how to change f stop on canon

Camera Operating Instructions: Overview

These instructions specifically apply to the Canon PowerShot SX120 IS, but the full general concepts are applicative to any digital camera with manual settings.

Be sure to check out our guide on How to Take Awesome Photos for help setting up your photo area and practicing your technique. Only for camera operation and settings, this guide's got you covered.

Aperture Priority

The Canon PowerShot SX120 IS has an aperture priority shooting mode, denoted by Av on the mode dial. All photographs should exist taken in this style, every bit it is the easiest to control. You are able to adjust the aperture setting (more on this later) and exposure bounty (+/- EV) while the camera automatically adjusts the shutter speed.

Camera Buttons

The Canon PowerShot SX120 IS uses a rotary wheel around its principal function buttons to alter values on-screen. You can also click the rotary wheel (up/down/left/correct) to access the ISO/timer/macro/flash functions, respectively. Other cameras may accept a similar setup for accessing mutual functions.

Aperture (f-end)

Every camera lens has a multi-bladed diaphragm chosen the aperture that stops down to different diameters to let more or less light into the camera. The aperture setting on a camera is also referred to as the "f-terminate" and is denoted by the letter 'f' and a fraction (e.g. f/2.eight, f/8.0, f/22). The wider the aperture, the smaller the f-stop number and the less depth of field y'all will have, which means that the field of study will be sharp and in focus, while the background and foreground are left out of focus. Stepping down the aperture to a smaller f-stop will achieve more than depth of field, merely somewhen comes at the price of color distortion and poor image quality.

Changing the f-stop. — Irresolute the f-terminate.

For the Catechism PowerShot SX120 IS, you tin change the f-stop as shortly as you lot put the camera in Av (aperture priority) mode. Rotate the punch to change the setting. Fix the aperture to f/v.0 to beginning, and adjust it if you lot need more depth of field. If the camera has the "adjust EV" way on screen (covered in the next department), press the +/- button to change back to the "conform f-stop" fashion.

The camera'south maximum f-stop value is 8.0, as shown in the motion picture.

Great depth of field (f/22) — Peachy depth of field (f/22)

Exposure Compensation (+/- EV)

Exposure compensation is an easy way to adjust the camera'due south shutter speed while using aperture priority mode to achieve a brighter or darker paradigm. For a given aperture, a negative EV will set a shorter shutter speed and make the picture darker. A positive EV volition keep the shutter open a little longer, assuasive in more light and making the picture brighter. If y'all are constantly using extreme EV values, you may want to consider adjusting your lighting setup.

Click the +/- button on the top-right corner on the dorsum of the camera to admission the exposure compensation. By default it'south gear up at 0. Setting the number higher volition make the photo brighter, and lowering it volition make the image darker. You should merely alter this setting if the pictures you're taking are coming out too nighttime/low-cal. Do your best to get your images properly exposed while shooting—post-processing in editing software tin can actually have up more time. If absolutely necessary, Photoshop (or similar software) can also be used in conjunction with exposure compensation to adjust the lighting of a picture.

We use exposure bounty to make the object in the picture show wait appropriately lit, and so use Photoshop Elements to process the motion-picture show and make it fifty-fifty better. Usually, Photoshop's "Automobile Levels" is sufficient, but if you take trouble with lighting you may take to do more work to make the picture show acceptable. If you lot get stuck, effort using "Adjust Lighting --> Lighten Shadows," and so adjusting "Levels" manually.

Underexposed image — Underexposed epitome

ISO

ISO is a measure of a camera'southward sensitivity to lite, and should be kept at the lowest possible value. High ISO values lead to very grainy pictures, and we like to take good-quality pictures. The ISO menu can be accessed by clicking "up" on the rotary button and then using the rotary button to change the value. In the case of the Canon PowerShot SX120 IS, the lowest value is 80, and that's the setting it should be set at. Lower ISO values will require you to employ a slower shutter speed, but this is not an issue when using a tripod.

This image is a proficient example of what a high ISO photo looks like. Notice all of the noise—the colorful speckles—particularly in the darker parts of the pic. High ISO is used in very low light conditions where a camera must exist hand-held. If this aforementioned shot were attempted at a lower ISO, the image would have been less grainy, but in that location would have been noticeable move blur due to the slower shutter speed required.

Cocky-Timer

Canon PowerShot SX120 IS' 2-second timer. — Catechism PowerShot SX120 IS' 2-second timer.

Both small ISO values (80) and narrow apertures (f/8.0 or above) slow downwardly the shutter speed. Using a timer compensates for this problem, since fifty-fifty the pocket-size human action of pressing the shutter button will crusade the camera to shake and the epitome to be slightly blurry. Click "down" on the rotary push button and select the 2-second timer. Other cameras may have two- or 10-second timers; either one can be used.

Macro Way

Setting the macro mode on the Canon PowerShot SX120 IS. — Setting the macro mode on the Catechism PowerShot SX120 IS.

Macro mode is identified on almost cameras by a flower icon. Sometimes it's a setting on the back of the photographic camera (as in the Canon PowerShot SX120 IS), and sometimes it can be part of the rotary bicycle on the meridian of the camera. Use the macro mode when you desire to take close-ups of objects. For nigh of the project work you lot can use macro mode, since the mode functions well from anywhere betwixt 0.5" to 1.5 feet away from the object. You tin can certainly decide which mode (macro or normal) works better by taking a couple of test photos. Access the macro setting by clicking "left" on the rotary button.

White Rest

Setting the white balance on the Canon PowerShot SX120 IS.

Setting the white residuum manner on your camera tin significantly affect the quality of your pictures. All cameras should exist set up to "AWB" (Automatic White Residuum) by default, which ways the camera determines the appropriate white residual. Still, no photographic camera is perfect in all circumstances.

On the Canon PowerShot SX120 IS, clicking the eye "Func. Set" push button will bring up the white balance menu. You tin can change it to whatsoever of the five presets, as well equally Custom (merely for the truly audacious). Each preset is made for a certain type of lighting, such as daylight, incandescent bulbs, fluorescent bulbs, and others.

Accept test photos in different modes to see how the white balance settings affect the color of the pictures. Exist aware that your lighting conditions may modify throughout the day (the sun leaves for the 24-hour interval, someone turns on a lamp or opens the door), which may affect the white balance of the pictures.

Alternately you can use photo editing software, such equally Photoshop, to suit the white balance of the photo, but it's a much more than time-intensive chore than setting upward the camera correctly.

Editing Software

We can't assistance you lot larn how to use editing software, but here are some decent online tools. Do NOT add together markup (circles, rectangles, arrows, etc.) in these tools. Use our online markup editor for that.

Full Featured