Looking for pro advice - DPChallenge Forums

12/05/2006 10:33:34 AM · #1

I just found this PDF of a cheet sheet for general camera settings and was wondering if some of the more experienced photographers mite want to comment on weather this was good as a general baseline reference for new comers to photography?

It seems like the author put quite a bit of work in to it and could possibly help a lot of people out including myself :)

-dave

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

12/05/2006 02:14:53 PM · #2

Any takers? :)

Gordon

RIM BlackBerry Curve

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

12/05/2006 02:37:01 PM · #3

I looked at this earlier. At least half of the first page is using a whole lot of space to cover very basic relationships.

If you learn what the full stops are, working out the ratios between them is easy - so there goes one table.

Focal lengths vs shutter speeds are also pretty well captured in the idea of 1/focal_length seconds shutter speed, or faster, so there goes another table.

The top one just explains reciprocity, which is easier just to learn and understand than have a table for. The guidelines for various shooting scenarios and light levels may be useful, if you don't want to just use the meter in your camera. The first one is 'sunny 16' for example.

The flash tables/ guide number translations for various F-stops could be useful, but you'd probably find that you can eyeball most of that from an LCD preview or a tethered shot. Or at least you can throw away 90% of those and just keep the one for your own particular flash.

It seems like a lot of charts and tables that capture fairly basic guidelines and present them in a hard to use way.

DrAchoo

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5

12/05/2006 02:37:10 PM · #4

Looks like good stuff, but in the digital age. I think one can learn just as easily by trial and error. Take the picture, learn how to read a histogram, adjust and then take another picture. You'll get a "feel" for shooting rather than having to either a) memorize this chart or b) refer to it every time you want to shoot.

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

12/05/2006 02:51:56 PM · #5

ok sounds good thanks for your input guys, I realy appreciate it. It did seem a little over wealming looking at it but Im also finding what I think may be better info in the DPC forums and from toying with the settings on my camera :)

-dave

DrAchoo

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5

12/05/2006 03:06:40 PM · #6

I'll reiterate, if there is one piece of "non-obvious" advice I'd give to a new photog it would be to learn what the histogram means. It can be so helpful and too many newbies have zero idea what it means.

Bernard_Marx

Canon EOS-40D

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

12/05/2006 03:08:26 PM · #7

Damn that Gorden is technically savvy for a mere 34 years!!!
And Jason too!

Don't feel bad for peeking at cheat sheets to get your feet wet. Those two are really well-read and technically proficient. I aspire to their ease... but in the meanwhile often rely on advice.