Canon® EOS 50D Digital Field Guide

Chapter 3. Controlling Exposure and Focus

In This Chapter

Working with exposure

Choosing a shooting mode

Setting the ISO sensitivity

Metering light and modifying exposure

Using Autofocus

Selecting a drive mode

This chapter gets to the heart of shooting with the EOS 50D and taking creative control over your images. Beginning with the shooting modes, which give you control over one or all elements of exposure, and moving through setting the ISO sensitivity, you'll learn what the camera offers and when to use the various modes and options. You'll also learn how to modify the exposure in scenes with challenging lighting.

This chapter also explains the 50D's autofocus features and when to use the different options. Finally, the chapter details selecting various drive modes that determine the number of shots you can get during shooting.

By the end of this chapter, you'll have a good foundation in using the 50D's exposure and focus controls and drive modes for everyday shooting. Throughout this chapter, I encourage you to shoot with the 50D as you read about different aspects of the camera. While I provide examples throughout the chapter, the images are subject to commercial printing variables that may not reproduce them as accurately as a photographic print. As a result, there is no substitute for your personal experience with the camera and examining the results in your printed images.

Working with Exposure

These days it's easy to look at an image on the camera's LCD monitor, notice an exposure ...