I picked up my first digital point-and-shoot in my early 20s and had so much fun taking snapshots that I upgraded to a DSLR a few years later. I remember how challenging it was to learn about apertures, ISO settings, and shutter speeds when I started out. I’ve now got more than two decades of experience behind the lens and use different brands and types of cameras all the time for work, and I’m here to drop some knowledge and share some tips if you’re ready to swap out your smartphone for a mirrorless camera with interchangeable lenses.
I hope you keep these tips in mind the next time you head out to ca…
I picked up my first digital point-and-shoot in my early 20s and had so much fun taking snapshots that I upgraded to a DSLR a few years later. I remember how challenging it was to learn about apertures, ISO settings, and shutter speeds when I started out. I’ve now got more than two decades of experience behind the lens and use different brands and types of cameras all the time for work, and I’m here to drop some knowledge and share some tips if you’re ready to swap out your smartphone for a mirrorless camera with interchangeable lenses.
I hope you keep these tips in mind the next time you head out to capture the world with your camera— they’ll help you get images you’re proud of and want to share with friends and family.
1. Get Basic Composition Down
The heart of a photograph is its composition—the position of different elements in a frame. The easiest guideline to learn and remember is the Rule of Thirds. Basically, you’ll want to break your frame into nine squares of roughly equal size. Try and align the subject of your photo along these lines and intersections, and imagine the main image divided over these nine boxes. This gives you a more dramatic, visually interesting shot than one where your subject is located dead center. Many cameras and smartphones have a rule of thirds grid overlay that’s handy to use to help you compose photos; it’s worth diving into the menu to turn on.
Use the rule of thirds when learning to compose images (Credit: Jim Fisher)
The Rule of Thirds is not a hard and fast requirement for a good image, but it remains the basic starting point. It’s also worthwhile to make sure that you are holding your camera level (on-screen levels are included in most models), and to try to avoid getting unwanted objects into the periphery of the image. Smartphone photogs are spoiled by tools that remove unwanted objects from a picture with zero effort, but it’s better to try and set up your frame so distractions are left out to begin with.
2. Understand Exposure
Photography is all about capturing light, so it’s important to understand how aperture, shutter speed, and ISO sensitivity combine to create an Exposure Value (EV). Aperture is a measure of how much light a lens gathers and is expressed as an f-stop. Shutter speed is how long the camera lets that light fall onto the sensor, and ISO measures how sensitive the camera is to light.
You’ll want to use EV compensation for backlit or snowy scenes (Credit: Jim Fisher)
Your camera is tuned to render a scene that’s 18% gray (a shade of gray that reflects exactly 18% of the light that falls on it), determining the right mix of shutter speed, aperture, and ISO to create a "proper" exposure. I put proper in quotes because your camera will try to capture night sky images with too much brightness and will underexpose bright, snowy landscapes when left to its own devices.
EV compensation lets you override the default metering. Scenes that you want to capture with rich, inky blacks may require some negative EV, and bright scenes may require some positive. Mirrorless cameras provide real-time feedback for exposure so it’s usually just a matter of turning a dial to darken (-EV) or brighten (+EV) a scene. With some practice and experience, you’ll be able to tell which to use to get the image you want, but if you take a picture and it’s too dark or too bright, dialing in EV compensation should be your first recourse for correction.
3. Choose the Right Capture Mode
Many first-timers who pick up a mirrorless camera or SLR will set the mode dial to Auto and leave things alone. But it’s worthwhile to try some other modes. Program (P) is what I call a semi-automatic mode: For most things, it is point-and-click, but it lets you adjust EV compensation. If you’re more adventurous, you can try Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, or Manual exposure instead.
If you’re shooting fast action you can put the camera into Shutter Priority ("S" or "Tv") mode and increase the speed at which a photo is taken—setting it to 1/125 second or faster will help to freeze action, and for really quick subjects (like the hummingbird below), use as short a speed as possible to freeze motion, or a longer one to add motion blur to the flapping wings.
Use shutter priority to freeze moving subjects (Credit: Jim Fisher)
In lower light, you can use Aperture Priority ("A" or "Av") mode to ensure as much light enters the lens as possible. If you’re shooting landscapes on a tripod, you can close the lens’s iris to increase the depth of field, keeping everything in sharp focus from the foreground to the horizon. Using a bright aperture setting also softens backgrounds for portraits.
Finally, there’s Manual ("M") mode. Here, you can control both shutter speed and aperture together. Beginners may be intimidated, but since most cameras let you use Auto ISO and EV Compensation in tandem with Manual mode, it’s not that hard to get started. Advanced users can use manual for scenes where they want to control both depth of field and shutter speed.
4. Learn Your Camera’s Autofocus System
Newer mirrorless cameras focus faster and more intelligently than even the best DSLRs, even at the entry level, but require a few changes to settings to get the best results. Most are set to single (AF-S for most brands, One Shot for Canon) with a wide focus zone and no subject recognition assistants enabled when you first turn on your camera. In this mode, the camera tries to find focus on the nearest object and locks it in place once it’s acquired, so you’ll end up with a misfocused scene if you or the subject moves before you press the shutter.
Most new mirrorless cameras include eye detection for people and pets as a baseline feature (Credit: Sony/PCMag)
I like using AF-S for certain scenes, including landscapes, product photography, and other times when I have the camera on a tripod. But for any handheld photography or when taking pictures of subjects in motion, it’s wise to switch to continuous (AF-C for most brands, AI Servo for Canon), a mode where the camera shifts focus right up until the point where you press the shutter. I generally prefer a small area of interest for focus, but that comes down to personal preference—every autofocus system lets you choose from various box sizes for focus.
It’s necessary to use AF-C to get sharp pictures of flying birds, football players running down a field, or other action scenes, but I like to use it for handheld portraiture too. Most cameras also have a tracking mode, a more specialized form of AF-C that stays on an identified object and moves the focus point around to follow it. If you don’t turn on tracking, the focus box stays in the same position during a burst of images, a downside for photographing fast-moving subjects.
The Best Beginner-Friendly Cameras With Great Autofocus
$1,001.92 at Amazon
$999.00 at Amazon
$1,099.00 Save $100.00
$698.00 at Amazon
$849.99 Save $151.99
$679.00 at Amazon
$779.99 Save $100.99
$848.00 at Amazon
$1,099.99 Save $251.99
And while you won’t find the feature in SLRs, most newer mirrorless cameras support intelligent subject recognition to assist the focus system. Subject types vary by camera, but most support finding people, pets, wildlife, birds, and vehicles for more accurate tracking and focus. I get far more photos with perfect focus on the eyes when using the appropriate subject mode for people, pets, or birds for instance, so they are worthwhile to use.
5. Use Your Flash Wisely
Many a photo has been foiled by a flash turning a person into Casper the Friendly Ghost. If you are getting the deer in the headlights look from your in-camera flash, it is likely because you are too close to a subject, or your camera settings aren’t tuned to pick up the ambient light, or a combination thereof.
Use fill flash for backlit subjects (Credit: Jim Fisher)
The small flashes built into entry-level SLRs and mirrorless cameras don’t have the surface area to spread light out to brighten an entire room, so while it may seem counterintuitive, in dim interiors you’ll want to use a higher ISO so the flash isn’t trying to overcompensate and light the entire scene. For outdoor scenes, flash is handy for filling in shadows against a backlight—best practice is to set exposure for the backdrop and use the flash to fill in the shadows.
Get Our Best Stories!
Your Daily Dose of Our Top Tech News
Thanks for signing up!
Your subscription has been confirmed. Keep an eye on your inbox!
The Best Camera Lights
$259.00 at Walmart
$299.00 at Adorama
$499.00 at Adorama
If you use an external flash, it’s a good idea to point it up toward a ceiling or wall to bring up the general illumination when taking pictures in typical home environments, a technique called bounce flash that is often used by wedding and event photographers. If you buy a semi-pro or pro camera, it probably doesn’t have a built-in flash. I recommend the Godox V1 as a starter because it’s available for most systems, supports automatic and manual power, works with magnetic attachment light modifiers, and uses a rechargeable battery.
6. Get Down to Eye Level for Kids and Pets
Most snapshooters and beginners will stand on two legs and snap shots from eye level. While this is fine for many images, it’s not always ideal. If you’ve got a camera with a tilting screen, you can more easily shoot from a low or high angle to get a different perspective on your subject.
Get low to the ground when photographing pets (Credit: Jim Fisher)
If you don’t have a tilting LCD, think about getting down low to the ground to get the best shots of pets and kids—you’ll want the camera at their eye level to get an image that stands out. You don’t have to pay for every shot with a digital camera (unlike with an instant camera), so play around with different angles and camera positions until you’ve found one that captures a moment and stands out from the crowd.
7. Watch Your White Balance
Your camera will try and set white balance automatically based on the type of light in which you’re shooting. Different light casts different types of color—sunlight is very blue, tungsten lighting is yellow, and fluorescent is a bit green. In many cases, the camera will automatically detect what type of lighting you’re under and adjust the color in photos so that they look natural.
Set your white balance properly (Credit: Jim Fisher)
But when white balance isn’t right, you can get results like you see above—the image on the left is correctly balanced, and the one on the right is way off. If you’re shooting under mixed lighting, or if the camera is just having a hard time figuring things out, you can set the white balance manually. On most point-and-shoots, you’ll have to dive into the shooting menu to adjust this, but many SLRs have a dedicated white balance button, often labeled "WB." You can correct colors using Mac or Windows photo editing apps later on, but you’ll get better-looking photos if you get the white balance right in the first place.
Recommended by Our Editors
8. Use a Tripod or Monopod
Sometimes, the best way to get your shot perfect is to take some extra time. Using a tripod will allow you to set up framing, and can come in handy—along with your camera’s self-timer—for getting that shot of you and the kids in front of Mount Rushmore, and is a must-have for long exposures and pictures of the Milky Way or northern lights.
Tripods can be expensive, with pro models ranging from $500 to $1,000-plus, but you don’t need to spend an arm and a leg, pardon the pun. I’d still recommend avoiding the cheap-looking ones: A $17 Amazon Basics tripod might sound like a deal, but it comes with no creature comforts, not even a quick-release plate.
Peak Design Travel Tripod (Credit: Jim Fisher)
Instead, budget around $150 to $300 for a quality starter model and read our tripod buying guide for more guidance on choosing the right set of legs and head to support your camera and match your photo style. You can afford to get a heavier tripod if you work mostly in the studio, but if you’re a frequent flyer, you may find it worthwhile to opt for a lighter-duty option like the premium Peak Design Travel Tripod or affordable K&F Concept SA234.
If you desire more mobility, a monopod might be a better fit than a tripod. Monopods are great for use at zoos and sporting events; the single leg makes it easier to move around and provides very good stability to boot.
9. Upgrade Your Kit Lens
You don’t need high-end gear to make a fantastic image, but upgrading or supplementing the basic zoom lens that’s included with most entry-level cameras can open up creative possibilities. There are a few different directions to go. Pick up an ultra-wide angle zoom for epic wide angles, a telezoom to magnify far-off objects, a macro to focus close for flowers and jewelry, or a bright prime lens for pictures where the background blurs away into nothing.
The Best Standard Zoom Lenses
$549.00 at B&H Photo Video
$599.00 at Amazon
$1,204.91 at Amazon
$704.62 at Amazon
$769.00 Save $64.38
$699.95 at Amazon
$949.95 Save $250.00
$1,598.00 at Amazon
$1,699.99 Save $101.99
You have to make sure that you’re buying the right lens for your camera, as the bayonet mount that connects a lens to a camera varies from brand to brand. Most third-party lenses come in different versions for different mount interfaces, so take care when shopping for one. I’ve put together separate buying guides for each major camera system. Click through to find the best compatible lenses for the following: Canon EF SLRs, Canon EOS M mirrorless, Canon EOS R mirrorless, Fujifilm X mirrorless, L-Mount Alliance mirrorless, Micro Four Thirds mirrorless, Nikon F SLRs, Nikon Z mirrorless, Pentax K SLRs, and Sony E mirrorless.
10. Try Out Color Modes and Filters
If you’re picking up an older DSLR or mirrorless camera, you may only have the basic standard, natural, vivid, and black-and-white color profiles built in, but many newer cameras include more stylized profiles that mimic film and art filters. Oftentimes, you can use a film look to mirror an image’s mood, or to add a grainy effect in-camera. Fuji started the trend with its Film Simulation looks, and you also get in-camera filters with Nikon Z and OM System cameras.
Panasonic went even further with its newest Lumix models, a handful of which support configurable Look Up Tables (LUT) picture profiles, so you can create your own or download from a gallery. For all the details on that feature, check out my S1R II review.
I used a custom LUT named Ontario for this catbird photo from the Lumix S1R II (Credit: Jim Fisher)
When you’re ready to do even more with your images, read our tips for photo experts. We also have explainers to help you capture share-worthy photos of lightning and fireworks with interchangeable lens cameras.
If you haven’t yet picked up a mirrorless camera, you can check out our top picks for beginners, or jump right in with a full-frame sensor camera as they tend to have more features and give you more room to grow as you get better at taking pictures.
About Our Expert
Jim Fisher
Principal Writer, Cameras
Experience
Images, and the devices that capture them, are my focus. I’ve covered cameras at PCMag for the past 14 years, which has given me a front row seat for the changeover from DSLRs to mirrorless cameras, the smartphone camera revolution, and the emergence of drones for aerial imaging. I have extensive experience with every major mirrorless and SLR system, and am also comfortable using point-and-shoot and action cameras. As a Part 107 Certified drone pilot, I’m licensed to fly unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for commercial and editorial purposes, and am knowledgeable about federal rules and regulations regarding drones.
Latest By Jim Fisher