Single Lens Reflex
Basic Camera Operations
1. View-Finder
Eyepiece.
2. Film Advance
Lever.
3. Shutter Release
Button.
4. Shutter Speed
Dial.
5. Film Speed Dial.
6. Film Rewind
Release Button.
7. Film Rewind
Knob.
8. Lens Release
Button.
9. Aperture Adjust
Ring.
10. Focusing Ring.
11.Battery
Compartment
Cover.
Camera Parts
• Can you find your:
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View-Finder Eyepiece.
Film Advance Lever.
Shutter Release Button.
Shutter Speed Dial.
Film Speed Dial.
Film Rewind Release Button.
Film Rewind Knob.
Lens Release Button.
Aperture Adjust Ring.
Focusing Ring.
Battery Compartment Cover.
Exposure:
• Four Factors that affect Exposure:
-Available Light
-Shutter Speed
-Aperture
-ISO (Film Speed)
• What is the film speed we use?
• Is it bright or dim?
• What combination of shutter speed and aperture will expose
my film properly?
• How does my light meter work?
Film Speed
Film Speed- measures how QUICKLY film reacts to light.
Film Speeds: 32, 64, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200
Slower Speed Film:
32, 64, 100 ASA/ISO
Medium Speed Film:
200, 400 ASA/ISO
Fast Speed Film:
800, 1600, 3200
ASA/ISO
Needs MORE
available light
Can work with MORE
or LESS light
Needs LESS available
light
Finer Film Grain
Medium Film Grain
Larger Film Grain
Film Speed
Exposure:
• Exposure is the total amount of light that
reaches your film or CCD screen.
• For any given ISO and lighting condition there
is one correct amount of light to properly
expose the film.
• Exposure= Quantity of light x the Duration
• Controlling film exposure involves balancing
the shutter speed with the lens aperture.
Aperture:
• Exposure= Quantity of light x the Duration
• Exposure= Aperture x Shutter Speed
• Aperture is the opening in the lens that controls the
amount of light let into the camera.
• F/stop numbers indicate the size of each aperture opening.
• f/2 f/2.8 f/4 f/5.6 f/8 f/11 f/16 f/22
• f/2 is the largest opening. Therefore allowing the most light in.
• f/22 is the smallest opening. Therefore allowing the least
amount of light in.
• This is a normal range of f/stops on an SLR camera.
• Each f/stop represents twice as much light as the f/stop after it
or half as much light as the f/stop before it.
f/2
f/2.8
f/4
f/5.6
Large Amount of Light
Shallow Depth-of-Field
f/8
f/11
f/16
f/22
Small Amount of Light
Great Depth-of-Field
Aperture Ring
• You can change your aperture with your aperture ring
on your lens. Generally it is the ring closest to the
camera body.
• Rotate the aperture ring until the f/stop you want
clicks into place (you can also set your aperture in
between f/stops at ½ stops).
• With electronic models you usually rotate a small
thumb- or finger-wheel on the camera body to change
the f/stop number on the camera’s display panel.
•F/stop numbers indicate the size of each aperture opening.
•What are the specific f/stops on your lens or camera?
•f/2 is the largest opening. f/2 allows the most light in.
•What is the largest aperture opening on your camera?
f/2
•f/22 is the smallest opening. f/22 allows the least amount
of light in.
•What is the smallest aperture opening on your camera?
f/22
Shutter System:
• Exposure= Quantity of light x the Duration
• Exposure= Aperture x Shutter Speed
• The Shutter is a curtain or set of metal blades that opens and
closes to regulate how long light is let into the camera.
• Shutter Speed is the duration of time the shutter stays open.
Shutter speeds are expressed in fractions of a second.
Therefore shutter speed “30” actually stands for 1/30 of a
second.
• 1, ½, ¼, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000
• Shutter speeds vary from camera to camera but in general the
traditional sequence starts at 1 second and each increment gets
shorter by half as much time.
• Each shutter speed lets in half as much light as the one before
it and twice as much light as the setting after it.
Setting Shutter Speed
• 1
2
4
8
15
30 60
125 250
500 1000
Slower………………………………………………………………..Faster
More Light (enters the camera)……………..Less Light (enters the camera)
Blurred Motion………………………………………………..Sharp Motion
• Warning: when hand-holding your camera you
generally do not want to set your shutter speed below
“30”. In fact, if you have a long focal length (larger
than 80mm) you should not set your shutter speed
slower than “60”.
Shutter Speed Dial
• A traditional shutter speed dial is usually found on
top of the camera body on the right-hand side. You
can adjust your shutter speeds by rotating the dial to
align with a dash mark of some kind on your camera.
• Modern SLR’s adjust shutter speed with a rotating
thumb- or finger-wheel, usually located on the top or
back of the camera body, and displayed on the
electronic screen.
• Many SLR’s also display the f/stop and shutter speed
in the viewfinder frame.
The Light Meter:
• To make sure you correctly expose your film you
need to measure a subject’s brightness.
• A Light Meter is an instrument used to measure light,
indicating combinations of f/stops and shutter
speeds needed for correct exposure.
• Your camera has a built-in light meter. Light meters
come in various types and some require more careful
use and interpretation than others.
• It is most important for you to understand how your
light meter works specifically.
Focusing Ring
• This ring is on the lens farthest from the camera
body.
• Do not confuse the focus ring with your zoom
function on telephoto lenses.
• Be careful not to over focus. Once you get it focused,
fire. Learn to manually focus.
• Different camera types have different focusing aids.
Learn yours and others.
• Do not manually focus when your lens is in autofocus
mode.
Questions:
• Imagine: it is a bright, sunny day with snow on the ground. You have a
shutter speed set of “125.” What aperture will most likely expose your film
correctly?
f/2.8……….or………f/16?
f/16
• Imagine: You are indoors in the evening and it is mostly artificial light.
You have an aperture setting of f/8. What shutter speed will most likely
expose your film properly?
1/30………….or………….1/250?
1/30
• Imagine: You have just used your light meter to properly expose your film
at: f/11@60.
You then adjust your aperture to f/5.6. (Imagine the light is exactly the
same) what shutter speed will properly expose your film?
1/250
• Why do you not want to set your shutter speed slower than 30 when handholding your camera?