Of course, not all cameras are the same. There is no way to tell you exactly where each control is on your digital camera, but instead, you can get a basic idea of what to look for and what to do with the control once you have found it. When you read about these controls, you may have to spend some time searching, but you should be able to locate them with no problem. There are two categories of controls for your digital camera: the on body options and the in camera options.
Let’s discuss the on body controls first. These will be the various knobs and buttons that you can find on your new device. Of course, all cameras will have a shutter release. This little button will generally be on the top of the camera and to the right. You will need to press this button every time you take a picture. Familiarize yourself well with the shutter release so that you do not have to search for it each time you want to snap a picture.
In addition, on top of the camera body, you may see a dial of sorts. This dial will have little pictures on it. These will be your shooting modes. Depending on the type of digital camera that you own, there will be a different number of modes.
However, the most common ones are as follows: Auto (fully automated point and click shooting. This one is usually highlighted for easy use), Nighttime Shooting (this will allow for taking pictures in the dark), Action/Sports Mode (made to capture motion, this mode is helpful when shooting pictures of children and pets as well), Scenery (this mode offers balanced shooting for taking pictures of landscapes), and Manual (gives you full control over all of the settings. These settings will be discussed later).
On the back of the digital camera, you will find numerous other buttons. There will be buttons that will allow you to play back and review the images you just took. You should also see a trashcan that will allow you to delete images if you would like. If you have a SLR camera (single lens reflex), then you may also have dials that allow you to change shutter speed and white balance easily.
Underneath your digital camera, or on the side of it, you should find a button or push lever that will allow you to access the battery compartment and memory card slot.
The in-camera controls are more in-depth and will be discussed further later in this guide. These options are those that will appear on your camera screen. They will often include such option as shooting mode (continuous, delayed timer, and single image shot). The controls may also let you change metering, flash compensation, and shutter speed. Do not worry, you will learn what all of those things are later.
Now that you have a good idea of the general basics of your camera, we can start looking at other important basics that you will be using almost every time you take a picture. These basics will include the camera focus, the digital flash and the image review controls.
