Flash

Gmoney

Hi Moose! I feel like a dummy for asking this question, but how do I turn of my flash? I just got this camera and I can't figure it out. Also, could you please tell me the best settings to get good shallow depth of field photos?

Thanks,
Gmoney

bruto

The flash will be automatically chosen when light is low in Auto mode, as well as portrait, child portrait, night portrait and macro. In other modes it will not.

There is also a "no flash" auto mode that you can use when you want full auto without the flash (look for the lightning bolt with a line through it).

In P, S, A and M modes, the flash is actuated manually, and will serve as a fill flash when you do so.

As soon as you can, study the instructions (full user's manual is in PDF form on the accompanying CD) so you can decipher all the controls, and look at this site and others for hints on how you can get out of auto mode as soon as you can, so as to make full use of the camera's considerable capabilities.

As long as you stay in auto mode, you will be unable to set some features of the camera yourself.

For shallow depth of field, choose the widest aperture you can get (smallest F number), and the longest focal length (55mm if you're using the 18-55mm kit lens). You can only be assured of that aperture if you use A or M modes, which allow you to set and keep an aperture setting.

Try to keep your subject as separate as possible from background objects. Get as close as you can with the longest focal length, and try to position yourself so that distracting objects are not directly behind the subject. Sometimes it helps to get down low, and shoot upwards.

The kit lens is not the best portrait lens because it does not have a very wide aperture, but with effort you can do well with it. If you got a kit with the 55-200mm or a similar telephoto zoom lens, you can (if you can stand far enough back from your subject) get better results by going to a focal length of 80 millimeters or up. The longer the lens, the shallower the depth of field.

Gmoney

@bruto,

Wow! I appreciate the information brother! Thank you!