Which camera settings affect the image at capture rather than just in-camera processing?
Asked 1/8/2011
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2 answers
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I’m moving from a basic compact camera to a more advanced digital camera and want to focus first on the settings that change what the sensor actually records, rather than picture styles or other in-camera post-processing options. Which settings are the core capture settings that physically affect the photo as it is taken? A brief memory aid for grouping them would also help.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
19
I'll expand on Pearsonartphoto's list, the following settings affect the raw data captured by the camera:
Camera:
- ISO
- Long exposure noise reduction
- shutter speed
- aperture
- mirror lock-up
- image stabilisation
- flash
Lens:
- image stabilisation
- focus
- focal length
There a whole lot of options that indirectly affect the above. But if you shoot in full manual that is pretty much all the input you have (there may be more, I'll add them as they occur to me)! The ambient temperature can also have an effect, as sensors pick up more dark current noise when hot.
Originally by user1375. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1375
15y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
The main capture settings are:
- shutter speed — how long light reaches the sensor
- aperture — how much light the lens lets in
- ISO — sensor sensitivity/gain setting
- focus — what distance appears sharp
- focal length / zoom — changes angle of view and magnification
These are the essentials to learn first. A good memory aid is:
- Exposure triangle: shutter speed, aperture, ISO
- Optics: focus and focal length
Other settings that can affect the captured result on some cameras include image stabilization, flash, mirror lock-up (on DSLRs), and long-exposure noise reduction. These influence sharpness, vibration, lighting, or noise in the recorded image rather than simply changing its appearance afterward.
By contrast, settings like sharpening, saturation, tint, and similar picture-style controls are generally applied after capture, especially for JPEGs. If you shoot RAW, those processing-style settings usually do not change the underlying captured data in the same way as the core exposure and optical settings do.
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