Most important camera settings

The following are the four main settings which affect how your photograph will turn out.

Shutter speed – Is the length of time that the cameras shutter will stay open to allow light into the sensor.


Aperture – Controls the amount of the image that will be in sharp focus or depth of field and in combination with the shutter speed controls the amount of light allowed to the cameras sensor. The lower the F number the less depth within your image will be in focus.

ISO – Is the film speed rating similar to ASA ratings which were on 35mm film. The higher the ISO the more light is allowed into the cameras sensor, however the higher the ISO the more noise or grain will appear in the final image, where possible it is advisable to keep this setting at 200 or lower to avoid any significant issues with noise.

White balance – White will appear different under different types of light, the setting compensates for the type of light source so that white will appear white and the colour tone of your photo will appear correct.