Tip-or-Tech Tuesday – Point & Shoot Symbols/Settings

I copied this over from a news site and it was written by a National Geographic photographer. Sorry I don’t have a link, I couldn’t find it when I was ready to post this.

This is a quick and dirty guide for point & shoot cameras. Most people have one but don’t really know what all the symbols and settings are and how helpful they can be. Time to pull out your camera and experiment!

We’re not affiliated with Olympus…it’s just an example. 

Camera Symbols

Point-and-shoot photography is supposed to be simple, and knowing what the symbols on your digital camera mean will make it simpler.

• The icon of a flower signals the macro mode. It allows your camera to focus very closely.
• The lightning bolt icon controls the flash—either on, off or automatic when it senses limited light.
• The icon that looks like a clock is the self-timer mode.
• The "+/-" button allows you to override your camera's automatic exposure settings, to correct photos that are too light or too dark.
• The icon that looks like stacked photos allows you to take rapid-fire photos.

 

Automatic Settings

Your camera also likely has several automatic scene options, with settings for various specific locations.

• "Sports" has higher shutter speeds for fast-moving action shots.
• "Night" allows long exposures for limited lighting.
• The icon that looks like a mountain is for landscapes. This gives you the most in focus from foreground to background.
• "Portrait" throws background out of focus.