Play | Canon Explains Exposure

Play

Play with the camera controls found in the 'Creative Zone' of an EOS Digital SLR. Here, you can really dictate the outcome of your photos and get the effects you want. Your shots will appear below where you can review, get feedback and compare the settings you used.

Manual (M) Shutter Priority (Tv) Aperture Priority (Av)

Why use this mode?

Aperture: 8

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Shutter Speed: 1/60 sec

1 sec

1/60 sec

1/4000 sec

ISO: 1600

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Exposure Meter: Good Exposure

Picture Effects

FINDING CORRECT EXPOSURE

Getting a good exposure is a balancing act between Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO. If you change the value of one, you might need to adjust the others to capture the right amount of light.

Aperture

Blur the foreground and background around the toy plane (shallow depth of field) with a low f-stop number; or keep the photo sharp from foreground to background (wide depth of field) with a high f-stop number.

ISO

Try to use the lowest ISO possible, but if the effect you want ends up under exposured (dark) try increasing the ISO. If the effect you want ends up over exposed (bright) try decreasing the ISO. Remember a high ISO will cause grainyness in the image.

Shutter

Open the Shutter for just a thousandth of a second to freeze the fast moving plane propeller, or show the movement of the propellor with a slower shutter speed like 1 second.

Images captured with Canon EOS Rebel T4i and Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Lens

Depth of Field

Motion

Digital Noise

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Your Shots

See the images you snapped, review the settings you used and get some tips for next time.

Settings

Shutter speed:

Aperture:

ISO setting:

Advanced Photo Modes

Your Canon has three modes that let you decide how much control you have over your settings.

Manual Mode: In this mode you have full control over the settings on your camera. Remember to use the camera's light meter to check that your exposure is balanced.

Shutter Priority Mode (Tv): Perfect for when shooting motion. This mode allows you to control your shutter speed while the camera automatically sets the aperture, so you can concentrate on capturing the action!

Aperture Priority Mode (Av): In this mode you control the aperture value, while the camera automatically sets the shutter speed. This mode is perfect for when you need to concentrate on how much of your scene is in focus.

Aperture

The lowest Aperture setting gives you the largest lens opening and the shortest area of focus (depth of field). As you increase the Aperture the lens opening becomes smaller and depth of field becomes bigger.

Shutter Speed

The lowest shutter setting will keep your shutter open the longest amount of time (1 sec), letting in lots of light and showing motion in your photo. As you increase this setting, your shutter speed becomes faster, the less light you are capturing and motion appears frozen in a moment of time.

ISO

A low ISO value (at the left side of your scale) gives low sensitivty in your image sensor. A low setting works in an environment where there is lots of light. As you increase the ISO, the sensor becomes more sensitive and will therefore need less light to get a good exposure. But remember, the higher your ISO, the more digital noise you will capture in your photo.

Exposure Meter

Watch the Exposure Meter - Ideally you want the Exposure Meter to be around zero (0) for a photo that has the proper exposure. The Exposure Meter will change as you adjust the Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO settings, because each of these effects the amount of light in your photo.

Manual Mode on EOS Rebel Series

While Canon's Automatic modes get you beautiful results these three Creative Zone modes allow you to really control how your shots look. Take a look at how to set Manual Mode below.

• Manual (M): If you want control over depth of field and the way movement is captured use this mode. You set the Shutter speed, Aperture and ISO. Don't forget to use the Exposure meter to check your exposure.

• Shutter Priority Mode (Tv): If the priority of your shot is to either show or freeze movement of your subject use this mode. You set the shutter speed and the camera can determine the Aperture and ISO needed for a good exposure.

  

• Aperture Priority (Av): If the priority of your shot is to either blur the background behind your subject or keep everything sharp from foreground to background use this mode. You set the Aperture and the camera can determine a Shutter speed and the ISO needed to get a good exposure.

  

Shutter Priority Mode on EOS Rebel Series

While Canon's Automatic modes get you beautiful results these three Creative Zone modes allow you to really control how your shots look. Take a look at how to set Shutter Priority mode below.

• Shutter Priority Mode (Tv): If the priority of your shot is to either show or freeze movement of your subject use this mode. You set the shutter speed and the camera can determine the Aperture and ISO needed for a good exposure.

  

• Manual (M): If you want control over depth of field and the way movement is captured use this mode. You set the Shutter speed, Aperture and ISO. Don't forget to use the Exposure meter to check your exposure.

  

• Aperture Priority (Av): If the priority of your shot is to either blur the background behind your subject or keep everything sharp from foreground to background use this mode. You set the Aperture and the camera can determine a Shutter speed and the ISO needed to get a good exposure.

  

Aperture Priority Mode on EOS Rebel Series

While Canon's Automatic modes get you beautiful results these three Creative Zone modes allow you to really control how your shots look. Take a look at how to set Aperture Priority Mode below.

• Aperture Priority (Av): If the priority of your shot is to either blur the background behind your subject or keep everything sharp from foreground to background use this mode. You set the Aperture and the camera can determine a Shutter speed and the ISO needed to get a good exposure.

  

• Manual (M): If you want control over depth of field and the way movement is captured use this mode. You set the Shutter speed, Aperture and ISO. Don't forget to use the Exposure meter to check your exposure.

  

• Shutter Priority Mode (Tv): If the priority of your shot is to either show or freeze movement of your subject use this mode. You set the shutter speed and the camera can determine the Aperture and ISO needed for a good exposure.