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DPChallenge Forums >> Tips, Tricks, and Q&A >> Don't know what this means..
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 07/14/2004 10:18:40 PM · #1
I feel like an idiot. I am still very new to photography..and I know I suck. But I enjoy it. Anyway..what does DOF mean? And other stuff like that...details about a shot. I don't understand alot of this. ALSO...I don't have a digital SLR. I just have your basic digital camera. it has lots of settings on it and i don't know what most of them mean. I have looked over the manual but I swear it doesn't make a bit of sense to me. Anybody else ever been this way????? Please explain...Thanks!
 07/14/2004 10:20:36 PM · #2
The line starts behind me lmao
07/14/2004 10:23:52 PM · #3
Start here for DOF...depth of field. It's an excellent tutorial. It helped me and my thick skull figure it out...you two should have no problems! I read on another thread that there was talk of a forum for photography terminology and acronyms...I'll try to dig that up if I can find it. :o)
 07/14/2004 10:25:10 PM · #4
On my signature is a pretty good photography term dictionary.
 07/14/2004 10:38:13 PM · #5
What's frustrating is that I don't have a manual focus camera. And I definitly can't afford one. Probably not for at least another year or two. I really feel more and more like an idiot.
F/stop? HUH? don't understand.
Ok..to make this easier for ppl helping me (and anybody else that feels like me)..my camera is the Olympus Camedia C-740uz
If you look it up, you will notice that I dont seem to have much choice with it. Well I certainly don't know how to use it very well. I know I can find a great picture..but when I want to take it...my camera doesn't do what I want it to. I DONT GET IT!!! if anybody else has this camera...maybe you could help?? I'm really frustrated here.

07/14/2004 10:43:20 PM · #6
other owners of the same camera are listed on this page...maybe email or PM a couple and get some info or ideas? Good luck! :o)
 07/14/2004 10:43:31 PM · #7
I have an even simpler Olympus ... try asking how to do one specific thing. Those are fairly simple to answer.

To "teach you how to use it" would be too hard to do on-line; probably would involve the equivalent of a 3-4 hour class.

If you haven't already, check out the Tutorial on Cheap Enhancements for "Low-End" Cameras.
 07/14/2004 10:48:46 PM · #8
Originally posted by GeneralE:
I have an even simpler Olympus ... try asking how to do one specific thing. Those are fairly simple to answer.

To "teach you how to use it" would be too hard to do on-line; probably would involve the equivalent of a 3-4 hour class.

If you haven't already, check out the Tutorial on Cheap Enhancements for "Low-End" Cameras.


Thanks...I have no idea what settings really mean.. like the 1/1000 and the F 2.8 and then the A/S/M.....not sure how to set it and what it means. I know it mean Aperature/Shutter/and I'm assuming Manual. But if it's manual then I wonder how I'd use it. I tried looking up an easy guide online for it..but not finding anything. Maybe I'm not looking in the right place. Besides I live in Kansas...and there's not much to photograph here that will WOW an audience..I'm not too creative and would like inspiration I guess. I know that sounds stupid but that's just how I feel. Sorry..I'm rambling on and on...LOL..I'll shut up now!
 07/14/2004 10:51:54 PM · #9
Page 64 in the C-740uz user manual is where you'll want to be when being creative with Depth of Field. You can see how and what you are changing the Aperture to on that page. Your available Aperture settings are 2.8 to 8.0 (non zoomed) and 3.7 to 8.0 (zoomed), remember the bigger the aperture (smaller number) the less DOF you have.

Maybe someone can explain what effect zoom has in relation to the aperture and DOF, that is where I get goofed up. I know it gets shallower as I zoom.

Edit: BTW you have Portriat Mode (picture of a head) which is really Auto aperture priority mode, camera will try to OOF (out of focus) beyond the subject for you. It will choose the lowest Aperture and best shutter speed for the condition.

Message edited by author 2004-07-14 22:55:04.
 07/14/2004 10:55:05 PM · #10
Also wondering how to use the shutter speed that people use to capture lighting. I have a DREAM...of capturing lighting through a picture. What is it possibly called that I would do in order to have my camera I guess take a picture for that long?
 07/14/2004 10:58:56 PM · #11
I don't have this camera
but from this review it seems to be capable of producing good photos
//www.steves-digicams.com/2003_reviews/c740uz.html
quote from the conclusion
"The bottom line: Excellent camera, good price, very long focal length zoom, all the exposure and finished image size options you could ever want. It has the "better than average" image quality that we have come to expect from Olympus cameras."
have a read of the review it might help you pic up a few tips

but I think the best thing you could to learn the basics is join a local photography club
or see if there are any night corses at the local high school for photography
or maybe the people who sold you the camera have training nights or can point you to someone that can help.. it doesn't hurt to ask
 07/14/2004 10:59:02 PM · #12
Originally posted by crazycrystal1977:
Also wondering how to use the shutter speed that people use to capture lighting. I have a DREAM...of capturing lighting through a picture. What is it possibly called that I would do in order to have my camera I guess take a picture for that long?

Start with this current thread. :)
 07/14/2004 10:59:45 PM · #13
Actually here is the Photoschool for DOF on your camera on the Olympus site:

Olympus Photoschool Portrait/DOF

Excellent Examples and primer for anyone...but specifically uses your cam to demonstrate.
 07/14/2004 11:10:17 PM · #14
My camera doesn't have any of these, but I think it works like this (or else backwards!):

Shutter Priority: You set a specific desired shutter speed. The camera will use its current metering mode to set the best possible aperture. Useful if your need is to stop motion or create motion blur at the possible expense of optimum exposure.

Aperture Priority: You set a specific desired aperture. The camera will use its current metering mode to set the best possible shutter speed. Useful if your need is to control the depth of field (focus) at the possible expense of optimum exposure.

Manual Mode: You set specific desired values for both shutter speed and aperture. Useful if you want to control both DOF and shutter speed at the possible expense of optimum exposure, and if you know what you're doing or are not afraid to experiment.

There are other values which will also affect the exposure, including ISO value (sensitivity, like film speed), white balance, and exposure compensation. How to set these values on your camera will require some manual research, but on mine you turn the camera on and push the menu button, and scroll through them on the LCD.
 07/14/2004 11:18:38 PM · #15
Thanks everybody...this has been a great help! I appreciate it a bunch!
 07/14/2004 11:29:10 PM · #16
Originally posted by awpollard:
Maybe someone can explain what effect zoom has in relation to the aperture and DOF, that is where I get goofed up. I know it gets shallower as I zoom.


Actually, zoom has no effect on DOF! If you take two photos, one at full wide-angle and one at full telephoto, keep the subject the same size in both, and keep the aperture the same, both photos will have the same items in and out of focus. The perspective will be drastically different: background objects will be much smaller in the wide-angle version (which may make them seem in better focus at first glance, but if you look closely you'll see that they are not).

On the other hand, if you take two photos at the same aperture, one with the subject large and one with it small, the photo with the larger subject will have a narrower depth of field. It doesn't matter if you make the subject larger by getting closer to it or by zooming in on it; the effect is the same. As an extreme, macro photos are usually taken at full zoom with the camera very close to the subject to make it appear very large, so they have very shallow DOF.

So zooming doesn't itself decrease DOF. But it is usually used to virtually get closer to the subject (i.e., make it larger), and that will decrease DOF.
 07/14/2004 11:35:12 PM · #17
Originally posted by laurielblack:
Start here for DOF...depth of field. It's an excellent tutorial. It helped me and my thick skull figure it out...you two should have no problems! I read on another thread that there was talk of a forum for photography terminology and acronyms...I'll try to dig that up if I can find it. :o)


How about this dictionary?
 07/14/2004 11:37:36 PM · #18
Originally posted by ButterflySis:
How about this dictionary?


That'll do...I'll stop searching frantically!! LOL
Thanks!
 07/14/2004 11:39:46 PM · #19
Originally posted by laurielblack:
Originally posted by ButterflySis:
How about this dictionary?


That'll do...I'll stop searching frantically!! LOL
Thanks!


lol, You're welcome! :-)
 07/14/2004 11:51:51 PM · #20
Originally posted by crazycrystal1977:
Also wondering how to use the shutter speed that people use to capture lighting. I have a DREAM...of capturing lighting through a picture. What is it possibly called that I would do in order to have my camera I guess take a picture for that long?


Hello on My old Olypus 730 UZ which is a very similar camera I have a night mode, it looks like a star and cresent moon on the top dial on the right. When you set it at that it will give you longer exposures, or the best way is to set it to the ASM setting then choose S which is shutter time. You can set this up to 16 seconds. see if that works on your camera too, from what I read it should. Good luck
 07/15/2004 12:09:51 AM · #21
Crystal, perhaps you should visit this thread and head on down to look at their photography books. A basic guide that will walk you thru from the beginning sounds like what you need.
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