Spending a Lot for the Most Automatic Features
Hold on. Many aspiring photographers who purchase a professional level-camera merely set it on “auto” or “program,” hoping to coast along on the technology until they learn how to wrestle the manual settings into submission. Trusting the camera to make all the decisions (especially in low light conditions) is a huge mistake. Cameras sometimes get confused and spit out nasty results—and the opportunity to use creative lighting goes out the window.
Before investing bundles in a pricey camera, get a firm handle on manually balancing the aperture and shutter speed settings in order to have the camera completely under your control. Become so familiar with how to operate your camera on manual that it’s like operating a microwave. Why? As Kirsten Lewis (kirstenlewisphoto.com) says, “If you are so stressed about your camera and the settings you are trying to figure out, you have no space in your brain for creativity.”
“Trusting the camera to make all the decisions is a huge mistake.”
Just because a camera has a lot of whiz-bang settings, don’t assume it will get everything “right” under any shooting conditions. Learn how to configure the manual settings. Different cameras will offer different options for manual settings.
Most professional cameras have a small info panel for making a quick check of settings that regulate exposure.
Set camera dial on M for Manual and learn how to quickly dial in correct exposure settings.