60
Basic Shooting Operation
3
Holding the Camera
How you hold the camera is important when taking pictures.
• Hold the camera firmly with both hands and keep your elbows close to your body.
• Press the shutter release button gently when taking a picture.
Horizontal position Vertical position
• To reduce camera shake, support your body or the camera on a solid object such as a table, tree, or wall.
• Although there are individual differences among photographers, the limit shutter speed for a handheld camera is generally 1/(focal length ×1.5). For example, it is 1/75 of a second for a focal length of 50 mm and 1/150 of a
second for 100 mm. Use a tripod or the Shake Reduction function (p.128)
when using a lower shutter speed.
• When using a telephoto lens, a tripod that is heavier than the total weight of the camera and lens is recommended to avoid camera shake.
• Do not use the Shake Reduction function when using the camera on a tripod.
(p.129)
61
Letting the Camera Choose the Optimal Settings
The a features various capture modes, focus modes, and drive modes for expressing your photographic vision. This section explains how to take pictures by simply pressing the shutter release button.
1
Set the mode dial to I .
The camera will select the optimal capture mode for the subject.
1
Selecting the Appropriate Capture
Mode (p.83)
3
2
Set the focus mode lever to = .
The focus mode changes to =
(Autofocus) mode.
When the shutter release button is pressed halfway in = , the lens focuses
automatically. (p.112)
MF
AF
62
3
Look through the viewfinder to view the subject.
A zoom lens can be used to change the size of the subject in the viewfinder.
(p.66)
MF
AF
3
4
Position the subject inside the
AF frame and press the shutter release button halfway.
The autofocus system operates. The focus indicator ] appears in the viewfinder when the subject comes into focus.
When set to I (Auto Picture) mode, the optimal capture mode is automatically selected from U (Standard),
= (Portrait), s (Landscape), q (Macro),
\ (Moving Object) or .
(Night Scene
Portrait).
The built-in flash pops up automatically when necessary.
1
Operating the shutter release button
(p.64)
1
Subjects that are difficult to focus on
(p.65)
1
Using the Built-in Flash (p.67)
5
Press the shutter release button fully.
The picture is taken.
Flash status
Focus indicator
6
Review the captured image on the monitor.
The image appears for 1 second on the monitor shortly after capturing (Instant
Review).
1
Setting the Display for Instant
Review (p.249)
You can magnify the image during Instant
Review with the e-dial. (p.202)
You can delete the image during Instant
Review by pressing the K / i button.
1
Deleting a Single Image (p.75)
• You can set the camera so that pressing the = / L button will focus automatically, in the same way as pressing the shutter release button
halfway. (p.114)
• You can preview the image on the monitor and check the composition,
exposure, and focus before taking pictures. (p.124)
63
3
64
Operating the shutter release button
The shutter release button has two working positions.
3
Not pressed Pressed halfway
(first position)
Pressed fully
(second position)
Pressing it down halfway (first position) turns on the viewfinder indicators and the autofocus system operates. Pressing it fully
(second position) takes a picture.
• Press the shutter release button gently when taking a picture to prevent camera shake.
• Practice pressing the shutter release button halfway/fully to learn where the first position and second position are.
• The viewfinder indicators are displayed while the shutter release button is pressed halfway. The indicators are displayed for about 10 seconds
(default setting) while the exposure metering timer is on after you take
your finger off the button. (p.30, p.106)
65
Subjects that are difficult to focus on
The autofocus mechanism is not perfect. Focusing may be difficult when taking pictures under the following conditions. These also apply to manual focusing using the focus indicator ] in the viewfinder.
(a) Extremely low-contrast subjects such as a white wall in the focusing area
(b) Subjects which do not reflect much light within the focusing area
(c) Fast moving objects
(d) Strongly reflected light or strong backlighting (bright background)
(e) If repeating vertical or horizontal line patterns appear within the focusing area
(f) Multiple subjects in the foreground and background within the focusing area
If the subject cannot be focused automatically, set the focus mode lever to \ and use the manual focus mode to focus on the subject
with the aid of the matte field in the viewfinder. (p.122)
The subject may not be focused even when the ] (focus indicator) is displayed when (e) and (f) above apply.
3
