How Long Does the Battery Last?

It's really hard to tell. It all depends on use. Here are some things that use up battery power heavily.

1. Turning power on. The camera checks its main parts quickly during startup so frequently turning it on and off uses a significant load of battery power. If you know you will be shooting the whole morning, keep the camera on. It will sleep in a minute or so without activity. When that happens, all you need to do is press the shutter button halfway to wake it up. That doesn't involve the quick checks thereby saving precious battery power.

2. Using the rear LCD. The LCD is the single most power hungry part of the camera. Keeping it off saves a huge amount of battery power. That's the advantage of dSLR's. You can set it off. Even Automatic Preview can be set off. If you are sure about your shots, you can survive without checking every picture you take. If however you are one of those who are fond of using the camera as a viewing device then battery will get used up fast.

3. Autofocus. Of course you need to focus but if the subject stays put you can lock AF in place by sliding it to MF. If it's dark and the camera has trouble using AF, switch to manual focus right away.

4. Flash. If not needed, don't use it. Most complain about it anyway so it would be best to shoot under well lighted conditions all the time. The camera's built-in flash is in the worst place a flash can be. That's the reason high-end cameras don't have it.

5. Charge. Saving battery power is not enough is charge is not enough. You have to charge the battery fully to get the most out of it. Most chargers shut off automatically when charge is full. This means you can leave the battery charging overnight even beyond the time when the light says it's full. Don't overdo it though by charging longer than that.

6. USB. Connecting your camera to the USB port of a computer actually uses up the camera's battery power (unless it is in charge mode which only a few small cameras can do). If you're just copying files from the camera to the computer, use a USB card reader. Never work on the pictures while in the memory card. Trasnfer them first to the computer's hard disk.

Now you know!

Keerok

Common Reasons Why Camera Won't Autofocus

1. Make sure the camera is on. (Classic)

2. Make sure you have the camera (and lens) set to AF on.

3. Make sure you are shooting under optimal lighting conditions.

4. Make sure you are beyond the minimum focusing distance of the lens. Not just you, the camera too if you're using LiveView.

5. Make sure the lens cap is removed.

6. Make sure the dSLR has a lens attached.

Now you know!

Keerok

Why are DSLR cameras so darn expensive?

1. DSLR's use much larger digital sensors compared to point-and-shoot (PNS) cameras. Full frame is at the top. The second line are the sizes of common dSLR's. The bottom line are those used by point-and-shoot cameras.


2. DSLR's offer manual controls for Shutter speed, Aperture size, ISO rating and White balance in standard settings with more range.


3. DSLR's have interchangeable lens mounts allowing the use of the best lens for a certain scene. Bigger glass, bigger price.


4. DSLR's have an optical viewfinder allowing the photographer to see what the lens sees exactly.


5. DSLR's have a real shutter. DSLR's have no shutter lag (theoretically, very minimal) as compared to PNS cameras.


6. DSLR's use better quality parts than PNS cameras. They are the cream of the crop products in every camera builder's factory hence they get the best treatment.


7. DSLR's are expensive to discourage people who don't know the basic principles of photography from wasting their precious cash only to get pictures that look exactly like those they got from their old PNS cameras (or worse, cellphones).


8. If you think $500 is exaggerated for a camera's price then don't look at
this.

Now you know!

Keerok

Common Reasons the Camera Turns Off Automatically


1. Low power. If your camera uses rechargeable batteries, recharge them overnight using the correct charging method indicated by the manual. If the camera uses disposable batteries, get a fresh new set of alkaline or lithium batteries with the correct size and number. Sometimes even rechargeable batteries have to be replaced. On a few cases, the charger has to be replaced.
2. The camera is broken. Nothing else you can do.

Now you know!

Keerok

Blurred shots?



Here are a few reasons why pictures come out blurred.

1. Out of focus. Press the shutter release button half-way first to give the camera ample time to autofocus. If you are using manual focus on a dSLR, calibrate the diopter if you keep getting blurred shots. Consult the manual about it.

2. Movement. Either you or the subject moved. Make sure both you and the subject stay still as the picture is taken. If the camera has anti-shake technology, turn it on. If needed, use a tripod.

2. Slow shutter speed. Long shutter times allow movement to be more evident. Increase shutter speed to go faster.

3. Low light. Basic principles of photography dictate that the lower the amount of light used, the longer the picture has to be taken. You can use a higher ISO setting, a larger aperture size or both to increase shutter speed.

4. Subject is too near. Lenses have a minimum focusing distance. If you are nearer than that, the camera won't be able to focus properly on the subject. Simply step back.

5. Lens is dirty. Classic!

Now you know!

Keerok

Common Reasons Why Camera Won't Shoot

  1. Too dark. Low light to your eyes is already pitch black darkness to the camera.
  2. Focus is not established. You may be too near your subject. Move back. If you are beyond the minimum focusing distance then maybe the lens or camera is not in focus. Make sure AF is set on.
  3. Battery is low. It may be enough to power on but not enough to turn the lens.
  4. Wrong settings. Some smart cameras prevent you from getting humiliated. It would be best to return to full Auto mode.
  5. Memory full. To be sure you have enough space on the memory card, format it. Copy all pictures to your computer first as format erases all files then lays tracks for new ones. There is a format option in the camera's menu system.
  6. Memory card error. If the card is not full but damaged, then that's the cause. You will have to replace the memory card. Make sure to format the new card before using.
  7. Memory card door is open. Turn off camera then close the door.
  8. Buffer is full. This happens after you press the shutter release button for an extended period of time making the camera work like mad taking a series of shots then suddenly stops. The camera's buffer memory is full and has to save to the slow memory card. There is no choice but to wait for this to finish. This is normal.
  9. Lens (for dSLR's) is not mounted properly or electrical contacts in the mounts are dirty. Try cleaning then make sure you hear the click when you mount.
  10. Error message. It means something. Do not ignore it. Check the manual to see how to resolve it.
  11. Camera is damaged. If nothing seems wrong but nothing works then bring it to the authorized service center of your camera's brand. If you don't know where it is, check the papers that came with your camera or ask the store where you bought it from.
  12. Power is off. Classic!

Now you know!

Keerok