What is EXIF data in digital photography?

Click to enlarge: Metadata in LightRoom CC. Image © Charles Martel 2015

EXIF is an acronym meaning “Exchangeable Image File Format”, designating a standard adopted in the last twenty years or so, by the majority of digital camera manufacturers. EXIF information is added to each image captured by your digital camera, either in JPEG or RAW format. Exif = Metadata The Exif data is so-called “metadata” in computer parlance, i.e. …

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What is the “M” Mode for?

“M” means “Manual” and stands for Fully Manual Mode. In this mode, the photographer selects, using the appropriate controls, BOTH the shutter speed (or exposure time) with which to work AND the other parameters like the lens aperture and/or ISO sensitivity required to get the right exposure.

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What is the “S” Mode for?

“S” means “Speed” and stands for Speed Priority. In this mode, the photographer selects, using the appropriate controls, the shutter speed (or exposure time) with which to work, and the camera selects the other parameters like the lens aperture and/or ISO sensitivity required to get the right exposure. The main reason to prioritize the exposure time is to …

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What is the “A” Mode for?

“A” means “Aperture” and stands for Aperture Priority. In this mode, the photographer selects, using the appropriate knob, the lens aperture stop with which to work, and the camera selects the other parameters like the shutter speed and/or ISO sensitivity required to get the right exposure.

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What is the “P” Mode for?

“P” means “Program”. In program mode, the camera automatically controls the various exposure settings, i.e. shutter speed, aperture and sensitivity to light or ISO.

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What does the mode dial (PASM) do on my camera?

This is the command dial for the camera’s operating modes. However it is only present on high-end devices. On some models, the rotating knob is replaced by a modes menu on the rear LED display.

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What Camera Brand is the best?

This is a question in some quarters raises passions. Some swear by Canon. Others by Nikon. These brands were the two most popular for the pros, in the days of film photography, when the 35mm film format was lord and master of the press rooms around the world. Other brands, a little less well known, …

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It’s NOT the camera that creates the images! It’s YOU!

There is a primordial thing to understand about photography. A thing which often escapes the newcomers. And sometimes, and even often,  advanced amateurs and experts also: It’s NOT the camera that creates the images! It’s YOU! You find that surprising? Shocking EVEN? Yet, if you take the time to think about it, you’ll see it’s not …

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What is the F number (F-stop) in photography?

The F Number or F-Stop is used to express the aperture setting of a photographic lens. More technically speaking, this number is the ratio (the mathematical division) between the focal length and the physical aperture of the lens. This number therefore has no unit.

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What is the diaphragm in photography?

In photography, the diaphragm is a mechanism composed of several articulated metal plates, which restricts the passage of light in the photographic lens and thus the amount reaching the digital sensor.

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