I always change the file name settings by changing the “DSC” to my own initials. I got into this habit when I began managing a team of photographers and needed a way to prevent files overwriting other files that had the same name when uploading to a central media catalog. Now all my team add their own initials in front of file names. This also helps me identify who the photographer of a particular picture is so that I can give proper credit to them on publications.
Use high speed continuous - absolutely. You tapped on *Hi+* mode -- note the plus sign. Really gotta be careful with that - because it has a huge downside. Your viewfinder *stops* updating in realtime. If you've ever wondered why you were losing the ability to accurately track moving subjects in the frame and you had that enabled, this is why. Edit: Other downside is when shooting at apertures tighter than f/11 - because continuous autofocus only works until you hit the shutter in Hi+ mode at any aperture greater than f/11. If you're at Hi+ and f/16 the moment you hit the shutter your continuous AF is disabled and the focus is locked to whatever you had - and it stays that way for the entire burst. It's just a really fast way of taking an entire burst of out-of-focus images. Edit Edit: You've both often mentioned the problem of viewfinder lag. If you've had that mode enabled I wonder if perhaps this was the primary source of it? Edit x3: Something to always change on Sony cameras: *DRO* = Dynamic Range Optimization. Turn this *OFF* -- worst default setting in the history of photography. It "optimizes" the dynamic range of your JPG files. This sounds helpful - until you realize that it also affects the embedded preview JPG in your RAW files. This also sounds harmless - until you find out that your *histogram* is based upon that embedded JPG preview. If you're shooting raw and chimping to check the histogram, it is literally *lying* to you and you end up with all your shots being 1 or 2 stops underexposed. /rage
I set pretty stuff that you mentioned. Date/Time, Image format JPG+RAW, No shutter without card, shutter release with no lens (unrecognizable lens), I also change to "uncompressed raw" type (by default it set to compressed on Sony). Sometimes I also change autofocus type - depending on what I'm planning to shoot and that is what my custom button set too. I do not switch to continues shooting unless I shoot moving subject (model, bird, bug etc). I also like my beeping otherwise I'm unsure whats going on, so I only turn it off if absolutely needed, for example during some ceremony like wedding). I use only high speed memory cards and always have 1 extra for each cam (I usually carry 2 cameras, to avoid disaster if 1 camera failed). and have 4-5 extra batteries on me (sometimes they fail and die forever, once I had to trash 2 batteries of the same day, thats why its good to have extra).
One thing I do, you haven't mentioned, is to change the the copyright information on the camera. You can change it in post, but it's easier to have it set up correctly from the beginning. Other than that, I agree with you on almost every setting - except for shooting mode. I change that according to what I shoot. I often use old manual lenses, and I prefer to shoot in single shot mode, when I do that. Switching between modes is so simple and easy to do, I like to think, I get more out of my camera by using different modes for different things (beyond the obvious 2 sec. self timer for landscapes when using a tripod and slow shutter speeds).
The copyright I found (embedded in the RAW) is only really useful if hand out your raws, which most don't do. I put a basic copyright in mine, but I put a more extensive one in post using LR and a Metadata profile. For mine, it's basic info (simple copyright note and my name and email address but that's it).
8:00 - I met a person who was getting into photography, and she loved her camera. She said it wasn't functioning perfectly, but she was okay with working around the limitations of its issues. She asked me to grab a quick picture of her, and yep, the diopter was completely screwed up. One spin of the finger later and she was over the moon with gratitude. It made me feel like a magician XD
@@tahwnikcufos I certainly have, many times. Set it to a correct focus for me, show the owner how and allow them to fine tune to their vision. Don't be a doo doo head.
@@WanderingBobAK I guess you missed the "my own vision part"... you should probably work on reading comprehension, before calling people out on stuff. Just a thought.
That’s funny. I know a lot of people who don’t know the diopter exists. Personally, there are events where I shoot with no glasses on, so the diopter is my friend.
Enjoyed this video! Some necessary info for folks. I'm a bit more obsessive...I get a new camera and I go through EVERY SINGLE MENU item enabling, disabling, and modifying options. The up side of being that obsessive is that I've seen every option in every menu and helps me get just that much more familiar with my camera :-)
I often shoot birds and have found when I have a subject that is intent on looking away the beep will draw its attention toward the business end of the camera and I get better shots. With hummingbirds, who's color changes with just the slightest movement of their heads it is most helpful.
Some things I like to change or check after shooting (and, because I don't always remember, before I shoot as well): Go back to base ISO; zero out the exposure compensation; zero out bracketing; set f/wide open; go to single shot (that's where I stay unless I really, really need burst shooting because, unlike you, I only use it when I need it - different strokes!). I like my Black Rapid strap, but only when I don't have my camera railed onto something like a tripod head. Thanks for the video!
What I love about this video is how you're not projecting to be perfect. You'r like hey I mess up but this is what I did to correct it. I dunno just made it seem like I'm not the only one....lol Loved this.
I really like the calm and informative way of which you (and your husband) convey information in a calm an interesting way without being too quirky like some photographers with TH-cam channels try to do.
You and Tony have been great for me. I’m buying my first camera soon. I travel globally, full time and everywhere is a photo opportunity. I’m loving the results I’m getting with just my phone.
Great video thank you! When I am adjusting my diopter I look at the numbers in the viewfinder instead of the scene. I find if those numbers are sharply In Focus for my eyes then the focus in the viewfinder is correct out in the real world
I always have looked at the # and not the scene. My camera readouts are only on a short time so I need one finger to spin wheel and one to hold shutter down. Problem I want to use index finger for both. Need a third hand
OMG THANKYOU!! I’m extremely new to this and I got some lenses on Amazon and could not figure out why they were not focusing but turning off the setting to use without memory card cleared it up. Not real sure why no one mentioned that! Seems pretty important!
I have a lucky strap as well (one of my kids gave it to me as a gift). I've never taken it off my camera even when I've gone on multi-day hikes in the wilderness. The strap is a couple of years old now and very soft! Thank you for the video, Chelsea!
Thanks Chelsea. I was into photography many years earlier with a 35mm film camera. I didn't survive the jump to digital. However now I am just getting back into it with a new to me camera and lenses. D5200. I am finding it a little overwhelming with the lingo and all the settings. I have watched you and your husbands vids on youtube along with many other folks vids. However I find yours to be the easiest to understand for me. So I will be getting a couple of your books soon.
Dave, I was looking at the 5200 at one time but found the 3000 Series was more comfortable in my hands. Also noted that the 7000 Series was what I preferred to keep sensor compatibility with the Studio I was working with at the time.
Aren't settings essentially the same? I mean, you have ISO, aperture and shutter speed. Aperture priority, shutter priority, manual all work the same. Focus, either manual or auto are the same. Push the button. It's the computer stuff that's different, but most film photographers were scanning slides into the computer and using Photoshop before switching to digital cameras, and some programs like Elements are really intuitive.
Custom settings/functions. I just added two additional cameras, and the first thing I do is change the function buttons and settings to match my normal shooting environments. I was just shooting a sporting event the other day, and one photographer said man I hate how the clouds keep coming out right when I’m shooting something. I remembered him from a couple years back. I reminded him that if you had custom settings set up, all you would have to do is flip a switch when the clouds come out and keep on shooting. Plan ahead of time with custom settings, and you don’t have to miss the shot.
I haven't tried back button focusing before. I was wondering how it would work with wildlife photography but you said you like using it for that so I'll give it a try. I also want to start doing more night time photos this summer so the example you gave will save me a lot of future trouble. A strap with a quick release sounds super handy, especially when I want to use a gimbal so I bought 2 straps. My photography mistake stories: With my first wedding shoot my memory card filled up during some group photos. I didn't notice since my camera took and previewed the images like normal. Fortunately, I had switched out the memory card after the group photos so I didn't miss out on too much afterwards. When my diopter was first off, I thought maybe something was dirty so I cleaned everything. I was frustrated when all I saw was blurriness again looking through the viewfinder. Finally I wondered, "what does this little scroll wheel do?.... Ohhhh."
Great tips, Chelsea. I would only differ with you regarding straps. I'm a professional product and lifestyle photographer and I haven't had a strap on any camera in years. My cameras are either on a tripod (90% of the time), in my hand, or plunked down on the ground. Street photography? Hiking? Sure, straps make sense. But in the studio or on location, just one more thing to trip over or get tangled up in...and I'm clumsy enough already. Thanks to you and Tony for all the great content you two put out!
As a life long photographer of 52 years, I’m here to see what tips I might wish I knew about sooner. Well, I’m proud to say that being a seasoned photographer that there was not a single tip here that I’m not already doing. The biggest and most important tip if I had to give only one would be setting the image size to maximum resolution, and just leave it there. You can always decrease the image file size later if need be, and if you need to digitally zoom in to crop, you’ll have extra pixel power to work with before you start seeing digital distortion, better known as pixeling. This tip I just gave is like a gold nugget. BTW, don’t set your ISO any higher then you absolutely need, as this will minimize white noise (digital image noise) in your images. Looking forward to the new INSAIN 61MP SONY A7 IIIV
My slogan is "Clear, Concise and To-The-Point. That's exactly what you have done here. I'm revisiting shooting manually again after 46 years. This video helped me to create a solid baseline to work from. Thank You!
1:45, part 2. Take the time to change your date and time when you go to a different time zone. This may not seem like a big deal, but most of us are shooting with cell phones as well as a dedicated camera. If you are on vacation and want to organize ALL your photos this will become important because the cell phone will update date and time and your pictures will end up all mixed up by whatever time zone difference (or possibly date). Ask me how I know. Oh, and that was way more than 5.
Good tips. You might consider a video on what settings to check EVERY TIME you go out on a new shoot. I've screwed up a lot of photos by failing to check my settings. Specifically, white balance, flash on/off, shutter rate (continuous, single [for studio], self-timer [I've left it on after doing self-portraits or long shutter speed releases], ISO, etc.
One of the first settings I change is the AF Assist Beam. This goes off straight away! I mean, who really needs that, and how annoying is it for the subject to have that keep going off all the time throughout the shoot? That, and setting up back-button focus, and turning the beeps off is a must for me with any new camera.
Yeah I find that it’s a situational thing. I went into a cave with my camera where it was pitch black but then some candles were lit and so I went to take a shot and the light came on and was super dumb so I covered it with my finger and then changed the setting. Oops. But yeah especially if you use MF lenses like I di now, remove the beam
that was the first thing that pissed me off right out the box. I was testing my new camera on my aquarium and immediately freaked out my fish and they all hid
That beam is definitely annoying but it is there for a reason… to get better and faster focus in dark situations. I use it when it is needed, just learn how to quickly turn it on/off on your camera.
The lucky strap blew my mind. I use a strap for shorter walks and Spider system camera belt for the longer ones. I spent so much time to getting the strap on and off my camera. Thank you Chelsea!
Great tips! For a strap, I keep an old thick 35mm era strap - those suckers are built to take a bit of weight! You can find these at thrift shops, often with an old camera and lens for less than the price of a new strap. And I agree - I've been asked more than once about blurry viewfinders to find that someone mistakenly adjusted the diopter.
I wouldn’t recommend an old and second hand strap for hygiene purpose. Imagine sweat and dirt from an unhygienic person transferring to your neck. In fact when I buy a second hand camera, I buy a new strap also and leave the old strap in the camera box to sell it later with the camera.
Not a fixed setting but always double check your settings. I do a lot of wildlife photography and being disabled I drive and shoot from my vehicle. I've missed a few really awesome things because I was photographing the moon the night before and didn't go back to my wildlife settings. The best shot of a kestrel I ever had was completely over exposed.
Done about the same. Had ISO set for a candle lit ceremony indoors. Then went out in the sunlight for celebrations. Do ho think I remembered to put down ISO to a reasonable value?
@@BlokeOnAMotorbike You can indeed, but that wonderful feature only works to a certain degree as well. The more correction & editing is neccessary, the more quality is usually lost.
When I first got a new digital camera years ago, I forgot to change the setting to shoot without a card. I shot a bunch, and then later wanted to cry. I have not forgotten that one since.
@@leo.girardi some people control their camera from a laptop... you can save the photos directly to laptop hard drive 😊. Great if you're taking longer exposures through telescopes and star trackers 👍
Hi Chelsea, addition to #7. Connect an external harddrive to your computer and load the pictures to the external drive. More ideal setup for backups, use a NAS drive with (at least) 2 HDDs in backup mode (the 2 drives are backing up each other every time) When 1 drive fails, you are still save with the other drive. Call Murphy when all your NAS drives having a bad hair day and both drives are broken ;) Cheers from The Netherlands 😎
I also change the "shutter focus priority" button. At least on Sony, they let you tell the camera how long to try to focus before giving up. I found selecting priority "focus" is best for me. That is, I tell the camera don't release shutter until you have achieved focus. Sony's default is "balanced" which allows the camera to try to focus, give up and shoot anyway. (I don't use back button autofocus.)
Six months ago I bought a Canon T7. I didn't realize it didn't come with a charger. I went back to Best Buy where I bought the camera. They said they did not carry the carger nor could they order it. Best Buy gave me the number of the charger (Canon LP-E10) and told me good luck. I was able to buy a new battery but that is a little pricey. Before buying any Canon product I would recommend either buying the charger first or choosing another camera option. I would not recommend Best Buy as where to get your best buy.
Re: Checking the diopter knob. Some years ago I bought a Nikon off ebay the seller said had a blurry viewfinder. Got a great price on it. Sure enough, all that was wrong was the diopter knob was just cranked to one end of its range.
The diopter adjustment is to make the viewfinder information, f stop, shutter speed and other information sharp. It's not to get the subject of the photo sharp, focusing the lens does that.
Great video! I turn off the wireless and Bluetooth until I need them to avoid draining the battery unintentionally. BBAF all day long, cannot be overstated.
Thanks Chelsea! I know I heard about the back button focus from Tony. But, I was so new to photography at the time, and didn't see the purpose. So glad you did this refresher video for old fogies like me!
I love BBF. i put a white dot on the diopter and camera so if I get a problem easy fix line the dots up. I always check there is a memory card in the camera , nothing worse than cutting the day short. Totaly with you on turning the bells an whistles of a silent shot is mor enjoyable.
First of all, thank you Chelsea for your tips. The first thing I change is color space -> choose Adobe RGB instead of sRGB because Adobe RGB has a wider range of colors ;-)
AHHHH!! I turned off RAW, during my Daughters Graduation HAT TOSS, to get more shots, and avoid a lengthy saving.... Then, took a pile of once in a life time photos, with her, and left RAW off.... Fortunately, things came really well, but I want to go back in time and have those RAW images. Raw saved SO many pics from that day!
Okay first of all, you're adorable. Second of all I'm old enough to be your grandpa so don't think I'm creepy. A third, how about I give a tip for your people that will really help them get sharper images when shooting handheld. Do this even if you have vibration reduction or image stabilization on your digital camera. If your camera is cropped and you are shooting with a long lens, set the TV or shutter speed to four times the lens length. For example if you have a 300 mm lens, and you have a cropped camera then you would want the shutter speed to be at least 1/1200th or higher. If you have a full frame camera, then set it for two times the lens length. So a 300 mm lens on a full frame camera, the shutter speed should be a minimum of 1/600th or higher. It never harms an image to shoot at a higher shutter speed. If one is shooting on a tripod, all of this can be ignored, as long as your hands free on the camera in other words no hands on the camera. So you have to shoot with a timer or a remote trigger. Hope this helps have a great day.
These days auto-ISO functions can often take this into account and automatically adjust the minimum shutter speed to be no less than 1/focal length, which is the general rule of thumb for a full frame camera to get most shots sharp. Presumably they adjust this according to the 35mm-equivalent focal length on cropped sensor cameras. Furthermore they may allow you to tweak it, eg Nikon Z cameras let you adjust this to ½ or 2x the rule-of-thumb speed, depending on whether you want to really guarantee that each shot is sharp or reduce the ISO and rely more on image stabilisation. For me I think it's a shame if you have 4-5 stops worth of image stabilisation in your lens or camera and you're just defaulting to 2 or 3 times the shutter speed that would probably get you a sharp shot even without it, because that may require a much higher ISO and significantly more noise, depending on light levels and creative aperture choice. I prefer to make use of the IS technology to keep the ISO down and fire off a few frames to ensure I get a sharp one.
@@rhythmace1 well I haven't seen the computer chip in the Canon or the Nikon that will do away with blurry images handheld with a telephoto or zoom at a high aperture. Try my rule it really works. It does require to shoot in shutter priority everybody gives you more selection on ISO because you can choose that manually. As you know the lower the eye so the better the print.
@@michaelharris3450 That's the thing, Auto-ISO settings in recent cameras may allow you to set your camera up to do *exactly* what you are suggesting, but automatically in A and P modes, so you don't have to think about it and can have control over depth of field as well. That's what I've done on my Nikon Z5, except that I've tweaked it to a lower multiplier of the basic 1/focal length formula (approx 1/4x, as opposed to your recommended 2x) to keep my images cleaner while the IBIS (usually) keeps them sharp.
@@rhythmace1 interesting! But I don't know how that would work. Most of us old codgers, learned how to shoot with cameras that were only manual. Back in the film days. So we had no automatic settings. And we had to learn how to be great photographers if we so desired, by knowing a stops. Not only what they did but how to manipulate them. Photography was a lot more mechanical, unless artistic. Now we're in an artistic mode, where amazing young photographers like yourself and focus more in composition which really makes a great picture. A famous female photographer published a book, a photo coffee table book, of her work with other famous people and celebrities. The composition the scenes the settings, we're just amazing. But the technical work was so poor, that when the pictures were even blown up large enough to be put in that book, they were not sharp and it was sort of a detriment to her work. Old school is get it right and you can print it any size. That's what made Richard Avon so great when he started printing and he was the first photographer to print 6 ft by 12 ft images that were just amazingly sharp and details. Photographers like that back in the day did not shoot and low f numbers. We kind of hung around f11. But we had rules that if we know how to break them we could break them. One of those rules is to eliminate distractions and capture the exact the size of moments. And we eliminated the distraction of blur by shooting mostly on a tripod and f11. That way when the shutter got too slow we wouldn't have a camera shake. But please don't let this thread detract from your amazing work and ability.
@@michaelharris3450 To be honest I happily used the same camera for 6 years and had not kept abreast of technological developments, so the new capability is new to me too. I'm not sure how familiar you are with "traditional" Auto-ISO settings, but they basically manage your ISO for you by automatically increasing it if a correct exposure cannot be achieved at the current exposure settings, and turn ISO into an automatable exposure variable like aperture and shutter speed already are. Where aperture and shutter speed are variable according to PASM mode it will first adjust these as far as possible, and only then increase the ISO if necessary. Obviously your lens provides a hard limit on the maximum aperture, but the Auto-ISO settings usually provide a minimum shutter speed parameter so than when shutter speed is the automated variable (in A mode etc) that it can't get too low. Now, recent cameras have improved on the options for minimum shutter speed so instead of a fixed absolute value they can automatically determine the slowest speed they should allow before boosting ISO based on the current focal length the camera is reading from the lens. In this way it won't boost your ISO up as much with a wide-angle lens as it would with a tele, potentially giving you less noisy images while hopefully still keeping everything sharp. I know what you mean about all the automation, I have at time felt like I was cheating with some of these settings! But on the whole, while I can romanticise about the sheer technical skill that used to be required with all-manual operation, as you say I think that anything that lets photographers concentrate on their artistic vision and composition is a good thing. When I first got interested in photography in the 80s my Dad gave me a little pocket exposure calculator wheel he'd made in the 50s, and it's fun to think of all the thought and preparation that used to have to go into getting a half decent shot using a hand-held meter and manual settings, and there's more than a little nostalgia there for me, but I'm so glad we don't *have to* do that any more!
One thing about continuous, I use it a lot for taking pictures of my son's hockey games. For the 5d Mark II, there was only continuous. For my 5d Mark IV, there is continuous high and low. Initially I was using high (LOTS of pictures!) but I realized that perhaps I should go to low. My Mark II died while at Universal Studios Hollywood and it was due to shutter failure. I wondered if all those continuous shots took its toll on my camera. I was able to estimate that I had 225,000 shutter actuations with that camera. I have been using low with the Mark IV. Since you are a professional and you are making this video, reaching this may not be a problem since you probably have at least one other camera with you.
Just in case you didn’t know.there is recovery software that will work even if you have formatted your card. Formatting a card does not erase it. It just lets the camera know that you can overwrite the card. If you have overwritten the card then some of the images may not be recoverable. I have used this and found very old images as well as the ones I was looking for. I don’t remember the one I used but they have a free trial to see if It works. Mine cast about $60. My second shooter did this to a card and I recovered the images. He had formatted the card and used it in another job. He though he had copied the images to the computer but didn’t. Lots of luck. Marvin
Put the camera in Airplane mode if you dont need to use wireless transfer it can save the battery. Program custom buttons for the exposure triangle at least for stills if you have to menu dive. Take the battery out of the camera if it wont be used for an extended period of time.
You just reminded me that I had taken my camera off of my preferred wildlife settings in order to do some portraits earlier in the year. I wondered why focusing seems a little weird when I was photographing birds.
I keep the beeping in cus it helps the model know when a shot is coming and they get into pose. I've done it in silent and had models ask if I'm taking pictures. So it helps the models know when I'm taking a shot
For Back button focus on R5, I disable focus on shutter, enable Af on button to eye tracking people, and I set the asterisk button to AF Spot. Two focus methods with two separate buttons side by side, I love it.
Loving these one-on-one sessions as a break from the couple videos (which are also good). About shooting w/o memory card and lenses, all the cameras I had flash a warning in my face to remind me that there is no card and it bothers me so much that I put in a card just to get it to stop 😂.
You've got "shoot without lens" backwards. It's usually disabled by default and keeping it off is what stops lenses/adapters without electronic contacts from working. You want to *enable* that option, _not_ disable it.
Enabling it also lets you do freelensing, if you can bear the risk of dust on the sensor. Not sure what the point of ever shooting without sd card is though.
@@superfluidity I believe the purpose of the shoot without card option is so a salesman at a retail store can let the customer take a photo and view the photo for demo purposes. If they had to put cards in the demo camera they would be losing cards all the time.
@@chasw417 Perhaps, seems a shame though if they put a big misfeature like that in the camera just to make them a bit easier to demo. You can get find some low capacity SD cards for $5-$10.
Hello, I usually use the back focus button the other way around (disables focusing with trigger button when depressed). You seemed so convinced that I will give it a try, just because of you 🙂 I like this kind of U-turns in my life. 🙂
I learned to shut off "shoot without memory card" when I was still shooting film. With the camera I had at the time, there was no way to tell if you had film loaded or what speed it was. I shot an airshow before opening day, on the tarmac, up close and personal, with no one around, just to later find out that I had NO FILM in my camera!! I haven't made that mistake since! And I have never had that same opportunity since.
When I shot film I would rest a digit on the rewind dial which would move every time I wound on. That overcame any possibility of shooting without a film or that the film wasn't winding on properly.
Yep- I had all those settings, plus some more: I turn off Auto ISO, wanting to dictate that with older digital cameras. But for most people- myself included, I think the most helpful/best feature is: Back Button Focus. I find it functionally, ergonomically better....more intuitive to my workflow for capture.
Actually, with the Sony, if you forget your memory card at home there is still a trick to take and save pictures: connect the camera to the phone via Image Edge Mobile app and set the app so that it will save a copy of the pictures you take on the phone. Basically, you turn your phone into a remote memory card.
@@NGameReviews I don't know how anyone can "forget" a memory card; there should always be one in the camera, period. The only time the camera should be without a card is when you take the card out to transfer files to another drive. Once that's done you put it back in the camera, or you put another card in the camera while the previous one is transferring. _Always_ have a card in the camera and you can never forget one.
@@NGameReviews No long time photographers will have spares in their car, on their key chain in a case, hell i even have a 12 card wallet full of cheap Sandisk Extreme 16, 32, 64GB cards!...
Good video - as someone who's stepping up to a modern camera (have currently a Canon 350D !!! ) these tips will stand me in good stead coz I can't do any of them on my existing camera. Cheers!
Great tips. I have not done #1 and #2. I never use the camera strap that comes with the camera. I use the Peak Design camera strap connectors with a camera strap I like. The quick release design on those are great. I do change or set custom buttons to make changes such as ISO more convenient.
Holy smokes!! what a great quality video and sound quality, I thought you were in the same room with me! Great information. You and Tony are an awesome team as well as SUPERIOR & KNOWLEDGEABLE PHOTOGRAPHERS. Thanks (again) !!
In the classes I teach I have everyone check these settings - about 50% of the people have one or more of these set wrong - a real Ahhh-Haaa! moment. 1. Shooting Mode - Aperture Priority or Shutter Priority 2. Image Type, Size and Quality - Raw or Raw + Jpg, Maximum Resolution, Finest Jpg Quality 3. ISO Settings - Auto-ISO ON 4. Set maximum ISO to around 3200 - depends on camera 5. White Balance - Auto White Balance (AWB) should be ON 6. Focus - Continuous (AF-C) or AI Servo 7. Single Focus Point 8. Metering Mode - Evaluative or Matrix 9. Release Mode set to Burst or Continuous
You can use a NAS for backup. When I have more events, usually in weekends, I keep the event on the SD Cards (double sd cards as i have backup already on my nikon z5) and then just take another ones for the next event. When I come home I transfer it to my NAS which has Raid 10. When I finished editing them and sent to the client, I format de sd card, ready for new photo shots.
Yes! Say NO to beeps. I tried decoupling the focus from the shutter button and wanted to like it. It just didn't work for me. When repositioning my thumb to hit that back button, I found myself simultaneously losing my grip and moving the camera enough to change the composition.
Honestly, shooting without a memory card is something I don't usually set because I always check to make sure I have a card in the camera before I leave home or the hotel. I also make sure I have spare cards with me, as well as batteries, so there is little to no excuse that you should accidentally shoot without a card. In fact, most cameras will warn you if you don't have a card installed (they'll let you shoot, but they will usually show a red icon or explicitly tell you in words that there is no card installed or that it's not formatted). Honestly my top things I check before I shoot is: is there a clearn memory card installed? Is my camera set to shoot at least RAW (although I shoot RAW+JPEG most of the time unless I'm running out of card space; and for those cameras with dual card slots I set it to backup everything to the second card); set my focusing mode and focus point (usually AF single point for most things) and my metering mode (usually to center weighted). These are my things I always check when I go and do a shoot. On some camras, you can set User modes with these options and I would recommend using those if you can.
Never understood the AF setting. Why would you want that? There is always something you want to have in focus. So the moment you take a picture without focus it won’t be sharp, especially if you shoot wide open. For DSLR I just focused then kept my finger on the shutter half pressed and pressed it for taking shots. For mirrorless like the R cameras, you usually always shoot in Servo mode. The only thing, which wasn’t covered in the video, is to decouple the focus modes. So that default shutter button is regular focus point/square while holding down the AF button will automatically use face detection. On the other side, canon also supports a combination of both modes: a single point that acts a a object face detection marker
Oh no! It's freaky. I was saying what you said along with you. Every single thing you recommend is something I've learned - the hard way - to do. EVEN down to the end with a new leather strap. This is a must-see video. Thanks, C person.
Great video. Regarding wildlife photography, I like to pre adjust my settings (Aperture, shutter speed and ISO) when I go from one lighting situation to another or when I expect to shoot something faster than what I was shooting before.
Useful video to setup my new camera! I would have liked to see the steps it takes to get to a certain settings screen instead of having to figure it out myself, but other than that great information. Thank you!
Just keep in mind, if you're planning to use vintage lenses at some point, don't turn off the feature "shoot without lens", because otherwise you'll run the risk of thinking the vintage lens its faulty and it actually isn't. Most vintage lenses don't communicate with the camera (lack of electronic components /fillaments) and this option allows the camera to use its normal function of shooting, but because the vintage lens its entirely manual, it will work. When you turn the feature off, the camera won't shoot and you'll think the lens its faulty
Thankyou for the diopter setting thing. I wear varifocals and was pushing them up with my finger trying to get a clear view. I though I was gonna have to get new glasses. Thankyou again.
Been using cameras for years but just got my first DSLR (canon sl2) and found this and other vids from your channel really helpful, this is definitely a top quality info, thanks.
I just realized that the reason my photos have been coming out underexposed, despite the preview showing them correctly exposed, is because DRO / AUTO HDR was turned on (on my sony A7R3). So...definitely check for that. Was driving me insane.
I immediately calibrate my light meter to my camera so the light meter knows how my camera sees light, and then with the difference in the reading, I set the camera to see light how the meter sees light for incident readings. Now I get perfect exposure without a meter. I shoot in priority modes with auto iso, eye auto focus point for exposure, using exposure compensation for artistic expression on exposures using flash. I choose not to use a camera strap, I find they are always in the way, I use a peak design camera clip and attach it to my belt. A lot less stress on the neck too. I also like to save user settings to U1 U2 and U3. U1 I customize for portraits U2 for HDR And U3 for night shots. Also switch it over to video and do the same. Love Nikon for this feature. No fiddling with settings, just switch the modes and shoot.
Copyright info, I add my own copyright legend. You may not care for such information in your camera but if it's a used camera, you may end up with someone else's info if the seller was not careful to delete what he had in the camera. If brand new and you don't care about it, then never mind.
Thanks for a great video. As a sometime amateur photographer, these are good recommendations. A professional photographer friend recommended the JPEG +Raw setting several years ago. It was the right thing to do. It allowed me to adjust several pictures from OK to great.
Great advice on all points. i've found having a strap with a loud, large camera brand name can draw unwelcome attention in situations such as during some protests photographers are either unwelcome or actively discouraged.
You missed the must important setting and that is the Set Picture Control to "VIVID". This will make any photo pop especially landscapes, HDR's and photo stacking and less post processing since the colors are all there. Great video!
Really neat. I got a Sony A6000 to shoot in the mountains mostly about a year ago, and I just figured out how to do this stuff thanks to you guys helping to walk us through.
Remember to set the correct date/time and your personal information so it gets added to the EXIF. I also like to add frequently used functions to the custom menu.
When you're not taking video's, don't go for a too large SD card, 32 or 64 GB and go for multiple cards. A card can get corrupted and when it does, you only lose a portion of your images this way. I always put the lock switch on the SD card to write protect until I've edited the photo's and have a backup of that, then I format the card and use it for new photo's again. I don't store JPEGs as I only shoot raw. I use faststone image viewer that can display raw photo's just as easy as JPEGs. You do need to post-process each image but that will also make you more picky which images to keep. Great video for the rest
For the first point, Pal2Tec already covered this earlier today. But you're wrong about turning off 'shoot without lens'... if you turn it off you can't shoot undetected manual-only lenses or adapters. You have to turn that ON in order for the body to ignore that there's no official lens present and take the photo anyway with a manual lens or adapter.
I shoot that way too, having a full stable of "vintage" Canon FD lenses. But Chelsea's point is well taken. If you're off-brand autofocus lenses work fine with your camera, great. But if they don't, you might want to turn off "shoot without lens" and see if that helps. If it does, and you still want to use vintage lenses, you're going to have to remember to reset your camera when you switch to and from certain lenses.
Love this video - thanks! Up front should be change your colour space to Adobe RGB so that if you DO end up working with a JPG file you will have the best possible colour and tonal range. You can easily convert an Adobe RGB image DOWN to sRGB for the web but you can’t put back the missing colours in a limited ‘screen/web colour’ sRGB file!
Adding to number three - most manufacturers today add jpeg to the RAW anyway - it's what is shown as the preview of the jpeg on the LCD panel. Check your RAW and if the jpeg is inside, you can shoot purely RAW, as you can always get the jpeg out in your photo editor. This can save a substantial amount of space on your memory card.
@@gewglesux IMO, yes. Take, for example, a portrait or landscape. By moving the focus to a back button, you keep your focus and you can click away on the shutter button and not re-focus each time. It's easy to set up... give it a try... can always go back if you don't like it.
I use the Laowa zero d lens for real estate videos and it will not work with the Canon R6 unless I turn on shoot without lens. As far as I can tell, no manual lens will work if you turn off shoot without lens.
Another really good video Chelsea! I am getting back into photographer and was looking for some good tips and inspiration. I also change the strap and use a camera bag without a Camera's manufactures name on it, so as not to alert others I am carrying a camera. Enjoy all your tips. The only one i do not do is the Back Button Focus, as it is more work than just using the shutter button. BBF is a two step process while using the shutter button for focus and taking pictures is a seemless, one step process. Give my regards to Tony. All the best to you and yours. Hasta later.
I always turn off all the WiFi and network connectivity settings and put my cameras in Airplane Mode. This preserves battery life for shooting. I also make sure all my copyright info is up to date and being written to the image. This has saved me on a couple of occasions where I had to invoke DMCA violations against companies illegally using my images. And it's also why I shoot RAW + JPG, too. The raw image is like your camera's DNA, and having copyright data written to it is "best evidence" for pursuing legal action, if it's ever needed.
Diopter - in college a friend of a friend returned her camera twice saying it was broken and then the last smart salesperson told her "its not the camera" its the diopter; you need to adjust it. We take it for granted but it can be a life crisis to some the first time.
Back button AF is the best! I have it set up for AF on the back, then image stabilisation kicks in on a half press of the shutter button which makes a cool sound and the world goes weird. On a full press I have my millionth picture of a squirrel...
Closing shutter sound is one of the most beautiful sounds in the world.
Never. Turn. It. Off.
I always change the file name settings by changing the “DSC” to my own initials. I got into this habit when I began managing a team of photographers and needed a way to prevent files overwriting other files that had the same name when uploading to a central media catalog. Now all my team add their own initials in front of file names. This also helps me identify who the photographer of a particular picture is so that I can give proper credit to them on publications.
I didn't even know that was possible!
I shoot multiple cameras. So, I use it to ID the camera the shot was taken on...
@@accordingtodoug I do this too. Very helpful for my yearbook students
Those are my initials. So I never changed them 😂
me too!@@fairlessdave1834
Use high speed continuous - absolutely. You tapped on *Hi+* mode -- note the plus sign. Really gotta be careful with that - because it has a huge downside. Your viewfinder *stops* updating in realtime. If you've ever wondered why you were losing the ability to accurately track moving subjects in the frame and you had that enabled, this is why. Edit: Other downside is when shooting at apertures tighter than f/11 - because continuous autofocus only works until you hit the shutter in Hi+ mode at any aperture greater than f/11. If you're at Hi+ and f/16 the moment you hit the shutter your continuous AF is disabled and the focus is locked to whatever you had - and it stays that way for the entire burst. It's just a really fast way of taking an entire burst of out-of-focus images. Edit Edit: You've both often mentioned the problem of viewfinder lag. If you've had that mode enabled I wonder if perhaps this was the primary source of it?
Edit x3: Something to always change on Sony cameras: *DRO* = Dynamic Range Optimization. Turn this *OFF* -- worst default setting in the history of photography. It "optimizes" the dynamic range of your JPG files. This sounds helpful - until you realize that it also affects the embedded preview JPG in your RAW files. This also sounds harmless - until you find out that your *histogram* is based upon that embedded JPG preview. If you're shooting raw and chimping to check the histogram, it is literally *lying* to you and you end up with all your shots being 1 or 2 stops underexposed. /rage
I set pretty stuff that you mentioned. Date/Time, Image format JPG+RAW, No shutter without card, shutter release with no lens (unrecognizable lens), I also change to "uncompressed raw" type (by default it set to compressed on Sony). Sometimes I also change autofocus type - depending on what I'm planning to shoot and that is what my custom button set too. I do not switch to continues shooting unless I shoot moving subject (model, bird, bug etc). I also like my beeping otherwise I'm unsure whats going on, so I only turn it off if absolutely needed, for example during some ceremony like wedding). I use only high speed memory cards and always have 1 extra for each cam (I usually carry 2 cameras, to avoid disaster if 1 camera failed). and have 4-5 extra batteries on me (sometimes they fail and die forever, once I had to trash 2 batteries of the same day, thats why its good to have extra).
One thing I do, you haven't mentioned, is to change the the copyright information on the camera. You can change it in post, but it's easier to have it set up correctly from the beginning.
Other than that, I agree with you on almost every setting - except for shooting mode. I change that according to what I shoot.
I often use old manual lenses, and I prefer to shoot in single shot mode, when I do that. Switching between modes is so simple and easy to do, I like to think, I get more out of my camera by using different modes for different things (beyond the obvious 2 sec. self timer for landscapes when using a tripod and slow shutter speeds).
The copyright I found (embedded in the RAW) is only really useful if hand out your raws, which most don't do. I put a basic copyright in mine, but I put a more extensive one in post using LR and a Metadata profile. For mine, it's basic info (simple copyright note and my name and email address but that's it).
8:00 - I met a person who was getting into photography, and she loved her camera. She said it wasn't functioning perfectly, but she was okay with working around the limitations of its issues. She asked me to grab a quick picture of her, and yep, the diopter was completely screwed up. One spin of the finger later and she was over the moon with gratitude. It made me feel like a magician XD
L🤩L ... L🧐L
I have never changed the diopter of someone else's camera based on my own vision... magic huh?
@@tahwnikcufos I certainly have, many times. Set it to a correct focus for me, show the owner how and allow them to fine tune to their vision. Don't be a doo doo head.
@@WanderingBobAK I guess you missed the "my own vision part"... you should probably work on reading comprehension, before calling people out on stuff. Just a thought.
That’s funny. I know a lot of people who don’t know the diopter exists. Personally, there are events where I shoot with no glasses on, so the diopter is my friend.
Enjoyed this video! Some necessary info for folks. I'm a bit more obsessive...I get a new camera and I go through EVERY SINGLE MENU item enabling, disabling, and modifying options. The up side of being that obsessive is that I've seen every option in every menu and helps me get just that much more familiar with my camera :-)
Same here, i go through every setting and learn it with the instruction manual as reference 👍
I often shoot birds and have found when I have a subject that is intent on looking away the beep will draw its attention toward the business end of the camera and I get better shots. With hummingbirds, who's color changes with just the slightest movement of their heads it is most helpful.
I’m the same on that but everyone is different
Some things I like to change or check after shooting (and, because I don't always remember, before I shoot as well): Go back to base ISO; zero out the exposure compensation; zero out bracketing; set f/wide open; go to single shot (that's where I stay unless I really, really need burst shooting because, unlike you, I only use it when I need it - different strokes!). I like my Black Rapid strap, but only when I don't have my camera railed onto something like a tripod head. Thanks for the video!
What I love about this video is how you're not projecting to be perfect. You'r like hey I mess up but this is what I did to correct it. I dunno just made it seem like I'm not the only one....lol Loved this.
No, I think she is projecting that there are people that know so little about photography that they are willing to pay her.
They could redo it , but using mess-ups is part of everyone's formula these days
She’s also bubbly and not bad to look at.......sorry Tony.
@@ussmillerco I could not argue with that if I tried...
@@leo.girardi L🤩L ... L🧐L
I really like the calm and informative way of which you (and your husband) convey information in a calm an interesting way without being too quirky like some photographers with TH-cam channels try to do.
You and Tony have been great for me. I’m buying my first camera soon. I travel globally, full time and everywhere is a photo opportunity. I’m loving the results I’m getting with just my phone.
Great video thank you! When I am adjusting my diopter I look at the numbers in the viewfinder instead of the scene. I find if those numbers are sharply In Focus for my eyes then the focus in the viewfinder is correct out in the real world
Great tip! It works!
I always have looked at the # and not the scene. My camera readouts are only on a short time so I need one finger to spin wheel and one to hold shutter down. Problem I want to use index finger for both. Need a third hand
OMG THANKYOU!! I’m extremely new to this and I got some lenses on Amazon and could not figure out why they were not focusing but turning off the setting to use without memory card cleared it up. Not real sure why no one mentioned that! Seems pretty important!
My photos might not be really great, but I always set the Copyright Info so they are mine.
If you do not mind me asking. How do you do that? I have a canon 90D. Thanks
@@keblakev not sure you can!
@@niallchurch2679 understood. Thanks
On my 80D Copyright info setting is under the yellow wrench icon in the Menu.
Not sure anyone wants to pass off your crappy photos as theirs. Maybe as an example of what not to do. But definitely not to make a profit.
I have a lucky strap as well (one of my kids gave it to me as a gift). I've never taken it off my camera even when I've gone on multi-day hikes in the wilderness. The strap is a couple of years old now and very soft! Thank you for the video, Chelsea!
Thanks Chelsea. I was into photography many years earlier with a 35mm film camera. I didn't survive the jump to digital. However now I am just getting back into it with a new to me camera and lenses. D5200. I am finding it a little overwhelming with the lingo and all the settings. I have watched you and your husbands vids on youtube along with many other folks vids. However I find yours to be the easiest to understand for me. So I will be getting a couple of your books soon.
Dave, I was looking at the 5200 at one time but found the 3000 Series was more comfortable in my hands. Also noted that the 7000 Series was what I preferred to keep sensor compatibility with the Studio I was working with at the time.
Aren't settings essentially the same? I mean, you have ISO, aperture and shutter speed. Aperture priority, shutter priority, manual all work the same. Focus, either manual or auto are the same. Push the button. It's the computer stuff that's different, but most film photographers were scanning slides into the computer and using Photoshop before switching to digital cameras, and some programs like Elements are really intuitive.
Custom settings/functions. I just added two additional cameras, and the first thing I do is change the function buttons and settings to match my normal shooting environments. I was just shooting a sporting event the other day, and one photographer said man I hate how the clouds keep coming out right when I’m shooting something. I remembered him from a couple years back. I reminded him that if you had custom settings set up, all you would have to do is flip a switch when the clouds come out and keep on shooting. Plan ahead of time with custom settings, and you don’t have to miss the shot.
I haven't tried back button focusing before. I was wondering how it would work with wildlife photography but you said you like using it for that so I'll give it a try. I also want to start doing more night time photos this summer so the example you gave will save me a lot of future trouble. A strap with a quick release sounds super handy, especially when I want to use a gimbal so I bought 2 straps.
My photography mistake stories:
With my first wedding shoot my memory card filled up during some group photos. I didn't notice since my camera took and previewed the images like normal. Fortunately, I had switched out the memory card after the group photos so I didn't miss out on too much afterwards.
When my diopter was first off, I thought maybe something was dirty so I cleaned everything. I was frustrated when all I saw was blurriness again looking through the viewfinder. Finally I wondered, "what does this little scroll wheel do?.... Ohhhh."
Great tips, Chelsea. I would only differ with you regarding straps. I'm a professional product and lifestyle photographer and I haven't had a strap on any camera in years. My cameras are either on a tripod (90% of the time), in my hand, or plunked down on the ground. Street photography? Hiking? Sure, straps make sense. But in the studio or on location, just one more thing to trip over or get tangled up in...and I'm clumsy enough already. Thanks to you and Tony for all the great content you two put out!
I strap mine on, so I don't accidentally drop it.
As a life long photographer of 52 years, I’m here to see what tips I might wish I knew about sooner. Well, I’m proud to say that being a seasoned photographer that there was not a single tip here that I’m not already doing. The biggest and most important tip if I had to give only one would be setting the image size to maximum resolution, and just leave it there. You can always decrease the image file size later if need be, and if you need to digitally zoom in to crop, you’ll have extra pixel power to work with before you start seeing digital distortion, better known as pixeling. This tip I just gave is like a gold nugget. BTW, don’t set your ISO any higher then you absolutely need, as this will minimize white noise (digital image noise) in your images. Looking forward to the new INSAIN 61MP SONY A7 IIIV
Chelsea - I've really grown to love yours and Tony's videos - so relatable; so helpful. And I swear, your eyebrows deserve their own zip code.
My slogan is "Clear, Concise and To-The-Point. That's exactly what you have done here. I'm revisiting shooting manually again after 46 years. This video helped me to create a solid baseline to work from. Thank You!
1:45, part 2. Take the time to change your date and time when you go to a different time zone. This may not seem like a big deal, but most of us are shooting with cell phones as well as a dedicated camera. If you are on vacation and want to organize ALL your photos this will become important because the cell phone will update date and time and your pictures will end up all mixed up by whatever time zone difference (or possibly date). Ask me how I know. Oh, and that was way more than 5.
Good tips. You might consider a video on what settings to check EVERY TIME you go out on a new shoot. I've screwed up a lot of photos by failing to check my settings. Specifically, white balance, flash on/off, shutter rate (continuous, single [for studio], self-timer [I've left it on after doing self-portraits or long shutter speed releases], ISO, etc.
Luckily my camera allows multiple setting banks, which I can label, to stop me from doing this. It's saved my bacon more than once.
I'd like to see this idea too.
I love the beeps. I couldn't live without them.
One of the first settings I change is the AF Assist Beam. This goes off straight away! I mean, who really needs that, and how annoying is it for the subject to have that keep going off all the time throughout the shoot? That, and setting up back-button focus, and turning the beeps off is a must for me with any new camera.
Yeah I find that it’s a situational thing. I went into a cave with my camera where it was pitch black but then some candles were lit and so I went to take a shot and the light came on and was super dumb so I covered it with my finger and then changed the setting. Oops. But yeah especially if you use MF lenses like I di now, remove the beam
The focus assist beam makes the subjects close their eyes.
I have IR assist on which I presume is invisible infrared light
that was the first thing that pissed me off right out the box. I was testing my new camera on my aquarium and immediately freaked out my fish and they all hid
That beam is definitely annoying but it is there for a reason… to get better and faster focus in dark situations. I use it when it is needed, just learn how to quickly turn it on/off on your camera.
The lucky strap blew my mind. I use a strap for shorter walks and Spider system camera belt for the longer ones. I spent so much time to getting the strap on and off my camera. Thank you Chelsea!
Great tips! For a strap, I keep an old thick 35mm era strap - those suckers are built to take a bit of weight! You can find these at thrift shops, often with an old camera and lens for less than the price of a new strap.
And I agree - I've been asked more than once about blurry viewfinders to find that someone mistakenly adjusted the diopter.
I wouldn’t recommend an old and second hand strap for hygiene purpose. Imagine sweat and dirt from an unhygienic person transferring to your neck. In fact when I buy a second hand camera, I buy a new strap also and leave the old strap in the camera box to sell it later with the camera.
Finally someone who likes continuous shot setting. I do the same thing for street photography,
Not a fixed setting but always double check your settings. I do a lot of wildlife photography and being disabled I drive and shoot from my vehicle. I've missed a few really awesome things because I was photographing the moon the night before and didn't go back to my wildlife settings. The best shot of a kestrel I ever had was completely over exposed.
Done about the same. Had ISO set for a candle lit ceremony indoors. Then went out in the sunlight for celebrations. Do ho think I remembered to put down ISO to a reasonable value?
luckily you can use the RAW data to correct overexposed shots.
@@BlokeOnAMotorbike You can indeed, but that wonderful feature only works to a certain degree as well. The more correction & editing is neccessary, the more quality is usually lost.
I just got a 90D last week and went through this entire ritual. Thanks for all the great information!
That's a great camera! Enjoy it!
@@jimtipton8888 I already got a chance to take it out attached to the 400MM f/5.6 prime. Now I'm waiting for the full moon on the 26th.
@@swistedfilms That’s awesome! Mine lives with a 100-400 on it and it’s my go to for wildlife.
When I first got a new digital camera years ago, I forgot to change the setting to shoot without a card. I shot a bunch, and then later wanted to cry. I have not forgotten that one since.
Why would anyone buy a camera that allowed you to "take a picture" without a memory card?
@@leo.girardi some people control their camera from a laptop... you can save the photos directly to laptop hard drive 😊. Great if you're taking longer exposures through telescopes and star trackers 👍
Hi Chelsea, addition to #7. Connect an external harddrive to your computer and load the pictures to the external drive. More ideal setup for backups, use a NAS drive with (at least) 2 HDDs in backup mode (the 2 drives are backing up each other every time) When 1 drive fails, you are still save with the other drive. Call Murphy when all your NAS drives having a bad hair day and both drives are broken ;)
Cheers from The Netherlands 😎
It's the very first thing I do !! I run two Synology NAS and all my images go there before any editing !!!
I also change the "shutter focus priority" button. At least on Sony, they let you tell the camera how long to try to focus before giving up. I found selecting priority "focus" is best for me. That is, I tell the camera don't release shutter until you have achieved focus. Sony's default is "balanced" which allows the camera to try to focus, give up and shoot anyway. (I don't use back button autofocus.)
Six months ago I bought a Canon T7. I didn't realize it didn't come with a charger. I went back to Best Buy where I bought the camera. They said they did not carry the carger nor could they order it. Best Buy gave me the number of the charger (Canon LP-E10) and told me good luck. I was able to buy a new battery but that is a little pricey. Before buying any Canon product I would recommend either buying the charger first or choosing another camera option. I would not recommend Best Buy as where to get your best buy.
Re: Checking the diopter knob. Some years ago I bought a Nikon off ebay the seller said had a blurry viewfinder. Got a great price on it. Sure enough, all that was wrong was the diopter knob was just cranked to one end of its range.
I use an eye test chart when adjusting the diopter, and remember to use the same eye when taking pictures :)
The diopter adjustment is to make the viewfinder information, f stop, shutter speed and other information sharp. It's not to get the subject of the photo sharp, focusing the lens does that.
It's always nice listening to you Chelsea. I always change to single point AF too. Thanks again.
Great video! I turn off the wireless and Bluetooth until I need them to avoid draining the battery unintentionally. BBAF all day long, cannot be overstated.
Thanks Chelsea! I know I heard about the back button focus from Tony. But, I was so new to photography at the time, and didn't see the purpose. So glad you did this refresher video for old fogies like me!
Same here!
I love BBF. i put a white dot on the diopter and camera so if I get a problem easy fix line the dots up. I always check there is a memory card in the camera , nothing worse than cutting the day short. Totaly with you on turning the bells an whistles of a silent shot is mor enjoyable.
First of all, thank you Chelsea for your tips. The first thing I change is color space -> choose Adobe RGB instead of sRGB because Adobe RGB has a wider range of colors ;-)
only if you intend to use JPEG images..
sRGB is better for digital format, only use Adobe RGB if you intend to print. It doesn't matter whatsoever if you shoot RAW anyway.
I love you ty. Tomorrow will be my ninth paid gig and I am beyond stressed but loving every second lol thanks for the great info
AHHHH!! I turned off RAW, during my Daughters Graduation HAT TOSS, to get more shots, and avoid a lengthy saving.... Then, took a pile of once in a life time photos, with her, and left RAW off.... Fortunately, things came really well, but I want to go back in time and have those RAW images. Raw saved SO many pics from that day!
Good points, but some important ones (especially for PPA members!) are missing: Input your © notice info!
Preference to change IMG or DSC to your initials, or your company initials. I use MV1 (Morton Visuals camera 1) for my primary camera and MV2 for my secondary. My mostly personal camera gets WTM, my personal initials.
Most cameras now can sync your date/time with your computer when plugged in to USB. Cameras with wi-fi may be able to connect and sync time with your phone using the mfr app. I make sure to do this especially when traveling to different time zones.
Okay first of all, you're adorable. Second of all I'm old enough to be your grandpa so don't think I'm creepy. A third, how about I give a tip for your people that will really help them get sharper images when shooting handheld. Do this even if you have vibration reduction or image stabilization on your digital camera. If your camera is cropped and you are shooting with a long lens, set the TV or shutter speed to four times the lens length. For example if you have a 300 mm lens, and you have a cropped camera then you would want the shutter speed to be at least 1/1200th or higher. If you have a full frame camera, then set it for two times the lens length. So a 300 mm lens on a full frame camera, the shutter speed should be a minimum of 1/600th or higher. It never harms an image to shoot at a higher shutter speed. If one is shooting on a tripod, all of this can be ignored, as long as your hands free on the camera in other words no hands on the camera. So you have to shoot with a timer or a remote trigger. Hope this helps have a great day.
These days auto-ISO functions can often take this into account and automatically adjust the minimum shutter speed to be no less than 1/focal length, which is the general rule of thumb for a full frame camera to get most shots sharp. Presumably they adjust this according to the 35mm-equivalent focal length on cropped sensor cameras. Furthermore they may allow you to tweak it, eg Nikon Z cameras let you adjust this to ½ or 2x the rule-of-thumb speed, depending on whether you want to really guarantee that each shot is sharp or reduce the ISO and rely more on image stabilisation.
For me I think it's a shame if you have 4-5 stops worth of image stabilisation in your lens or camera and you're just defaulting to 2 or 3 times the shutter speed that would probably get you a sharp shot even without it, because that may require a much higher ISO and significantly more noise, depending on light levels and creative aperture choice. I prefer to make use of the IS technology to keep the ISO down and fire off a few frames to ensure I get a sharp one.
@@rhythmace1 well I haven't seen the computer chip in the Canon or the Nikon that will do away with blurry images handheld with a telephoto or zoom at a high aperture. Try my rule it really works. It does require to shoot in shutter priority everybody gives you more selection on ISO because you can choose that manually. As you know the lower the eye so the better the print.
@@michaelharris3450 That's the thing, Auto-ISO settings in recent cameras may allow you to set your camera up to do *exactly* what you are suggesting, but automatically in A and P modes, so you don't have to think about it and can have control over depth of field as well. That's what I've done on my Nikon Z5, except that I've tweaked it to a lower multiplier of the basic 1/focal length formula (approx 1/4x, as opposed to your recommended 2x) to keep my images cleaner while the IBIS (usually) keeps them sharp.
@@rhythmace1 interesting! But I don't know how that would work. Most of us old codgers, learned how to shoot with cameras that were only manual. Back in the film days. So we had no automatic settings. And we had to learn how to be great photographers if we so desired, by knowing a stops. Not only what they did but how to manipulate them. Photography was a lot more mechanical, unless artistic. Now we're in an artistic mode, where amazing young photographers like yourself and focus more in composition which really makes a great picture. A famous female photographer published a book, a photo coffee table book, of her work with other famous people and celebrities. The composition the scenes the settings, we're just amazing. But the technical work was so poor, that when the pictures were even blown up large enough to be put in that book, they were not sharp and it was sort of a detriment to her work. Old school is get it right and you can print it any size. That's what made Richard Avon so great when he started printing and he was the first photographer to print 6 ft by 12 ft images that were just amazingly sharp and details. Photographers like that back in the day did not shoot and low f numbers. We kind of hung around f11. But we had rules that if we know how to break them we could break them. One of those rules is to eliminate distractions and capture the exact the size of moments. And we eliminated the distraction of blur by shooting mostly on a tripod and f11. That way when the shutter got too slow we wouldn't have a camera shake. But please don't let this thread detract from your amazing work and ability.
@@michaelharris3450 To be honest I happily used the same camera for 6 years and had not kept abreast of technological developments, so the new capability is new to me too.
I'm not sure how familiar you are with "traditional" Auto-ISO settings, but they basically manage your ISO for you by automatically increasing it if a correct exposure cannot be achieved at the current exposure settings, and turn ISO into an automatable exposure variable like aperture and shutter speed already are. Where aperture and shutter speed are variable according to PASM mode it will first adjust these as far as possible, and only then increase the ISO if necessary. Obviously your lens provides a hard limit on the maximum aperture, but the Auto-ISO settings usually provide a minimum shutter speed parameter so than when shutter speed is the automated variable (in A mode etc) that it can't get too low. Now, recent cameras have improved on the options for minimum shutter speed so instead of a fixed absolute value they can automatically determine the slowest speed they should allow before boosting ISO based on the current focal length the camera is reading from the lens. In this way it won't boost your ISO up as much with a wide-angle lens as it would with a tele, potentially giving you less noisy images while hopefully still keeping everything sharp.
I know what you mean about all the automation, I have at time felt like I was cheating with some of these settings! But on the whole, while I can romanticise about the sheer technical skill that used to be required with all-manual operation, as you say I think that anything that lets photographers concentrate on their artistic vision and composition is a good thing. When I first got interested in photography in the 80s my Dad gave me a little pocket exposure calculator wheel he'd made in the 50s, and it's fun to think of all the thought and preparation that used to have to go into getting a half decent shot using a hand-held meter and manual settings, and there's more than a little nostalgia there for me, but I'm so glad we don't *have to* do that any more!
One thing about continuous, I use it a lot for taking pictures of my son's hockey games. For the 5d Mark II, there was only continuous. For my 5d Mark IV, there is continuous high and low. Initially I was using high (LOTS of pictures!) but I realized that perhaps I should go to low. My Mark II died while at Universal Studios Hollywood and it was due to shutter failure. I wondered if all those continuous shots took its toll on my camera. I was able to estimate that I had 225,000 shutter actuations with that camera. I have been using low with the Mark IV. Since you are a professional and you are making this video, reaching this may not be a problem since you probably have at least one other camera with you.
Your Mk II only had a shutter that was rated for 150,000 actuations, so it did well to get to 225,000!
With all due respect, Chelsea's voice is so sweet to hear
you usually preface a sentence 'with all due respect' when youre about to insult or talk poorly.
Just in case you didn’t know.there is recovery software that will work even if you have formatted your card. Formatting a card does not erase it. It just lets the camera know that you can overwrite the card. If you have overwritten the card then some of the images may not be recoverable. I have used this and found very old images as well as the ones I was looking for. I don’t remember the one I used but they have a free trial to see if It works. Mine cast about $60. My second shooter did this to a card and I recovered the images. He had formatted the card and used it in another job. He though he had copied the images to the computer but didn’t. Lots of luck. Marvin
Put the camera in Airplane mode if you dont need to use wireless transfer it can save the battery. Program custom buttons for the exposure triangle at least for stills if you have to menu dive. Take the battery out of the camera if it wont be used for an extended period of time.
Except for with Sony Alpha cameras which will, after awhile, with the battery removed, not hold the time and date.
Re: leaving the battery out of the camera for extended periods of time
@@a56gs74 should be easy to reset the time and date ?
You just reminded me that I had taken my camera off of my preferred wildlife settings in order to do some portraits earlier in the year. I wondered why focusing seems a little weird when I was photographing birds.
I keep the beeping in cus it helps the model know when a shot is coming and they get into pose. I've done it in silent and had models ask if I'm taking pictures. So it helps the models know when I'm taking a shot
For Back button focus on R5, I disable focus on shutter, enable Af on button to eye tracking people, and I set the asterisk button to AF Spot. Two focus methods with two separate buttons side by side, I love it.
Loving these one-on-one sessions as a break from the couple videos (which are also good). About shooting w/o memory card and lenses, all the cameras I had flash a warning in my face to remind me that there is no card and it bothers me so much that I put in a card just to get it to stop 😂.
Their book ...Stunning... is also very good.
I also put my D850 in AIRPLANE MODE so my battery does not run down faster than necessary from the wifi usage. Great video Chelsea.
You've got "shoot without lens" backwards. It's usually disabled by default and keeping it off is what stops lenses/adapters without electronic contacts from working. You want to *enable* that option, _not_ disable it.
Enabling it also lets you do freelensing, if you can bear the risk of dust on the sensor. Not sure what the point of ever shooting without sd card is though.
A bit of a mystery how they let a video out with only 5 tips one of which is completely wrong. Maybe we need to "Chelsea - proof" TH-cam?
Not sure about most other cameras, but she is exactly right that this is "enabled" by default, with my R5. Of course I disabled it right away.
@@superfluidity I believe the purpose of the shoot without card option is so a salesman at a retail store can let the customer take a photo and view the photo for demo purposes. If they had to put cards in the demo camera they would be losing cards all the time.
@@chasw417 Perhaps, seems a shame though if they put a big misfeature like that in the camera just to make them a bit easier to demo. You can get find some low capacity SD cards for $5-$10.
Hello, I usually use the back focus button the other way around (disables focusing with trigger button when depressed). You seemed so convinced that I will give it a try, just because of you 🙂 I like this kind of U-turns in my life. 🙂
I learned to shut off "shoot without memory card" when I was still shooting film. With the camera I had at the time, there was no way to tell if you had film loaded or what speed it was. I shot an airshow before opening day, on the tarmac, up close and personal, with no one around, just to later find out that I had NO FILM in my camera!! I haven't made that mistake since! And I have never had that same opportunity since.
When I shot film I would rest a digit on the rewind dial which would move every time I wound on. That overcame any possibility of shooting without a film or that the film wasn't winding on properly.
Yep- I had all those settings, plus some more: I turn off Auto ISO, wanting to dictate that with older digital cameras. But for most people- myself included, I think the most helpful/best feature is: Back Button Focus. I find it functionally, ergonomically better....more intuitive to my workflow for capture.
I use it too but then you can't use that button to lock autofocus? What do you use then?
Actually, with the Sony, if you forget your memory card at home there is still a trick to take and save pictures: connect the camera to the phone via Image Edge Mobile app and set the app so that it will save a copy of the pictures you take on the phone. Basically, you turn your phone into a remote memory card.
If you are a photographer and you forget your memory card, you are a joke.
@@Mr.mallaer Everyone is prone to forgetting their memory card. Even you :)
@@NGameReviews I don't know how anyone can "forget" a memory card; there should always be one in the camera, period. The only time the camera should be without a card is when you take the card out to transfer files to another drive. Once that's done you put it back in the camera, or you put another card in the camera while the previous one is transferring.
_Always_ have a card in the camera and you can never forget one.
@@sebastianmatthews1663 I agree. My card reader always has a card in it as it is always an immediate swap.
But until I started doing that......uhhg. 🤣
@@NGameReviews No long time photographers will have spares in their car, on their key chain in a case, hell i even have a 12 card wallet full of cheap Sandisk Extreme 16, 32, 64GB cards!...
Good video - as someone who's stepping up to a modern camera (have currently a Canon 350D !!! ) these tips will stand me in good stead coz I can't do any of them on my existing camera. Cheers!
Great tips. I have not done #1 and #2. I never use the camera strap that comes with the camera. I use the Peak Design camera strap connectors with a camera strap I like. The quick release design on those are great.
I do change or set custom buttons to make changes such as ISO more convenient.
Holy smokes!! what a great quality video and sound quality, I thought you were in the same room with me! Great information. You and Tony are an awesome team as well as SUPERIOR & KNOWLEDGEABLE PHOTOGRAPHERS. Thanks (again) !!
In the classes I teach I have everyone check these settings - about 50% of the people have one or more of these set wrong - a real Ahhh-Haaa! moment.
1. Shooting Mode - Aperture Priority or Shutter Priority
2. Image Type, Size and Quality - Raw or Raw + Jpg, Maximum Resolution, Finest Jpg Quality
3. ISO Settings - Auto-ISO ON
4. Set maximum ISO to around 3200 - depends on camera
5. White Balance - Auto White Balance (AWB) should be ON
6. Focus - Continuous (AF-C) or AI Servo
7. Single Focus Point
8. Metering Mode - Evaluative or Matrix
9. Release Mode set to Burst or Continuous
You can use a NAS for backup. When I have more events, usually in weekends, I keep the event on the SD Cards (double sd cards as i have backup already on my nikon z5) and then just take another ones for the next event. When I come home I transfer it to my NAS which has Raid 10. When I finished editing them and sent to the client, I format de sd card, ready for new photo shots.
Boom! Already had all 5. I passed the test.
Yes! Say NO to beeps. I tried decoupling the focus from the shutter button and wanted to like it. It just didn't work for me. When repositioning my thumb to hit that back button, I found myself simultaneously losing my grip and moving the camera enough to change the composition.
Use the Camera Connect app on your phone to set the time and date on the camera. Way more accurate that way.
What type phone is "Camera Connect" app shipped on?
@@peterbenson4338 Both Android and IOS
Honestly, shooting without a memory card is something I don't usually set because I always check to make sure I have a card in the camera before I leave home or the hotel. I also make sure I have spare cards with me, as well as batteries, so there is little to no excuse that you should accidentally shoot without a card. In fact, most cameras will warn you if you don't have a card installed (they'll let you shoot, but they will usually show a red icon or explicitly tell you in words that there is no card installed or that it's not formatted).
Honestly my top things I check before I shoot is: is there a clearn memory card installed? Is my camera set to shoot at least RAW (although I shoot RAW+JPEG most of the time unless I'm running out of card space; and for those cameras with dual card slots I set it to backup everything to the second card); set my focusing mode and focus point (usually AF single point for most things) and my metering mode (usually to center weighted). These are my things I always check when I go and do a shoot. On some camras, you can set User modes with these options and I would recommend using those if you can.
OMG I'm already doing all these !!!!! Yassssss. I love the AF function. So good for headshots and continuous shooting. I hate beeps too lol
Never understood the AF setting. Why would you want that? There is always something you want to have in focus. So the moment you take a picture without focus it won’t be sharp, especially if you shoot wide open. For DSLR I just focused then kept my finger on the shutter half pressed and pressed it for taking shots. For mirrorless like the R cameras, you usually always shoot in Servo mode.
The only thing, which wasn’t covered in the video, is to decouple the focus modes. So that default shutter button is regular focus point/square while holding down the AF button will automatically use face detection.
On the other side, canon also supports a combination of both modes: a single point that acts a a object face detection marker
Oh no! It's freaky. I was saying what you said along with you.
Every
single
thing
you
recommend
is something I've learned - the hard way - to do. EVEN down to the end with a new leather strap.
This is a must-see video. Thanks, C person.
Great video. Regarding wildlife photography, I like to pre adjust my settings (Aperture, shutter speed and ISO) when I go from one lighting situation to another or when I expect to shoot something faster than what I was shooting before.
Useful video to setup my new camera! I would have liked to see the steps it takes to get to a certain settings screen instead of having to figure it out myself, but other than that great information. Thank you!
Just keep in mind, if you're planning to use vintage lenses at some point, don't turn off the feature "shoot without lens", because otherwise you'll run the risk of thinking the vintage lens its faulty and it actually isn't.
Most vintage lenses don't communicate with the camera (lack of electronic components /fillaments) and this option allows the camera to use its normal function of shooting, but because the vintage lens its entirely manual, it will work.
When you turn the feature off, the camera won't shoot and you'll think the lens its faulty
Thankyou for the diopter setting thing. I wear varifocals and was pushing them up with my finger trying to get a clear view. I though I was gonna have to get new glasses. Thankyou again.
I set my D800 to RAW to CF card, JPEG to SD card. Also use back button focus.
Been using cameras for years but just got my first DSLR (canon sl2) and found this and other vids from your channel really helpful, this is definitely a top quality info, thanks.
So should that be off or on?
I just realized that the reason my photos have been coming out underexposed, despite the preview showing them correctly exposed, is because DRO / AUTO HDR was turned on (on my sony A7R3). So...definitely check for that. Was driving me insane.
I immediately calibrate my light meter to my camera so the light meter knows how my camera sees light, and then with the difference in the reading, I set the camera to see light how the meter sees light for incident readings. Now I get perfect exposure without a meter. I shoot in priority modes with auto iso, eye auto focus point for exposure, using exposure compensation for artistic expression on exposures using flash.
I choose not to use a camera strap, I find they are always in the way, I use a peak design camera clip and attach it to my belt. A lot less stress on the neck too.
I also like to save user settings to U1 U2 and U3.
U1 I customize for portraits
U2 for HDR
And U3 for night shots.
Also switch it over to video and do the same. Love Nikon for this feature. No fiddling with settings, just switch the modes and shoot.
Copyright info, I add my own copyright legend. You may not care for such information in your camera but if it's a used camera, you may end up with someone else's info if the seller was not careful to delete what he had in the camera. If brand new and you don't care about it, then never mind.
Thanks for a great video. As a sometime amateur photographer, these are good recommendations. A professional photographer friend recommended the JPEG +Raw setting several years ago. It was the right thing to do. It allowed me to adjust several pictures from OK to great.
Great advice on all points. i've found having a strap with a loud, large camera brand name can draw unwelcome attention in situations such as during some protests photographers are either unwelcome or actively discouraged.
You missed the must important setting and that is the Set Picture Control to "VIVID". This will make any photo pop especially landscapes, HDR's and photo stacking and less post processing since the colors are all there. Great video!
You are wrong. It doesn’t affect RAW at all.
nice looking strap.... I never wear a "steal me.. I'm a Canon" etc. strap.
Actually...the thieves target "Canon" straps...
Really neat. I got a Sony A6000 to shoot in the mountains mostly about a year ago, and I just figured out how to do this stuff thanks to you guys helping to walk us through.
Remember to set the correct date/time and your personal information so it gets added to the EXIF.
I also like to add frequently used functions to the custom menu.
And if your camera is ever lost or stolen there's a chance it might make it back to you...
When you're not taking video's, don't go for a too large SD card, 32 or 64 GB and go for multiple cards. A card can get corrupted and when it does, you only lose a portion of your images this way. I always put the lock switch on the SD card to write protect until I've edited the photo's and have a backup of that, then I format the card and use it for new photo's again.
I don't store JPEGs as I only shoot raw. I use faststone image viewer that can display raw photo's just as easy as JPEGs. You do need to post-process each image but that will also make you more picky which images to keep. Great video for the rest
For the first point, Pal2Tec already covered this earlier today. But you're wrong about turning off 'shoot without lens'... if you turn it off you can't shoot undetected manual-only lenses or adapters. You have to turn that ON in order for the body to ignore that there's no official lens present and take the photo anyway with a manual lens or adapter.
I shoot that way too, having a full stable of "vintage" Canon FD lenses. But Chelsea's point is well taken. If you're off-brand autofocus lenses work fine with your camera, great. But if they don't, you might want to turn off "shoot without lens" and see if that helps. If it does, and you still want to use vintage lenses, you're going to have to remember to reset your camera when you switch to and from certain lenses.
Love this video - thanks! Up front should be change your colour space to Adobe RGB so that if you DO end up working with a JPG file you will have the best possible colour and tonal range. You can easily convert an Adobe RGB image DOWN to sRGB for the web but you can’t put back the missing colours in a limited ‘screen/web colour’ sRGB file!
Adding to number three - most manufacturers today add jpeg to the RAW anyway - it's what is shown as the preview of the jpeg on the LCD panel. Check your RAW and if the jpeg is inside, you can shoot purely RAW, as you can always get the jpeg out in your photo editor. This can save a substantial amount of space on your memory card.
I recently switch to back button focus.... wish I had done it much sooner. Most of your other tips I already have done. Thanks for the video!
I've never tried it... is it really worth it? it helps? Kind of old school here I think I'm going to try it..
Thank you.
@@gewglesux IMO, yes. Take, for example, a portrait or landscape. By moving the focus to a back button, you keep your focus and you can click away on the shutter button and not re-focus each time. It's easy to set up... give it a try... can always go back if you don't like it.
@@johnweddel687 I'm going to do just that! I've actually seen a few videos on how to BBF but i never thought of using it . Thanks for the tip!
I use the Laowa zero d lens for real estate videos and it will not work with the Canon R6 unless I turn on shoot without lens. As far as I can tell, no manual lens will work if you turn off shoot without lens.
I believe you are correct.
Another really good video Chelsea! I am getting back into photographer and was looking for some good tips and inspiration. I also change the strap and use a camera bag without a Camera's manufactures name on it, so as not to alert others I am carrying a camera. Enjoy all your tips. The only one i do not do is the Back Button Focus, as it is more work than just using the shutter button. BBF is a two step process while using the shutter button for focus and taking pictures is a seemless, one step process. Give my regards to Tony. All the best to you and yours. Hasta later.
I switch from tripod to handheld fairly often, and forget to turn image stabilization off/on at least 75% of the time. Need to form that habit!
I always turn off all the WiFi and network connectivity settings and put my cameras in Airplane Mode. This preserves battery life for shooting. I also make sure all my copyright info is up to date and being written to the image. This has saved me on a couple of occasions where I had to invoke DMCA violations against companies illegally using my images. And it's also why I shoot RAW + JPG, too. The raw image is like your camera's DNA, and having copyright data written to it is "best evidence" for pursuing legal action, if it's ever needed.
Diopter - in college a friend of a friend returned her camera twice saying it was broken and then the last smart salesperson told her "its not the camera" its the diopter; you need to adjust it. We take it for granted but it can be a life crisis to some the first time.
I have saved friends ditching their cameras by showing them their Diopter settings......immediate gratification for them
Thank you for making this. Back button focus really is better!
Glad you like it!
Good lord the video quality is spot on!!
Back button AF is the best! I have it set up for AF on the back, then image stabilisation kicks in on a half press of the shutter button which makes a cool sound and the world goes weird. On a full press I have my millionth picture of a squirrel...