35
Advanced
Features
3
34
EXPOSURE (SHUTTER SPEED AND APERTURE)
STILL PHOTOGRAPHY FUNCTIONS
Exposure refers to the light that hits the CCD or the total amount of captured light and determines
the brightness of the image.
The exposure is determined by the combination of aperture and shutter speed. In AE (Auto-
exposure), the camera determines the correct exposure, allowing for factors such as the brightness
of the subject and the sensitivity setting.
Closed
Open
When shooting a moving subject, you can either “freeze the motion” or “capture the sense of
movement” by adjusting the shutter speed.
Freezes the motion of the
subject.
Photographs the traces left
by the subject’s movement.
By adjusting the aperture, you can change the depth of focus (depth of field).
The area in front of and
behind the subject is also
in focus in the shot.
The background is out of
focus.
Fast
Slow
Shutter speed
Aperture
The graph at left shows the way the aperture and shutter speed settings can
be changed while maintaining the same exposure level.
h
When the aperture is decreased by one step, the shutter speed also
decreases by one step (the dot moves upper left).
h
When the aperture is increased by one step, the shutter speed also
increases by one step (the dot moves lower right).
h
Combinations that result in the shutter speed or aperture being outside the
available range of settings cannot be selected (white dots).
h
In the “
N
”, “
M
” and “
<
” photography modes, it is easy to select different
settings along this line.
h
Selecting settings that run parallel to this line by adjusting the brightness of
the photographed image is referred to as exposure compensation.
Open
Closed
(A
p
er
ture
)
Slow
(Shutter speed)
Fast
◆
When you cannot get the correct exposure
◆
Exposure compensation:
This function uses the exposure level set by the AE
function as a reference (0) and then brightens (+) or
darkens (–) the image. By selecting Auto bracketing,
you can shoot 3 frames, one underexposed (–), one at
the reference exposure (0) and one overexposed (+).
(–)
(0)
(+)
Main subject
FOCUSING (DISTANCE)
STILL PHOTOGRAPHY FUNCTIONS
3
Advanced
Features
The distance from the subject to the camera is referred to as the shooting distance.
When the shooting distance is set correctly and the image appears sharp, the image is focused.
■
Two Focusing Methods: AF and MF.
The mechanisms for focusing are AF (Autofocus) and MF (manual focus).
AF:
In this mode, the camera automatically focuses on the subject in the AF frame or the subject
at or near the center of the image. The camera focuses when the Shutter button is pressed
down halfway.
MF:
The focus is set manually. See P.62 for details.
■
Causes of focusing errors and the solutions
The subject is not suited to AF.
Use AF lock (Focus mode: AF (CENTER))
✽
1 or MF.
The subject is not in the AF frame.
Use AF lock (Focus mode: AF (CENTER))
✽
1 or MF.
The subject is outside the shooting range.
Turn Macro mode on or off
✽
2.
The subject is moving too quickly.
Use MF (pre-setting the shooting distance for a shot )
Cause
Solution
✽
1 Taking pictures using AF lock
◆
Subjects not suitable for auto focus
◆
h
Very shiny subjects such as a mirror or car
body
h
Subjects photographed through glass
h
Subjects that do not reflect well, such as hair
or fur
h
Subjects with no substance, such as smoke
or flames
h
Dark subjects
h
Fast moving subjects
h
Subjects with little or no contrast between the
subject and the background (such as white
walls or subjects dressed in the same color as
the background)
h
Shots where another high-contrast object (not
the subject) is close to the AF frame and is
either closer or further away than your subject
(such as a shot of someone against a
background with strongly contrasting
elements)
Press the Shutter button down
halfway to focus.
Recompose the shot and take the picture.
Capture the subject
Main subject
✽
2 Turning Macro mode ON/OFF
60 cm (2.0 ft.) to infinity
7.5 cm-80 cm
(3.0 in.-2.6 ft.)
Macro OFF
Macro ON
