How to Adjust Shutter Speed, Aperture, ISO | Transcription

In this video, we want to go through and actually show everybody how to adjust our shutter speed, ouraperture, our ISO on a few different cameras and also how to do a couple other basic things like switch your lenses and so forth, basically how to adjust the exposure triangle.

Remember that we’re getting into manual mode, because if you’re in any of the assistant modes, well we can only control certain functions. If we’re in Aperture Priority, all we get is the aperture. If we’re in Shutter Priority, all we get is the shutter. If we’re in Program, we get ISO and certain things, but again we want to be in manual to have full control over everything.

Removing Lenses

Canon: There’s a little button that releases the lens and then turn it counterclockwise (to your right) to remove.

Nikon: It’s reversed on Nikon. The Nikon has the same button, but then I would turn to your left (clockwise). However, when I put it on, you don’t need to press the button. You just line up the little white dots and then pop it on (Canon has red dots). Twist it until you hear that snapping lock sound.

Oftentimes when you have the lens on your camera and if you get kind of weird malfunctions, it’s because the lens isn’t sitting properly on your camera, so you probably just have to reset, maybe dust off a few of the sensors or sometimes it doesn’t click in all the way. If you don’t click it in all the way, that is very dangerous because it can actually fall off. If there’s ever a lens issue where it’s not focusing or something like that, just check to make sure it’s snapped in and everything’s in place.

Shutter Speed

Nikon: I’m going to control my shutter speed with this back dial right here, and as I go to the right, you’re going to see the shutter speed increasing in speed. As I go to the left, it is decreasing in speed.

Canon: I have the dial up top over by my shutter release, and again now shutter speed is measurements of time. You’ll see a fraction, so 1/800 is pretty fast. Then I can go the other way to slowing down to maybe 1/5 of a second.

One quick note, generally these functions are going to move at default at about 1/3 of a stop. You can actually change it in the menu, basically an advanced menu, it’ll allow you to change how you want these adjustments to move. If you want them in increments of 1/3 or 1/2 or so forth. I just keep it default. I like having more options basically, so the aperture’s the same way.

Aperture

Speaking of aperture, let’s move on to aperture right now. On this lens I have the 35 mm 1.8. the widest it can get is 1.8. Currently it’s set to F2, so at 2.0. what I can do on myNikonis I have a little button right the top right here, and it’s kind of hard to see, but there’s a little aperture icon there. What I have to do is hold this button down. While it’s being held down, that’s when I can adjust my aperture. I’m going to hold that with my right hand and we’ll just adjust with the left. If I go to the left side, it goes wider. This is 1.8. that’s the widest it can go, and as I go to the right, it stops down and gets smaller and smaller. It gives me this nice little graphical display as it shows my aperture closing down letting less light in.

ForCanon, it has the same icon, however, mine also says Av on it for aperture. As I hold that button down and I turn my dial, you’ll see, and actually we’re looking for the F number and that’s your aperture.

ISO

Now ISO is going to be a little bit different. These are basic entry level cameras, and so there are less dials on them. One of the reasons to get more advanced cameras is to have more dials, more functionality which makes it quicker to adjust things. Rather than holding multiple buttons down we’re just adjusting with an individual button.

Nikon: I’m going to bring my little D-pad over to the ISO sensitivity. I can adjust up and down, so to go to 200 ISO, I can go to 1/3 increments as well.

Canon: Using the ISO button and I can do my adjustment that way or I can pick the ISO on my screen.

Okay, that’s it for the basics. Now, let’s go ahead, and I’m going to show you guys an advanced mirror-less camera. This is the Sony A7R. It gives you more functionality. It makes things a little bit quicker to access, so for my shutter speed I have a dial right here in the back. It’s a thumb dial that will adjust shutter speed. You guys can see as I go up and down, it adjusts me shutter speed. Also I have a dial right at the top. This is going to adjust my aperture up and down. I also have this dial in the back, and this will adjust my ISO up and down. It makes it very, very quick to basically move from these different functions. Our 5D Mark III’s, they’re the same way. The more advanced the camera, the more they kind of make these functions accessible to you, but with a basic DSLR they’re trying to kind of keep things simple, keep the buttons to a minimalistic approach so it doesn’t look so overwhelming.

But that’s the thing, right? All 3 different cameras, they all have an adjustment, icon, button, dial for aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. Yeah, sometimes it might be a different location. Sometimes you might have to jump into a menu to access certain things, but they are there. Okay, that’s it. Be sure at this point if you don’t know how to adjust it on your camera, say a point and shoot that isn’t like what we just showed or if you have a different model that isn’t what we showed, well just go ahead and pick up your manual and just check out how to adjust your aperture, your shutter speed, and your ISO manually in your camera. That way you guys know going forward.

CHAPTER 1: BASIC PHOTOGRAPHY CONCEPTS

CHAPTER 2: UNDERSTANDING EXPOSURE

CHAPTER 3: FROM AUTO MODES TO MANUAL

CHAPTER 4: SHARP IMAGES AND FOCUSING TECHNIQUES

Chapter 5: COMPOSITION, ARTISTRY, AND CREATING GREAT IMAGES

Chapter 6: LEARNING MORE ABOUT YOUR CAMERA

Chapter 7: BONUS

Total Course Run Time: 6H 30M 21S