To get the most out of your camera, it's important to understand some of the basics of photography.  Most people only use a fraction of their camera's features, so here we will go over some camera terminology and explain some of the basic features helping you get the most out of your camera.

Information on this page such as Focal Length, ISO, Shutter Speed, Optical and Digital Zoom, etc. apply to general photography regardless of the camera being used.

Other information such as the camera mode settings of iA, P, S, A and M are common across most cameras but may have different symbols representing the same functions.  The functionality for these settings should be the same or very similar with different cameras.

Our examples are specific to the Panasonic Lumix ZS100 camera.

The important thing is to become familiar with your camera and practice taking the different types of photos prior to your travels.  If you need to, write notes so that when you are on your trip for example, you won't be fumbling around trying to remember how to adjust the exposure setting for a night photo or set the timer for 2 seconds when using a tripod.

The topics below can of course get very detailed and lengthy, but we have kept them short and to the point.

Location, Location, Location

As in real estate, when taking photos, location is everything.  Consider what you are photographing and your location when taking a photo.  You may not always be able to capture a photo from a prime viewing location as it may require a hike up to some hard-to-reach location, or you may not have time to get somewhere to capture the perfect photo.  Take the time to look for trails or paths to other areas that may provide a better view. As an example, when arriving in Salzburg Austria and walking through the town, you will get various views of the castle on the hill.  If you only stayed in town, your photos may capture the castle, but nothing like taking the time to walk down the river trail where you get sweeping views of the town and castle.  There is also a large park on a hill adjacent to the castle that provides another view of the town and castle from a higher vantage point.  Compare the two photos below.  The first photo is from the town, while the second is from the park on a hill across from the castle. Salzburg Castle - Austria

General Information

Focal Length

The Focal Length of the lens is the distance between the lens and the image sensor when the subject is in focus, usually stated in millimeters (e.g., 28 mm, 50 mm, or 100 mm).  In the case of zoom lenses, both the minimum and maximum focal lengths are stated, for example 18–55 mm. Examples of different focal lengths showing what is captured while zooming your camera lens.

Sensor

A camera’s sensor dictates the quality of the images it can produce—the larger the sensor, the higher the image quality. Bigger image sensors have bigger pixels, which means better low-light performance, reduced noise, good dynamic range, and the ability to obtain more information. The Panasonic Lumix ZS100 has a 20.1 Megapixel, 1 inch, type BSI CMOS sensor.  This allows the camera to produce great results in terms of image quality that you won’t get with regular point-and-shoot cameras. Some notes on CMOS and CCD Sensors CMOS sensors have become a lot more prevalent than CCD sensors. Most consumers cameras and cell phones manufactured today use CMOS sensors. CMOS sensors, in general, use less power, therefore the camera battery will last longer. Meanwhile, CCD sensors tend to produce less noise which translates to images appearing sharper. This goes hand in hand with CCD sensors being more sensitive in lower light conditions. Because CMOS sensors are much more available and costs less to manufacture than CCD sensors, cameras with CMOS sensors are usually less expensive. From our experience, we have used this camera on several trips and it takes wonderful photos, even in low light conditions (may require a tripod depending on the photo).  We have printed a photo of 11x14 inches and it was crystal clear so we are quite certain we could go larger.

ISO (Sensor Sensitivity)

ISO was a rating for the light sensitivity of photographic film (ISO 100, 200, 400, etc.). The higher the rating, the more sensitive the film was. We now use the same term and standards to measure a camera sensor’s light sensitivity, given the rise of digital photography. A lower ISO setting makes the sensor less sensitive to light, meaning it either needs more illumination or a longer shutter speed to expose an image properly. Increasing the setting makes your sensor more sensitive to light, allowing you to shoot in darker environments, with tighter apertures, or using faster shutter speeds. A lower ISO will create a better-looking image, so our general advice is that you only increase the parameter when totally necessary. If there is not enough light, you need a tight aperture, or want to keep a faster shutter speed, your only option is to increase sensitivity.

Optical Zoom

The optical zoom measures the actual increase in the focal length of the lens. Focal length is the distance between the center of the lens and the image sensor. By moving the lens farther from the image sensor inside the camera body, the zoom increases because a smaller portion of the scene strikes the image sensor, resulting in magnification. When using optical zoom, some digital cameras will have a smooth zoom, meaning you can stop at any point along the entire length of the zoom for a partial zoom. Some digital cameras will use distinctive stops along the length of the zoom, usually limiting you to between four and seven partial zoom positions.

Digital Zoom

The digital zoom measurement on a digital camera, to put it bluntly, is worthless under most shooting circumstances. Digital zoom is a technology where the camera shoots the photo and then crops and magnifies it to create an artificial close-up photo. This process requires magnifying or removing individual pixels, which can cause image quality degradation. Most of the time you can perform functions equal to a digital zoom with photo-editing software on your computer after you shoot the photo. If you don't have time for or access to editing software, you can use digital zoom to shoot at a high resolution and then create an artificial close-up by removing pixels and cropping the photo down to a lower resolution that still meets your printing needs. Obviously, the usefulness of digital zoom is limited to certain circumstances.

Understanding Zoom Measurement

When looking at specifications for a digital camera, both the optical and digital zoom measurements are listed as a number and an "X," such as 3X or 10X. A larger number signifies a stronger magnification capability. Keep in mind that not every camera's "10X" optical zoom measurement is the same. Manufacturers measure the optical zoom from one extreme of the lens' capabilities to the other. In other words, the "multiplier" is the difference between the smallest and largest focal length measurements of the lens. For example, if a 10X optical zoom lens on a digital camera has a minimum focal length of 35mm, the camera would have a 350mm maximum focal length. However, if the digital camera offers some additional wide-angle capabilities and has a minimum 28mm equivalency, then the 10X optical zoom would only have a maximum focal length of 280mm. The focal length should be listed in the camera's specifications, usually in a format similar to "35mm film equivalent: 28mm-280mm.” In most cases, a 50mm lens measurement is considered as "normal," with no magnification and no wide-angle capability. When you're trying to compare the overall zoom range of a particular lens, it's vital that you compare the 35mm film equivalent number from lens to lens. Some manufacturers will publish the exact focal length range alongside the 35mm equivalent number, so it can be a little confusing if you aren't looking at the right number.

Megapixels (8x10 Print Example)

For most people, the highest resolution files you will need will be for the occasional print or photo book. Here’s how you calculate the number of megapixels you’ll need for a printed photograph: Determine the physical size of your print, such as 4 x 6 inches, 8 x 10 inches, etc. Then, multiply the width by 300, and the height by 300, which will give you the size in terms of pixels. (300 ppi — pixels per inch — is recommended for good-quality prints.) Therefore, an 8 x 10 inch print would be 2,400 x 3,000 pixels. Multiply the width (in pixels) by the height (in pixels). So for that 8 x 10 inch print, it would be 2400 x 3000, which equals 7.2 million pixels. Divide the result from step 2 by 1 million, and you have the number of megapixels you need to make a good print. In this case, the minimum resolution you’ll want your camera to have is 7.2 megapixels.

Using Your Camera

Mode Settings

iA = Intellgent Auto mode – The camera controls all the exposure settings like ISO, White balance and if you need your flash, and all you have to do is compose your photos. Basically this turns your camera into a point and shoot. P = Program mode – In program mode you choose the ISO and White balance. The exposure (the f/stop and shutter speed) is set automatically. You can rotate the exposure wheels and change the settings if you’re not happy with what the camera chooses, so there is some room for variation. S = Shutter Priority - In shutter priority mode, you choose the shutter speed you want, based on the look you want in your photo. The camera chooses the f/stop. Examples are freezing action or blurring action for creative effects. A = Aperture Priority – In aperture priority mode, you choose the f/stop based on how much you want in focus. That’s also known as depth of field. In this mode the camera picks a shutter speed for you. M = Manual mode – In manual exposure mode, you pick both the f/stop and shutter speed based on the amount of light in your scene. M Video = Manual video mode – This is similar to manual photo mode where you pick the f/stop and shutter speed. Video shooting has specific guidelines for shutter speeds, usually related to the frame rate you’re shooting at. In general you don’t want to go much higher than 2x your frame rate.

Exposure Compensation (+/-)

This setting allows you to alter how long the shutter stays open, this setting has values of -5 to +5.  A negative value means the shutter will stay open a shorter amount of time letting in less light to darken the photo while a larger value means the shutter will stay open a longer amount of time letting in more light and lighten the photo. Exposure compensation is the +/- button on the camera that can be adjusted in A, P or S modes. When taking night photos for example, you may want to adjust the exposure for less or more light.  When keeping the shutter open longer, you may need to use a tripod or set the camera down to avoid any movement.  When doing this, use the Timer function at 2 seconds to allow you to click the photo button and not jar the camera when the shutter snaps. Increasing the exposure to the plus side will brighten a photo and decreasing it towards the minus side will darken a photo. This is especially helpful when you are in an overly bright or dark situation that can fool the camera’s light meter, such as a scene with a lot of bright sky or a scene in a dark alleyway. When capturing a bright scene, cameras will read all the bright areas and calculate that it needs to darken the photo to achieve the correct exposure. You would need to raise the exposure compensation to offset this. When photographing in a dark alleyway, cameras will try to brighten the blacks to gray, leading you to need to offset this by lowering the exposure compensation.

Depth of Field (A: Aperture Priority)

Depth of field determines which parts of your photo are in focus.  The Aperture lets you control that depth of field. Aperture settings are referred to as F-Stop settings or f2, f4,...  This is the opening of a lens's diaphragm through which light passes. Lower f/stops have a larger opening, therefore more light gets in.  Higher f/stops have a smaller opening, so less light gets in. A wide aperture gives you a shallow depth of field (only the foreground is sharp) - Lower aperture settings, f1.8, f2,... A narrow aperture gives you a deep depth of field (everything is sharp) - Higher aperture settings, f8, f11, ...

<--- Entire photo in focus --- Foreground in Focus --->

Shutter Speed ('S': How fast the shutter opens then closes during photo exposure)

The Shutter Speed is the time the shutter is open during a photo exposure. A camera needs to let light into the sensor to take a photograph. Cameras have a shutter, which stops light from reaching the sensor until activated. This shutter will open up and expose the sensor to entering light when a shot is triggered. The time this shutter stays open is referred to as shutter speed. Shutter speed is typically measured in seconds and fractions of a second. A shutter speed of 1/100 will expose the sensor for a hundredth of a second. Likewise, a 1/2 shutter speed will last half a second. You can also leave the shutter open for multiple seconds, commonly referred to as a long exposure shot. Most cameras can go down to about 1/4000 of a second and up to about 30 seconds or more. Interesting affects can be achieved by adjusting the shutter speed as shown in the below photo. Your camera may have a dial with different settings.  The 'S' position is for Shutter Speed.  With this setting, the Shutter Speed has priority over other settings.  The camera automatically sets the aperture (f-number) and ISO sensitivity automatically based on the camera sensors when you adjust the shutter speed.

Keeping the shutter open for an extended period of time adds a bluring affect