Mirror system inside lets you preview through the viewfinder the same image that is being captured on film/sensor
DSLRs are different from “point and shoot” cameras or phones because of detachable lenses
Prime vs Zoom lenses
Prime lens have only one focal length
Zoom lenses have variable focal lengths
Kit lens: A basic lens that comes with a camera body in a “kit”
Many people use telephoto lenses when shooting distant landscapes to compress perspective.
AF = Autofocus
MF = Manual focus
Zoom and focus are different things
More available light = lower ISO
Less available light = higher ISO
Use the lowest ISO you can to avoid grain/noise
Shutter speed: how long the shutter is open
Your situation determines the shutter speed
Aperture, AKA F-stop
Fraction Focal length divided by lens diameter
The denominator becomes the f-stop number and the smaller number actually represents a larger opening
“Fast” lens has a bigger maximum aperture
Larger aperture, shallower depth of field
Longer lenses APPEAR to have a shallower depth of field because they are magnifying the subject, which flattens the perspective and makes our eyes think the DOF is shallower
White balance is a camera setting that adjusts how colors look
Setting the “correct” white balance setting tells the camera how to make your whites and grays neutral, without any color tint
