If you’ve learned the basics of photography for better photos but are still frustrated with your image quality, it’s time to learn what your camera is capable of and what settings you need to change to get the best image quality. Needed.
All cameras have a “sweet spot”. These are the settings from which the camera will produce the highest quality image, regardless of make, model, or specification. Here are some helpful tips to help you squeeze every last drop of quality out of your camera.
1. Perfect Your Focus
Nobody likes a blurry photo. Finding the focus of your subject should be a top priority. Getting perfect focus comes down to practice and getting to know your camera.
Most cameras have various focus modes. For still objects, one focus mode is fine. If your subject is moving, use continuous focus mode to focus on whatever you point your camera at as long as you hold the button down.
There’s also an autofocus mode that switches between fixed and continuous focus as it senses some movement. Still, it’s usually better to choose the manual mode. Check out our in-depth explanation of the focus modes on your camera and when to use them.
Select the area you want the camera to focus on. Do you want it to point to the location you selected? Spot focus is good when there are many objects in a scene.
Also, become familiar with your camera’s focus capabilities. How well does your camera focus in low light? Does it conflict if an external object comes into frame?
The best way to find out what your camera is capable of is to go outside and shoot. See what happens when you are in low light. If the image is completely monotone, your camera may be struggling to find focus. In that case, look for another object with sharp contrast or a defined edge near your desired focus point and focus the camera on it.
When doing sports photography, animals, or other fast-moving subjects, your camera may have several settings for tracking movement. Study your camera’s manual to see how each autofocus tracking mode reacts to motion. Some methods can ignore if someone walks into the scene; Others will change and track down the new person. Again, practice.
2. Use a Small Aperture (But Not Too Small)
Aperture is the size of the opening of the lens that lets more or less light through. This is expressed in f-stops. An f-stop of f/2.8 or f/3.5 will only focus at a specific distance from the lens. Everything in front of or behind the focal point will be blurred. Learn more about depth of field here.
To get more of the photo in focus, use a smaller aperture; f/8 or f/11 can be a good sweet spot. To get as much of the image in focus—good for landscapes—use a large number like f/14 or higher. But be careful not to “stop down” to the highest number allowed by the lens.
Due to the mechanical design of the lens, physical imperfections may be visible at the extreme ends of the aperture. Once you get to very small apertures like f/22, diffraction becomes an issue.
Loss of sharpness and diffraction affect lenses of all manufacturers and price ranges. While premium lenses can produce sharp images at large apertures, they still experience the same problems as cheaper lenses.
3. Use the best shutter speed, and use a tripod
At slow shutter speeds, it can be difficult to steady your camera, resulting in a blurry picture. Below 1/80th or 1/60th of a second, the shutter is open for a more extended period of time, which means you’ll likely move the camera. It may be enough to make your heart skip a beat or your breathing become hazy. Don’t make these mistakes when choosing a shutter speed.
Mount your camera on a tripod if you want to use a slow shutter speed. If you don’t want the cost or weight of a large tripod, take a look at a mini tripod like the Manfrotto Pixi, which is small enough to fit in your pocket.
On the other end of the spectrum, an object can be blurry if it’s moving fast and your shutter speed is too slow. Use a faster shutter speed if you are shooting a moving subject. A shutter speed of 1/500 is suitable for someone walking or taking slow motion. For race cars and a diving bird, try shooting at 1/3000th and make sure the subject is well lit.
4. Use HDR or Bracketing for Perfect Exposure
Many cameras offer HDR (High Dynamic Range). Dynamic range refers to how much detail you can see in the darkest areas and the brightest areas of a photo. Usually, if you get good exposure in the shadows, the highlights will be “blown out” and you won’t be able to recover details in the brightest areas and vice versa.
When you turn on the HDR feature, one camera will take three photos. One picture will be at the middle exposure you set on your camera, the next will be a darker picture.