How do you set your camera up for a non-photographer?

Hey everyone,

I was taking photos at a little outdoors event with some of my friends and family, when I got picked on to be part of the performance. I definitely wanted some pics of myself, so I set the camera to green square mode and my sister agreed to help out.

Unfortunately, I did a terrible job of setting up the camera and instructing my sister. I told her that "it's all ready, just press the shutter button to shoot, zoom by turning the lens ring". Unfortunately, since she was used to using a compact camera, seeing no preview image on the back of the camera made her think that it was not in shooting mode, and she searched fruitlessly for a preview/capture switch. Luckily, the sound of the shutter firing convinced her that it was taking pictures and she did, with some trepidation, use the optical viewfinder.

The other problem was that I know next to nothing about the basic scene modes. Things started off fairly static, but after a while there was some action. Of course, the camera is not a mind reader, and stubbornly chose F/8 with low ISO and low shutter speed throughout. Using all focus points meant that it often missed the focus anyway. Shooting in JPG meant that I had limited ability to recover detail from overexposed areas in PP - the scene was people standing in front of a fairly shadowed background, so although the contrast was within the dynamic range of the sensor, there wasn't a whole lot of room for error. The flash randomly decided to pop itself up which resulted in much confusion.

I can definitely see why beginners are disappointed by results in auto mode. My question is, how do you set up your camera when you hand it to somebody who is used to using a compact camera? I should probably read more about the basic scene modes so that I could have chosen an appropriate one, but I'm not sure if any of them would have gotten the results that I would have, since the shooting situation varied. I would have been shooting wide open at low ISO to begin with, and then as the action and depth of subject plane increased, I would have narrowed the aperture by a stop or so boosted the ISO to 800. I think if I did it again I would have put the camera in P mode with ISO at 400.

you could probably use "P" mode so it can just use the center focus point. You could set a higher ISO to try to help the shutter speed some. Or I suppose you could just set it up the same way it would be if you were taking the picture.

IMHO...if I were to set my camera and give it to a "compact user"; I think the safest bet is "Sports" mode in the scene mode selection. You never know when the action is going to break out and at least in that mode the camera is thinking fastest shutter speed available in any given situation. Maybe try that out and see if it helps. In addition to that you may want to try setting a continuous shooting mode along with the sports mode. That way, your user can take one, or multiple continuos shots without any settings to change.

-Scott

Hm, sports mode sounds like quite a good compromise. It seems to have a minimum ISO of 400, which is not too bad. It increases to ISO 800 only to keep the shutter speed above 1/50th. It's kind of a shame that it won't bump ISO to 1600, and won't shoot RAW. But it would certainly reduce subject blur and camera shake in reasonable lighting conditions. Next time, if I do anticipate any movement, I think I'll set it for sports mode.

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It's really simple if you just think it thru for a moment. You are the skilled shooter. You are there and know the environment, the lighting and the camera. You set the camera exactly how you would for the shoot if it were you pushing the button. All she needed to know from you is how to aim and focus, what button to push, and to hold the camera level and steady as she shot. A quickie about composition would have been nice but that's last on the list of worries.

Now before you flame me and say something like "have you ever done it"? Yes I have and here is a thread that covered it about a year ago. I discovered later that my sister in-law was quite inebriated. Woh, and she had my camera in her hands not her P&S.

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1031&message=28452252

Av, AutoISO, continuous.

This at least guarantees somewhat proper exposure.

I've almost never had a positive experience with handing my SLR to someone else, even my photographer friends. An unfamiliar camera in anyone's hands is not going to produce stellar results - just passable ones, at best.

I do that with my XSi the same way I did it way back with my G2, which is to focus and lock the focus (now setting the lens to manual focus), and determining the exposure and setting that into Manual exposure. Nothing left to do but get everyone in the frame and press the shutter release.

I just dont mess with it, if some one cant use an SLR they dont touch my camera because by the time I try to show them how to take a photo I have already lost my patience.

Luckily my girlfriend is a pretty good photographer, if not better than me, and my dad was into photography decades before I was born.

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http://www.CherishtheMomentPhotography.net

The "photographer" I used had never handled a camera before, not even a little p&s.

It was a prosumer camera that I wanted her to use - Canon S5IS.

Pointed out the basics - how to see and frame the subject & shutter operation.

I set the camera on Manual, set the ISO as high as I dared go, set a shutter speed high enough to compensate for any hand-shake (about 1/125 as a minimum).

Then had the "photographer" do a few test shots at the site.

I set the opening (f-stop) based on the test shots.

Turned out ok. Not excellent because the high ISO (so I could set a high shutter speed) introduced some noise. But acceptable photos - and I was in the photos!

Hope this helps.

1) Set dial to P
2) turn on live view
3) see what happens

Photography is supposed to be fun

I set it how I would set it, but with all focus points active, then walk away. When I see them confusingly looking at the blank lcd, I tell them to look through the viewfinder. I also may give a pointer or two on how to hold the camera (i.e. use one hand to support the lens).

No one in my family is a photographer...but my wife has gotten some good ones of me with my daughter.

I put it in AV mode + center focus point. I have taught her how to hold the camera and lens and she does a fairly good job.

My mom just sprays and prays...but has also gotten a few good ones.

A few from my wife...







A few from my mother...









I hate being on the "wrong" side of the lens...but am glad that I have some decent pictures of myself with my family.

Don