Olympus E-410 - Manual (Page 21)

EN
21
2 Improving your shooting skills – Shooting guides
Take pictures frequently to familiarize yourself with the camera. You can start off by taking
pictures of your surrounding subjects like children, flowers or pets. And from the poor quality
pictures you have taken, try to figure out what went wrong. The problems can often be resolved
just by being more observant during shooting.
Focus: Operating the shutter button
Out of focus seems to be the common cause when pictures
taken do not turn out well. In many cases, instead of the
intended focus on the subject, the back or front of the subject or
other objects are focused.
The shutter button can be half-pressed and full pressed. Once
you are able to operate the half-press and full press effectively,
you can even focus accurately on moving subjects.
g “Shooting” (P. 7), “If correct focus cannot be obtained
(Focus lock)” (P. 31)
However, even if the subject is in focus, the picture can become
blurred if the camera moves while the shutter button is being
pressed. Make sure to hold the camera properly so that it does
not shake. The camera is particularly subject to shaking when
using live view to take pictures while viewing the subject on the
monitor. In addition, it may be necessary to use a tripod to
prevent camera shake even when you feel there is sufficient
lighting.
g “Holding the camera” (P. 7)
Besides out of focus and camera shake problems, the motion of the subject will also cause the
picture to blur. Ability to shoot at a shutter speed that matches the motion of the subject is
essential. You can confirm the shutter speed and aperture on the displays of the viewfinder and
monitor when taking pictures by pressing the shutter button halfway. Check out these displays
during your shooting practices.
g “How to use the mode dial” (P. 14), “Preview function” (P. 30), “Live view” (P. 18)
Brightness: Exposure compensation
The camera automatically determines the aperture value and
shutter speed according to the brightness level. This is known
as auto exposure. However, auto exposure alone may not result
in pictures of your expectations. At times like this, you can
adjust the exposure through increasing or decreasing the
exposure value set by the camera’s auto exposure during
shooting.
Increase the exposure when you want the dazzling sensation of
the summer beach or the whiteness of the snow to stand out.
And decrease the exposure when the area to be shot is smaller
and brighter compared to its surrounding area. If you are unsure how much exposure
compensation is required, it is better to take the picture with various settings.
g “Exposure compensation – Varying the image brightness” (P. 47)
Basic function guides
Halfway down: All the way down:
Im
provi
ng your
shooting skil
ls – Shooting guides
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