Idiot question, I need help?

[Scotttyd]

Ok, this might be a dumb question, it deals with manual controls (shutter speed, exposure, etc). In the "old fashioned film" camera you had a dial where you just dialed it down or up. In some of the newer compact camera the sites say "full manual controls" but I do not see any dials. Are these adjusted through the electronic menu? If so, is this not a pain in the but, espeically compared to jsut dialing down a click, take a pic, look at it, dial it up or down as needed and repeat??

 

[alcina]

Usually they are controlled with the buttons so instead of spinning a dial, you just press the button.

Some cameras are controlled through the menus and this IS a pain in the patootie. Find one - there are lots - that are a simple button press and you'll be right as rain.

 

[herman]

Like Alcina said, depends. On my 5050 in manual mode there is a knob when turned it changes shutter speed and when you hold a button down it changes F-stop. I tend to change shutter speed and strobe level more than F-stop anyway so it works well but to anwer your question, it depends on the camera.

 

[Scotttyd]

Usually they are controlled with the buttons so instead of spinning a dial, you just press the button.

Some cameras are controlled through the menus and this IS a pain in the patootie. Find one - there are lots - that are a simple button press and you'll be right as rain.

how do the canon A and G series controls work?
I plan on headed to best buy or a camera store to get a better feeling next week, but just trying to limit my choices prior to that

 

[Nemrod]

It is adjusted via the buttons once in manual mode and yes compared to a REAL camera --it is a PITA.

Please Nikon or Canon, a real, rage finder like camera with dials on it --please--with a real housing for it pleasse and why does digital preclude an all manual control camera with a single auto program???????

N

 

[Larry C]

On my Oly SP-350 there's a simple four way rocker. Once the mode is set on the top dial (just like the old days) in Scene, A, S, P, M or video, you just use the up or down scroll to change shutter speed and right or left changes aperture. On the housing it has 4 buttons of different heights arranged around a center menu button. The only issue comes when you're also using manual settings and manual focus, which is also left right scroll. If you turn the camera off and back on, you lose the manual focus scroll to the aperture control. What's cool on Oly is there is a custom button that you can set for quick changes of your most used setting. I have mine set for MyModes. I can set up four different presets that are my most common settings for wide, macro, supermacro and action. Once in those presets I can still adjust the shutter and aperture quickly with the scroll wobble dial. Whatever your camera has, you'll get used to it quickly. It really helps to have personal presets, so look for that.

 

[Nemrod]

Yes, The A Series also uses a 4 way rocker and compared to a dial, it is a PITA.

N

 

[Scotttyd]

On my Oly SP-350 there's a simple four way rocker. Once the mode is set on the top dial (just like the old days) in Scene, A, S, P, M or video, you just use the up or down scroll to change shutter speed and right or left changes aperture. On the housing it has 4 buttons of different heights arranged around a center menu button. The only issue comes when you're also using manual settings and manual focus, which is also left right scroll. If you turn the camera off and back on, you lose the manual focus scroll to the aperture control. What's cool on Oly is there is a custom button that you can set for quick changes of your most used setting. I have mine set for MyModes. I can set up four different presets that are my most common settings for wide, macro, supermacro and action. Once in those presets I can still adjust the shutter and aperture quickly with the scroll wobble dial. Whatever your camera has, you'll get used to it quickly. It really helps to have personal presets, so look for that.

that makes sense to me, at least now I can picture it in my head

 

[Nemrod]

Mode dial to select Manual, Av, Tv, Auto, Program etc:

Four way rocker, in manual the rocker is used to adjust f stop and shutter:

N