If you don’t have your manual, these days they’re all online.
The basics that you need to know about your camera — what you want to look up in your manual first of all (beyond the REAL basics like how to turn it on and charge the battery!): most cameras have various dials and menus. You want to find the following settings or functions:
- formatting your memory card
- completely auto shooting (with most cameras, this is the one of the first topics in your manual)
- focusing
- zooming
- controlling the flash: auto; always on; always off
- setting the ISO
- setting the file size (pixels) and compression
- switching between still images and movies (if your camera does this)
- reviewing your images in the camera
- downloading images to your computer
Then the next functions you’ll need to find — not quite so basic:
- Exposure compensation
- setting the shutter speed
- Auto focus selection — may be called AF Frame
- Macro mode or close-up mode — usually indicated by a little flower icon
- White balance control– often your camera will say AWB (auto white balance)
