Selecting AF points

Your camera's focusing system is made up of a grid of AF points towards the centre of the viewfinder. A typical mid-range DSLR has 9 AF points, while some of the pro models have up to 61 AF points. By default the AF system will be set to Automatic Selection and all points will be active.

DSLR Camera ISO Settings

ISO rocks!

 ISO Auto can work great, but having more control of these speed settings (100, 200, 400, 800 and 1600+) can help you achieve better exposure. I set my camera to a low ISO speed for bright light situations and a higher ISO speed for low-light situations. The higher the ISO number, the more sensitive to light your camera becomes, and the faster the shutter speed will be. Here are some general rules to follow: An ISO of 100 is perfect for very sunny environments. ISO 200-400 works for overcast outdoor daylight, outdoor shade, or indoors where the scene is well-lit. ISO 800 can sometimes be used in low light outdoors or indoors without a flash. Mind the shutter speed — if it gets too slow you can either increase ISO to make it faster, use a tripod to accommodate the slower shutter speed, or use flash. Indoor and outdoor low-light situations without a flash often call for an ISO speed of 1600 or more. Beware though, as your photos can become grainy with a high ISO (I try not to go higher than ISO 400 for that reason). To avoid graininess in these low-light situations, set the ISO low and mount your DSLR on a tripod to get a clear shot. Or, you can always use a high ISO (to increase shutter speed enough for a handheld shot) and enjoy the creative grain! I like to convert low-light grainy photos to black and white in Photoshop and call it “film grain.”

DSLR Camera Settings

Know Your Camera

Before you start learning about photography, you should first get accustomed to your camera, so that you can find the relevant camera settings when we go over them further down in the article. If your primary camera is a DSLR, it does not hurt to know what a DSLR is and how it works. If you shoot with a mirrorless camera, we have a similar article that describes what a mirrorless camera is and how it compares to a DSLR. And if you want to take it up a level, we have a detailed DSLR vs Mirrorless article that lists every advantage and disadvantage of the two. If you shoot with a point-and-shoot camera, check out our DSLR vs Point-and-Shoot article that compares the two.