What parameters to use when

[davis10]

I am starting to get used to my new camara now, but one feature that is hard for me to grasp is the adjustment of parameters. I just don't know what to use when and cant see a huge difference by adjusting settings.

I think that I would want contrast set high when the light is low but other then that i'm clueless. I like saturation so I always have that high when would I not want a high saturation, and same with sharpness?

Overall how should I adjust my parameters for different light conditions, sunny, cloudy, night shot, etc. ? What are the pros and cons of increasing/decreasing each setting?

 

[Garbz]

I leave them alone for the most part unless I start getting results that look unnatural. The settings make minor adjustments only in my camera so the changes are normally not worth it when taking the pictures. I prefer to do this in post production in photoshop where i have far greater control than +1 or +2 saturation.

I must say though I have at night taken the saturation down while trying to photograph an unnaturally lit cliff face while climing it. Other than that the only thing I mess with while shooting in different conditions is the white balance.

 

[markc]

All of the setting you mention can easily be added after the fact in software on your PC, and it will usually do a better job of it than the camera's software can. I'd recommend leaving them set to neutral (+/-0) until you see the image and can determine what it really needs.

The photographic settings that have the big impact and can't be changed after the fact are things like focal length, ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. Those are the ones I would learn first, since they need to be chosen in-camera.

 

[nevilleb]

Why don't you just shoot RAW? You'll need to know your exposure theory well to put it to use, though.

nevilleb

 

[Bermuda05]

If you are using a new dSLR forget about the camera functions settings. Shoot in the RAW format and adjust the image using Photoshop. Whatever you do, stay away from in-camera sharpening.

Use long exposure noise reduction function for exposure shots over 3 seconds, shutter button/AE lock function for panoramic shots, exposure level increments and mirror lockup are the only functions I use on my canon cameras.

George