Sony DSC-S650 - Manual (Page 22)

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Using the histogram to assist exposure. The underexposed image has no
bright values. The overexposed image has no dark values. The correct
exposure has a full range of values from black to white. (Sample photos
for illustration purposes.)
The LCD monitor histogram is a graph
of your exposure. This graph shows that
while most of the picture is in the deep
shadow range, the picture contains the
full range of brightness levels.
CORRECT EXPOSURE OVER EXPOSURE UNDER EXPOSURE
INTERPRETING A HISTOGRAM
BLACK WHITE
# of Pixels
Brightness
Histogram
A quick and easy way to confirm proper
exposure; great for getting pictures right
the first time.
Are you getting the right exposure? Under
most situations, just one look at the LCD
monitor will reveal the answer. But when
difficult viewing conditions make it hard
for you to see subtle shading on the LCD
monitor, the Sony histogram display has
the answers. This LCD monitor display
indicates the exact details of your exposure.
The histogram is a graph showing how
many pixels in the image occur at each
light intensity, all the way from full black
(at the left) to full white (at the right). In
general, you have the correct exposure when
the histogram indicates pixels across the
full range of light intensity.
White Balance
Get natural-looking colors in every lighting
condition, expand your creativity.
The brain understands that a white piece
of paper is still “white” whether it’s seen in
sunlight, fluorescent light or incandescent
light. But in digital photography, the white
paper could end up looking reddish, yellowish
or greenish, depending on the main light
source. That’s why Sony cameras have
sophisticated White Balance controls. White
Balance establishes the “right” color balance
for a wide variety of conditions. You can also
adjust white balance to alter color values, for
another dimension in photographic creativity.
Dynamic Range
Optimizer (DRO)
A BIONZ processor function that delivers
better exposure in highlight and shadow
areas.
Spot metering makes sense in cases like this, when
the subject is much brighter than the background.
(Sample photo for illustration purposes.)
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CAMERA CONTROL CAMERA CONTROL
Dynamic Range Optimizer can help pull detail out of the shadows, especially in difficult backlight conditions. (Sample photos
for illustration purposes.)
Taking your best shot
Why can’t a camera capture what the eye
sees? Often, the culprit is limited dynamic
range. Expose for shadow detail and you
end up “blowing out” the highlights. Expose
for the highlights and you end up “crushing”
the blacks. That’s where the Sony Dynamic
Range Optimizer (DRO) comes in.
In selected Cyber-shot cameras, DRO
automatically adjusts exposure and contrast
to achieve optimal results. Even when there’s
a huge difference in brightness between
your subject and the background (such
as family members back-lit by the setting
sun), your pictures are beautifully exposed.
The a100 Digital SLR offers two distinct
modes of DRO. DRO Normal selects from
the most appropriate of 400,000 gamma
curves to improve shadow detail. DRO
Advanced adjusts area-by-area, to maximize
detail in both highlight and shadow areas.
Burst mode
Catch a rapid sequence of shots, great for
sports and unpredictable subjects like
kids and pets.
If you can’t predict when the perfect shot
might occur, Burst mode gives you a range
of choices. Burst mode shoots rapidly
and repeatedly, with the number of shots
depending on image size and memory
transfer speed. Also depending on
memory transfer speed, the a100 can
continue taking pictures at 3 frames per
second up to the limit of the memory card.
ISO sensitivity adjustment
Electronic adjustment for increased
sensitivity when you need it.
The ability to change ISO sensitivity with a
flick of a switch is a big difference between
film photography and digital photography.
It’s like going from low-speed film to high-
speed film in an instant. As you select higher
ISO sensitivity, you increase the electronic
“gain,” achieving a brighter image at some
sacrifice in picture “noise” or “grain.” Because
each ISO level is also an EV step, you can
creatively trade off ISO settings versus aperture
and shutter settings to achieve the effect
you want.
Auto Bracketing
“Exposure insurance” for once-in-a-lifetime
photo opportunities.
Auto Bracketing takes three consecutive
pictures at, above and below the auto
exposure level. Depending on camera
model, you can adjust the bracketing from
+/- 1/3 Exposure Value (EV) to +/- 1 EV.
Note that long shutter speeds exaggerate
the effect of camera shake. Clear images
require steady hands or some means of
camera support, such as a Sony accessory
tripod. Camera shake is also exaggerated
when you zoom the lens to telephoto.
Aperture Priority Auto Exposure
An advanced mode for greater creative
control.
Aperture Priority enables you to select the
lens opening or “f number” manually, while
the camera automatically selects the
appropriate shutter speed. This lets you
choose a wide opening (low f number) to
blur the background or a narrow opening
(high f number) to keep both the subject
and the background in sharp focus.
AE Lock
Enables you to lock in the exposure first,
before you frame the shot. Perfect when the
subject will be far off-center in the frame.
Manual Exposure
For total creative control, a wide range of
Sony cameras offers Manual Exposure.
When you want the ultimate control over your
photography, there is no substitute for Manual
Exposure mode. Selecting your shutter speed
and aperture means exercising sophisticated
control over the way you capture motion
and the separation between foreground
and background. Manual Exposure puts
the entire mood and emphasis of each
shot into your hands.
A narrow aperture (high f number) keeps everything in
focus (left) while a wide-open aperture (low f number)
tends to blur the background, calling the viewers’ attention
to the subject. (Sample photos for illustration purposes.)
Multi-Pattern Measuring
Sony divides the image into 49 points to
measure incoming light and intelligently
set exposure levels.
A crucial factor in any auto exposure system
is the method of measuring incoming light.
Our Multi-Pattern Measuring examines
49 points across the frame in a seven-by-
seven grid. In this way, the camera isn’t
thrown off by a single bright highlight or
deep shadow.
For additional flexibility, Center-Weighted
and Spot metering ensure proper exposure
when the subject is far brighter or darker
than the background.
Our Multi-Pattern Measuring won’t get thrown off by a
single bright highlight or deep shadow. (Sample photo
for illustration purposes.)
Auto Bracketing automatically takes shots at, over and under the automatically determined Exposure Value. (Sample
photos for illustration purposes.)
49 POINT
ANALYSIS
Shadow Highlight