliminate angles between the autofocus check target and the optical axis of the lens. The presence of such angles greatly reduces the stability and efficiency of autofocus. It is worth remembering that the autofocus sensor of a digital camera is assembled from a large number of linear groups of pixels. Focusing on a target line located at an angle to the optical axis of the lens may result in only a few pixels from each group being able to identify the target. Ideal test conditions would be a complete match of the contrast part of the target to the entire area of the central autofocus sensor.
To get the best possible test shots, manually reset the focus before each shutter release. To do this, set the lens to infinity. Only after completing this procedure, focus.
If you take the same group of photos, the photos in them will likely look slightly different. This is a normal situation due to the tolerances of the camera's autofocus system.
As a note, the autofocus adjustment of lenses becomes more pronounced the longer the focal length of the lens.
You should know that adjusting the autofocus of a variable focal length lens will be relevant on this lens only at the focal length at which you conducted the test. In other words, when testing a 28-70 lens at 50mm, the adjustments you make will only work at 50mm. In this case, the manufacturer recommends adjusting such a lens at the maximum focal length used.
It may happen that for a particular lens-camera pair, the autofocus adjustment will be ineffective. In this case, contact an authorized service center for adjustment on special stands.
You also need to know that at the moment there is no official system for adjusting autofocus. The technique described above is the one by which a positive result was achieved in a large number of cases. Therefore, if you come up with a more effective or faster method, use it!
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