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Camera Basics - How Your SLR Camera Works

By Autumn Lockwood

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 06Aug2010 Word count: 624 Viewed: 213 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

If you've ever used a basic camera before, you know that all you really need to do is aim the camera, push the button and you've got your picture. But have you ever thought how that all happens?

Unfortunately, many people never stop to understand the intricate way in which a camera actually works - knowing why and how your camera does what it does can make your photos stronger and increase your ability to adapt to changing situations. So, here is an overview of the basics of a camera and what goes on inside of it.

Lens, Shutter, Mirror

The basics of camera technology hasn't changed too much in the last 50 years - they're all lightproof boxes that control the amount and timing of a piece of film's exposure to light. Most cameras nowadays are what is called "single-lens reflex," or SLR for short. SLRs have one main lens and some type of mirror system that gets the actual lens image viewed by our eye. A camera lens actually sees things upside down so in order for our eyes to see it right side up the image is reflected by a mirror into a prism.

The benefit of looking directly through the lens to see how your image will look (versus looking at a representation of what it would be) is a huge advantage because you'll know exactly how your image will turn out. Behind the shutter there is one frame of film (or light sensitive cells) waiting to be exposed - when you push the "take picture" button the shutter lifts for a fraction of a second and the image hits the film instead of bouncing into the mirror. It's worth noting that new digital SLRs actually work in the exact same way, except instead of film being exposed it's an array of light sensitive cells.

Making Adjustments to Your Camera

When it comes to adjusting your camera, one size doesn't fit all when it comes to how long the shutter stays open. If you leave the shutter open for too long it will over-expose the image or if you don't open it long enough the image will be under exposed. This is why your camera either allows you to adjust the shutter speed manually, or will figure out what the appropriate speed is automatically.

If you want to let in more or less light into the camera, all you have to do is change the camera's aperture settings. In an SLR, you can usually find a ring around the lens noted with f-stop values; each of these numbers represents the size of the aperture opening. A high number denotes a small opening and very little light, whereas a low number means the aperture is wide-open and will allow more light to hit the film.

With all of these things working in concert together, it's easy to see how complex the art of photography can be. Luckily most modern cameras do this math for us, but adjusting the f-stop and shutter speeds manually to make the best possible issue is the hallmark of a great photographer. By learning how your camera functions, it gives you more insight into how you can better adjust your camera so you can ultimately get better pictures.

It's always a good idea to dedicate at least one roll of film (or a part of a memory card) towards experimenting with the individual settings on your camera. You should shoot a bunch of pictures just working with various shutter speeds, then try a few only adjusting the f-stop. As you get more comfortable with how your camera works, you'll be able to create better pictures by being able to adjust your camera to get exactly what you want.

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