![background image](http://html1.mh-extra.com/html/olympus/e-400/e-400_instruction-manual_4242879020.webp)
20
EN
2 Improving your shooting skills – Shooting guides
Take pictures frequently to familiarize yourself with the camera. You can start off by taking
pictures of your surrounding subjects like children, flowers or pets. And from the pictures taken,
try to figure out what went wrong. The problems can often be resolved just by being more
observant during shooting.
Focus: Operating the shutter button
Out of focus seems to be the common cause when pictures taken
do not turn out well. In many cases, instead of the intended focus
on the subject, the back or front of the subject or other objects are
focused.
The shutter button can be half-pressed and full pressed. Once you
are able to operate the half-press and full press effectively, you can
even focus accurately on moving subjects.
g
“Shooting” (P. 8), “If correct focus cannot be obtained (Focus
lock)” (P. 30)
However, even if the subject is in focus, the picture will become blur
if the camera moves while the shutter button is being pressed. Make
sure to hold the camera properly so that it does not shake.
g
“Holding the camera.” (P. 8)
Besides out of focus and camera shake problems, the motion of the
subject will also cause the picture to blur. Ability to shoot at a shutter
speed that matches the motion of the subject is essential. You can confirm the shutter speed and
aperture on the displays of the viewfinder and monitor when taking pictures by pressing the
shutter button halfway. Check out these displays during your shooting practices.
g
“How to use the mode dial” (P. 14), “Preview function” (P. 29)
Brightness: Exposure compensation
The camera automatically determines the aperture value and
shutter speed according to the brightness level. This is known as
auto exposure. However, auto exposure alone may not result in
pictures of your expectations. At times like this, you can adjust the
exposure through increasing or decreasing the exposure value set
by the camera’s auto exposure during shooting.
Increase the exposure when you want the dazzling sensation of the
summer beach or the whiteness of the snow to stand out. And
decrease the exposure when the area to be shot is smaller and brighter compared to its
surrounding area. If you are unsure how much exposure compensation is required, it is better to
take the picture with various settings.
g
“Exposure compensation – Varying the image brightness” (P. 49)
Basic function guides
Halfway down:
All the way down:
Im
provi
ng your
shooting skil
ls – Shooting guides
2