Digital Single-lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras are digital cameras that use a mirror to reflect light from the lens into an optical viewfinder on the back of the camera. The mirrors and lenses in DSLRs are interchangeable, which means users can modify their camera’s features as they see fit.
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DSLRs offer many benefits, including high-quality photos, advanced features, and general ease of use. But, you can only get maximum output from the gadget if you understand its components. Good knowledge and understanding of the components or parts of your digital camera will allow you to maximize the gadget’s benefit. Therefore, it is vital to study your DSLR camera to find out the components and the importance of each part.
Suppose you are seeking to upgrade from point-and-shoot cameras to a DSLR camera. In that case, you must know what to look for and learn how the different features affect the capabilities or performance of these modern digital cameras. So, this article will be well-detailed. It will highlight and introduce you to the different parts of DSLR cameras and their effects on the gadget’s performance.
What is the most important feature of a DSLR camera?
While every feature is designed to serve specific purposes, the image sensor is unarguably the most important thing in a DSLR camera. Other important features include autofocus performance, lens compatibility, and the overall build and durability of the camera.
20 Best DSLR Camera Features You Should Know
DSLR cameras have many features which are not present in point-and-shoot cameras. Some of these features are:
1. Aperture Priority Mode
This mode allows you to manually set the aperture and then let the camera automatically select the suitable shutter speed, ISO, and other settings that will result in proper exposure based on the lighting conditions. Aperture priority mode is a helpful photography mode. For beginners, this setting will help improve the quality of your photos because it gives you complete control over the aperture, which is the most crucial setting in any form of photography.
The camera will never change your aperture settings in aperture priority mode, no matter how the light changes. Instead, it will automatically adjust the shutter speed and ISO to suit the lighting conditions. Aperture priority mode is more suitable when shooting landscape or portrait photographs in natural lighting conditions.
Realistically, digital cameras are difficult to understand and operate. The Menu systems are filled with several options, making it difficult to get a perfect uniform setting. However, one must understand them to capture good photos.
We know that understanding the various types of cameras, settings, and techniques can be overwhelming if you are new to the photography industry. Thus, we have provided this master article – camera 101, to help all beginners and even experienced photographers understand their cameras.
Click Below to know all about Cameras, From start to end.
2. Auto ISO Mode
Auto ISO allows you to set a maximum ISO that you will be comfortable capturing the images. Then, as you capture the moments, your camera automatically changes the ISO and exposure value as the lighting condition changes.
The auto ISO feature makes shooting at events (like weddings, parties, and carnivals) with different light sources more fun and fast. Instead of manually changing your camera ISO along with the aperture and shutter speed at every lighting scene, the feature allows your DSLR camera to automatically obtain the best ISO value for the correct and balanced exposure for any new lighting scenes. As the light dims, your ISO automatically increases until it reaches the maximum threshold you set as the highest ISO you would like to shoot the images.
You can also set the minimum shutter speed within this feature when you automatically want the camera to jump to your established maximum ISO. So, as the light in the scenes reduces, the shutter speed declines to let in more light to ensure a balanced exposure. When the shutter speed reduces to the set minimum point, the ISO increases to balance the exposure.
Suppose you want to experiment with this feature, then learn about large photography in our articles learn how to capture photos at carnival? Carnival photography tips and how to do night street photography? Camera Settings and Expert tips
3. Shutter Priority Mode
Shutter priority mode, also called Time value (Tv), is one of the three significant features of DSLR cameras. This mode allows you to select the shutter speed of your DSLR manually and let the camera automatically select the aperture and other settings like ISO, white balance, etc., to ensure correct exposure.
Shutter priority modes are designed for motion photography. To have a faster shutter speed to freeze quick actions or a slower shutter speed to blur and create a sense of motion around a subject.
You might be interested in learning how to do stop motion photography shoot? How to do it at home?
4. Program Mode
Your DSLR camera automatically selects the aperture and shutter speed in program mode. At the same time, you decide on the suitable ISO range for the shooting. Professional photographers and journalists often use this mode to allow for the best balance between aperture and shutter speed to produce well-detailed or well-exposed photographs with sufficient depth of field and sharpness.
Program mode works best in situations when you care less about your aperture and shutter speed but places more emphasis on the ISO.
5. Interchangeable Lens
The option to change your lens is one of the unique features of DSLR digital cameras. This feature allows photographers to change lenses for distinct forms of photography and capture high-quality images from different angles or viewpoints.
There are different sorts of high-quality and professional camera lenses suitable for DSLRs and available for any form or style of photography. Some lenses feature image stabilization which reduces image noise or glares caused by camera shakes when shooting the photos.
6. Flash Mode
Some DSLR cameras feature an in-built or pop-up flash which allows you to capture images in low lighting conditions, such as at events like carnivals or weddings, or when doing night street photography.
The built-in flash feature also allows you to fill in shadows and backlit your subjects. If you are shooting in auto mode, the flash will automatically fire when the lighting condition is poor or your subject is backlit. The flash also pops up and automatically fires when you are in portrait, close-up, and other scene modes. But, in different modes like the M, P, S, and A, you can manually turn on or off the flash.
Many professional photographers do not take this component seriously because it affects image quality, clarity, and colors.
7. Manual Mode
Unlike the aperture priority, shutter priority, and auto ISO modes, the manual mode gives you complete control of your camera settings. Throughout the shooting process, you will decide your exposure value and every other setting.
Shooting in manual mode is ideal when you want a considerable depth of field in combination with a long exposure or any other style or combination your camera wouldn’t be able to pick. You are advised to switch to full manual mode if you know or understand how to set the three variables (aperture, shutter speed, and ISO) for correct photographic exposure.
8. Advanced Metering Sensor
Metering mode is another feature of DSLR that allows the camera to calculate the amount of light available in any condition and set exposure accordingly. A camera’s metering system determines how much light is required to expose an image. When your goal is for your pictures to be well exposed, the metering mode allows you to have enough contrast between darker and lighter areas, leading to evenly exposed photographs. DSLR cameras have an advanced metering sensor (located inside the camera) which optimizes exposure by changing the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO sensitivity according to the brightness of the subjects.
DSLRs’ three basic camera metering systems include – matrix, center-weighted average, and spot metering.
- Matrix Metering – also called evaluative metering, is a mode in most DSLR cameras that allow the camera to meter exposure based on the scene’s dominant colors.
- Spot metering – is typically used to measure the light from a specific area of an image, typically the subject. This may be because the camera does not have an adequate exposure scale for the whole scene, and it is desired to use as little lighting as possible. It is often used when photographing reflective surfaces such as metal or water, which are difficult to measure for a camera’s exposure system.
- Center-weighted metering – calculates the exposure based on the central area in the viewfinder. It typically provides good average reading for most subjects.
9. High Picture Qualities And Sizes
Many DSLR cameras can store or record images in different formats and
sizes depending on the camera range and price. They can record pictures in NEF/RAW, JPEG, and TIFF.
- NEF/RAW – images are saved unprocessed and separately from the camera settings data. This feature allows settings such as exposure and white balance to be changed in the post-processing phase (image editing). You can edit the same images in various ways without reducing or affecting the qualities.
- JPEG – images are processed and compressed using an image-processing algorithm that lessens the file size by reducing the images’ number of details. This feature is ideal if you have limited storage space but still seeking to capture more photographs. However, you should note that the higher the compression ratio, the less information the images will contain; this means low-quality photos.
- Tag Image File Format (TIFF) – images are saved uncompressed and unprocessed. You can edit the pictures countless times without affecting the qualities and information they contain. However, TIFF image files are extraordinarily large and consume a lot of storage space.
NOTE: Image/picture quality refers to the file type and compression ratio used when pictures are saved, while image size, calculated in pixels, refers to the physical dimension of the photographs.
10. Auto Exposure System
The auto-exposure system allows digital cameras to meter the brightness and color of your subjects and automatically adjust exposure for maximum results. This feature allows your camera to produce maximum results with different scenes. However, many professional photographers do not find the optimal exposure suitable for all forms of photographs.
11. ISO Sensitivity
ISO Sensitivity measures the light sensitivity of a film or sensor. Or a measure of the ability of the camera to capture light. DSLR cameras convert the light falling on the sensor into electrical signals for processing. The higher the ISO, the more sensitive it will be to light.
Higher ISO sensitivity ( between 800 to 3200) allows faster shutter speeds, reducing blur or glares caused by moving subjects or camera shakes. However, it can result in the production of noisy pictures.
A camera’s ISO level is equivalent to the sensitivity of a digital sensor to light. A higher ISO will make the camera more sensitive, meaning it will take pictures in less light and less noise. This feature can automatically be turned on or off by the camera or manually by the user.
12. Exposure Compensation
Exposure compensation is a technique used to alter the exposure from the value selected by the camera’s light meter, making photographs darker or brighter. The human eye has a logarithmic response to light intensity, meaning that the eye sees best in a narrow range of intensities around middle gray. On the other hand, the camera sensor has a linear response to light intensity and therefore does not see as well in low-light situations.
Exposure compensation is used to make up for this difference by adjusting the exposure of an image so that it matches what our eyes can see. For example, if you are taking pictures indoors in low-light conditions and want them to appear brighter than they are, you would use negative exposure compensation.
This DSLR camera feature is ideal for backlighting photography. You might be interested in what is backlight compensation photography? Shooting against the light.
13. White Balance
White balance is a feature used to remove the color cast from a photo to make it look more natural or white. This setting is usually found in the camera’s menu and has several presets such as daylight, cloudy, tungsten, and fluorescent. These presets are designed for specific lighting conditions to minimize any potential post-production work.
DSLR cameras also feature auto white balance, which allows the camera to automatically decide the preset to use for the images based on your location, weather condition, and the amount of light available. Suppose you are not satisfied with the auto white balance. In that case, you can manually decide the preset to use for the photographs.
Auto White Balance / Custom White Balance
14. Live View Mode
Compact cameras use an optical viewfinder to frame pictures. In contrast, modern digital cameras use live views to frame images. The live view uses a monitor on the camera’s rear to display light going through the lens. So, pictures are framed in the live view instead of the viewfinder.
Live view mode makes it easier to see what’s in the scene and how your photographs would appear before you take the shots.
15. Versatile Sound Control
You will fancy this feature the more if you are a fan of silent shooting. High-range Digital Single-lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras have a “do not disturb” option in live view mode, allowing you to capture images without noise or any form of mechanical vibrations.
16. Action Mode
Action mode, also called sport mode, is one of the features of DSLR cameras used to take pictures of fast-moving subjects. The mode will increase your ISO and use a faster shutter speed to capture the prompt actions. This mode will help you avoid blurry images and keep the subject in focus.
The action mode is useful when there are a lot of objects moving around in the frame, such as children playing, animals running, or cars driving. It’s also useful for sports photography and for taking pictures of people or things moving quickly.
17. Landscape Mode
Landscape mode, also known as panorama mode, is another unique feature of DSLR cameras. When you select landscape or panorama mode, you tell your camera you want to capture scenery images. And the camera will set a small aperture for maximum depth of field.
18. Macro Mode
Macro mode is a mode on a camera that allows you to take photos of small objects or details at close range. Photographers typically use the macro mode to capture the beauty and detail of nature, small animals, insects, and flowers. It also has many uses in science, engineering, and industry.
You can learn more about macro photography in our article How To Do Macro Flower Photography? Vibrant, Razor-Sharp Photos Of Flowers.
Bonus Tip: It is vital to use the right lens for the job in macro photography. A macro lens will allow you to get closer to your subject than other lenses.
19. Night Portrait Mode
Night Portrait Mode is a feature on some cameras that allows you to take better portrait photos at night. It is also known as the “Portrait” mode. It is an advanced photography mode on the camera that allows you to take pictures of people in low light conditions, such as indoors or outdoors at dusk or night.
The Night Portrait Mode has become a popular camera feature among professional photographers who want to capture night portrait photographs without a flashlight or external lighting conditions.
Do you want to learn more about nighttime photography and the best camera settings for night street pictures? Then, you might want to check our articles on how to do night street photography? Camera Settings and Expert tips, and the Nighttime Photography Settings To Capture The Best Night City Life Photos.
20. Portrait Mode
The portrait mode is another feature of DSLR cameras that allows photographers to easily take photos of people with a shallow depth of field. This technique blurs the background and makes the subject stand out.
The main idea behind portrait mode on DSLR cameras is to give the photographer more control over the depth of field. The photographer can adjust the aperture and focus on a specific photo area. This means that only one person will be in focus while everything else will be blurred out.
You can learn more about portrait photography in our article All You need to know about portrait photography. Start portrait photography today!
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Note: “Night portrait mode” is not the same as “portrait mode” on DSLR cameras. Night portrait mode is designed for low-light situations. In contrast, portrait mode allows you to manipulate focus, depth of field, and other features for portrait pictures in any lighting situation.
Night portrait mode usually means shooting with a slower shutter speed and lower ISO. Shutter speed is measured from 1/s to 30s, while ISO is estimated from 100 to 800. However, night portraits can be shot in daylight if you use a high ISO or fast shutter speed instead of automatically letting the camera set it. You can learn more about the settings for portrait photography in our article What are the Best settings for portrait photography?
Other Features Of DSLR Cameras You Must Know
- In-built GPS capabilities
- Long-lasting batteries
- Ability to stabilize images
- Easy to use.
- Touch screen features.
- Wireless File Transfer Options
- Focus tracking
This article has highlighted the different features of DSLR cameras, including exposure compensation, aperture priority mode, live view features, and a host of others. Examine your DSLR camera for these unique components and capture different photographs while toggling your settings. What are your favorite features? Tell us in the comments box below.
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