Digital SLR Photography Tips...

Monitor, Viewfinder Diopter, Viewfinder and LCD Panel.

Depending on your camera model you may or may not have all four features. Also, due to slr digital camera comparisons you may find slight terminolgy varaition between things like the monitor and LCD panel.

The main point is to be aware of what you do have and how to fully utilize the features so you can put a few digital slr photography tips to great use.

Knowing about these four subjects will help you understand more about your camera's features and how they all connect in some way.

Jumping right in, the slr monitor looks like a miniature TV screen on the back of your digital camera.

It's a very useful and necessary tool when using your camera.

One purpose it serves, sometimes, is for the "what you see" related to your composition for digital photography.

However, only if you choose to use "Live View" rather than the Viewfinder when you're referencing and looking at your photo subject.

Live View allows you to view and compose the picture using the monitor, as reference, to what you want to take. If you move the camera the scene "moves," just like it does with the "point and shoot" digital camera.

With a Digital SLR this may be the least likely reason to use the monitor.

A digital slr photography tip: it may be very unlikely the live view is used for composing the subject, although certainly possible in certain situations.

Why?

The viewfinder is considered a much more effective tool for really seeing the subject.

The Monitor also serves a great function as the play back screen to view images already taken.

What do I mean by this?

You have a few options here.

When you are in play back mode, in this case meaning reviewing the pictures you have taken, the monitor will display information about the photo, along with the photo.

Or, you can review the photo all by itself with no additional recording information.

In addition, you can very likely zoom in and see a close up section of your photo. This may be possible by turning the aperture or shutter speed dial. Using the arrow key will allow you to scroll left or right, up or down.

Another digital slr photography tip: this is really useful if you want to review a particular segment of your photo and to help detect dust spots on your sensor.

Your manual will help you determine the features.

You may very likely be able to bring up smaller "thumbnail" size images which will be more than one image at a time. Group deleting is a time you may want to access this feature.

This little monitor can show you all kinds of wonderful, amazing and sometimes confusing things; trust it will all gradually make sense!

What kind of information can you access on the monitor?

Don't be concerned if some of this makes no sense at all and there will come a time you'll understand these digital photography terms.

The Pentax K20D for example, contains close to forty detailed pieces of information accessible on the monitor. That can be a lot of information to sort through, although like anything else, it's easy when it makes sense!

One thing to keep in mind is when you play back your pictures the monitor is not necessarily a reliable viewing source.

Why not?

Due to the variables of light conditions and the size of the screen what you think you see does not necessarily depict the true end result.

This is why it's better to delete images after you've had the chance to view on a computer or more reliable source, unless you feel confident they are not keepers.

What may be helpful is to check the manual as you may be able to adjust the brightness of the monitor to help compensate for lighting.

Reviewing monitor information in your manual will also be very helpful.

A great benefit to learning photography and a few digital slr photography tips is once you have the understanding you have a great foundation. It will serve you well!

Viewfinder Diopter

Viewfinder

What does it do?

A digital slr photography tip: very simply, it allows you to adjust the viewfinder to suit your eyesight!

If you notice, in the upper image titled viewfinder diopter, on top of the viewfinder is a dial.

This dial slides from side to side and serves as the adjustment tool for this custom eyesight setting.

Depending on your camera model you may have the adjustment dial, or perhaps a small lever, on top of your viewfinder or on the side of it.

Once you make the adjustment it's a one time deal unless it gets bumped or someone else changes it.

This has no affect on the outcome of your photos with regards to scene capture focusing; this is just for you and your specific eyesight.

The Viewfinder.

The viewfinder is located above the monitor and it's what you put your eye to when viewing your subject.

The viewfinder can be especially useful when certain lighting conditions make it difficult to see what's on the LCD monitor, if you do use live view.

Using it can really help with digital photography composition because detail of the subject is easier to see.

Using this is perhaps one of the most basic, yet important tool, regarding composition.

Learn to really see through this and you're well on your way to great composition!

What else?

With your camera turned on and shutter partially pressed look through the viewfinder towards the bottom of the view.

A digital slr photography tip: you should see a lot of information which is very helpful as you're learning photography.

You may see approximately sixteen types of information accessible through the viewfinder.

I won't go in to all of the details on this page and you guessed it, the camera manual!

It's very worthwhile to check this out because what you see is a lot of useful information.

Everything from exposure and focus points to how many images left on your memory card.

In partnership with all of the features mentioned already is one more.

The LCD Panel.

The LCD Panel is another very useful tool and fits very nicely with digital camera basics because of what it too, displays.

What does it do?

Once again, it also features a lot of very useful information.

Information such as shutter speed, aperture, flash mode, battery power, recordable image number, automatic or manual focus, single, continuous or self-timer shooting, flash exposure, white balance and more.

Wow, this cool information is viewable all over the place!

When would you use this?

It could be constantly when you're taking photos or just as often as you wish.

A digital slr photography tip: you could, for example, set your camera to automatic and point in the direction of your subject. This LCD panel will display exposure readings and camera settings.

It's also a very convenient way to view your data instead of looking through and to the bottom of the viewfinder all of the time, depending upon the circumstances.

Your camera manual will very likely provide a diagram with all of the possible available data.

If you shoot mostly in automatic mode it may not have as much relevance or importance to you. However, it's good to know the features and benefits and can be very useful.

Yet another feature you may have is the illumination option, such as shown in the illustration above.

As you delve into digital camera basics and how to take better pictures you'll learn to appreciate the value of the Monitor and LCD Panel.

There you go, that's it in a nutshell! Now you've been introduced to a few "partnering" features of your camera, along with some digital slr photography tips and you're on your way!

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