Steve

What mode do you use?

Most cameras whether they are mirrorless or single lens reflex and some compacts have a variety of shooting modes.

The most common ones are Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, Manual, Auto and Program modes.

There is no one mode that it the only one you should use, but you need to understand the differences between the different modes that your camera can shoot in.

In Auto mode the camera will decide the shutter speed and aperture and possibly the ISO speed to use, when you press the shutter button the camera will auto-focus and then take the shot, simple. A lot of people will not use Auto mode because the lack of control, but in fact if you don’t have time to change and adjust settings it might be the difference between capturing an image or missing it altogether.

In Shutter Priority mode the photographer sets their desired shutter speed and the camera will adjust the aperture automatically to get the correct exposure. This mode is useful when you are trying to capture sports or any other high speed action. But you can also use it at much slower shutter speeds as well.

In Aperture Priority mode the photographer selects the aperture they wish to use and the camera automatically adjusts the shutter speed to get the correct exposure. Changing your aperture doesn’t just change the amount of light reaching the sensor/film, but more importantly the depth of field of the resulting image.

With Aperture Priority mode you need to be careful that the shutter speed selected doesn’t become too slow that you end up in a camera shake situation. You can compensate for this by increasing the ISO speed to bring the shutter speed back up again for your selected aperture.

In Manual Mode you will have control over all three parameters, shutter speed, aperture and ISO speed. The camera is just feeding you the current meter reading for the exposure, so you just have to be aware that the metering mode will influence the value and the photographer can adjust the settings to suit the image they are capturing depending on the variation of the contrast in the image.

Program Mode if it is offered is a fixed curve that exists within the camera that lets you adjust the shutter speed and aperture in a fixed relative ratio to each other. Have a look at the manual for your camera to see how that setting works, they aren’t all the same.

You will also find other modes offered such as automatic depth mode, where you focus on the furtherest subject and then the nearest subject and the camera will select the appropriate aperture for that required depth of field.

Your camera might also have a number of ‘creative modes’ where the settings are biased in a particular way depending on the category of image you are taking (landscape, nighttime, sports, macro etc..) Again check your camera manual for the details of these, as some of them will lock out certain functions on the camera when these modes are selected.

What mode do you typically use the most?

Going Mirrorless in 2025?

I go through phases of considering getting a new digital camera. Considering all my current digital cameras are all DSLRs of one sort or another it would be a major investment to change to mirrorless.

Looking at my local chain of retailers the options for DSLRs are slowly dwindling with some cameras listed but ‘awaiting stock’ for months at a time. The insistence by the EU on everything being able to charge via USB C could be partially to blame for this.

It’s very unlikely that any existing models will be re-engineered to accept USB-C rather than Micro-USB or similar.

OK so what options are there….

Go all in with a new mirrorless body and lens, I would need at least a couple of zooms (Ultra-Wide and Wide-Short Telephoto)
Buy a second-hand DSLR – OK if it was APSC, just the body would be enough, full frame would involve more lens
Stick with what I have now.

The first option whilst it is attractive, would cost quite a lot and I am not sure I could justify the expense, would my images improve that much? I have my doubts.

Second-hand has its attractions too, but some of the examples I’ve seen on MPB are not exactly in top notch condition, bumps and scrapes on a camera less than 5 years old seems a bit off to me, when I look at some of my own that have very little sign of wear and tear. Second hand mirrorless is an alternative, but the cost would be slightly lower than the new option similar I suppose to a new DSLR set up.

Which leads me to the last option…. zero cost and I have what I need for the type of photography I love to do. Plus I more or less understand all the different settings on those camera bodies fairly well. I still have to look at the manual for the Nikon D300 from time to time!

The lack of video, or high resolution video is of no concern to me, I only shoot still images anyway.

What about you? Mirrorless, DSLR, Film?

What is a Vintage Camera?

The term ‘Vintage’ is often mis-used. If you ask a number of people how old they would think a ‘Vintage’ item should be to be classed as ‘Vintage’, you will get a variety of answers.

Take these two cameras, the EOS30 film camera and EOS20D digital camera.

I bought the EOS30 in about the year 2000, so nearly 25 years old, and the EOS20D 20 years ago.

Now in film camera terms, I wouldn’t class the EOS30 as vintage, almost too modern compared to a lot of film cameras people love to use these days. A lot of people think it is a digital camera when they first see it, but there’s no rear screen.

The EOS20D is old by today’s standards but is it ‘vintage’ ?

In my opinion it still takes great photographs, yes it might not be the best performer in low light or at high ISO settings. But for every day typical photographs taken in RAW mode it is pretty good. And at 8 MPS if you are only using the images for social media then it’s more than enough.

Batteries are still available and it takes an 8GB CF Card, but no higher than that.

What do you think a Vintage Digital Camera is? Please comment below.

Password Security

Gone are the days when you could use a simple ‘easy to remember’ password on every site you needed to use a password on to access it. These days we might find that the average person requires log in details for over 100 sites.

The number is gradually increasing as our lives become more and more dependent on websites for services from mundane things to the important things like healtcare and banking.

Therefore password security is just as important as having your annual health check.

Here are some tips on how to make sure you aren’t breaking any fundemental password rules.

Make your passwords long
Avoid common phrases (in any language)
Do not use personal information
Use a mix of characters and UPPER and lower case letters, numbers and symbols
NEVER reuse passwords, even on ‘low priority sites’
Store passwords in a secure password manager
Only change a password when you need to or if there has been a data leak
Use 2-factor authentication
Only share passwords securely
Be careful clicking on links in emails/text messages

1. Make your passwords long: Increasing password length is among the most important password security tips. The logic behind longer passwords is simple each time you add an extra character, you increase the number of possible combinations, along with the time it would take an attacker to decipher the password. Just going from 8 to 12 characters makes it nearly impossible to guess a password based on computer-generated combinations.

2. Avoid common phrases: Dictionary words like password, dragon, monkey and princess are among those commonly used as a password (or part of one). Not surprisingly, these simple words, along with basic patterns like abcd1234, are also easy for others to guess. Numerical passwords like 123456789 are even less secure since there are only ten available characters.

3. Do not use personal information: Most of us are guilty of this occasionally. After all, it’s much easier to remember your parakeet’s name than some random combination of numbers and letters. Addresses and birthdays are other examples of personal information that people convert into passwords to make them easier to remember. Since this identifying information can often be found on the web, leave it out of your passwords.

4. Use a mix of characters: Using a variety of symbols in your password, including uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters, is another good way to strengthen password security. Since there are no set rules for arranging the symbols, try inserting special characters and uppercase letters into the middleof the password, not just the beginning or end. But while you may think it’s clever to replace common letters with symbols, l!k3 th!$, be warned: cybercriminals are wise to this tactic, so it won’t actually slow them down any more than regular words will. On some devices (iPhones etc) when logging in to a site for the first time it will offer a secure password… use it, it will then be saved.

5. Never reuse passwords:The volume of accounts and passwords we maintain can lead us to reuse passwords to make them easier to remember. Duplicate passwords weaken cybersecurity by exposing multiple accounts if even one password is compromised. Using a secure password manager will often alert you to duplicate and compromised passwords.

6. Never store passwords in an unsafe place: Passwords stored in desk drawers or written on sticky notes can easily be lost or fall into the wrong hands. Passwords stored electronically in spreadsheets, notes applications, or web browsers are also vulnerable since none of these methods typically use encryption to protect stored passwords. Use a secure password manager application such as 1Password, Dashlane, Password App built in to MacOS/iOS, NordPass, Keeper etc. Password managers will ensure that you no longer need to remember any passwords only the one to get in to the manager, and that can often be done with Face ID or Touch ID or similar.

7. Only change your password when you need to: Changing passwords too frequently can make them less secure. Changes might result in only minor changes to an existing password and if the previous password was compromised, then the hacker has a head start on what the new password might be.

8. Use 2-factor authentication (2FA): This uses a second credential, such as a randomly generated code sent through an app or by email/SMS to provide further verification that the user trying to log-in is the correct person. This is best set up with an application on your smart phone so only you will have access to it. Apps that offer this feature include Authy, Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, Duo Mobile as well as a lot of the password managers available now.
Banks will insist on using 2FA to access your account these days. It doesn’t replace your password, therefore your banking password and any other password you use on a site with 2FA should follow all the normal rules. It’s also best to use 2FA on any social media sites you access.

9. Only share passwords securely: Try to avoid sharing any passwords with anyone if you can help it. If their security is impacted in some way then it compromises your security as well. It’s best that they set up their own account rather than sharing yours when possible. Most of the password managers however offer a method of sharing data using encrypted and therefore secure methods. If you must use a messenger service to share important information choose one that has end to end encryption, and is not open such as email or an ordinary text message.

10. Avoid clicking on links in emails: It is very easy to get caught out by an email or text message that looks like it has come from a reliable source. Don’t click on the links until you have checked if they are real or not. If have clicked on a link that compromised your security, make sure you change your password straight away do not wait. Keeping your email box empty of junk emails is a whole other topic for another day!

Passkeys: Passkeys are a new way to log in to apps and websites without using traditional passwords. Instead of remembering and typing in a password, you use a digital key that is unique to each account.

Here’s how it works:

Two Keys: Your device creates two keys – a public key and a private key.
Public Key: The public key is stored by the app or website.
Private Key: The private key stays on your device and is used to unlock your account.

When you log in, your device uses the private key to prove your identity without ever sharing it. This makes it much harder for hackers to steal your login information

Passkeys are often used with biometric authentication like FaceID or fingerprint scans, making them both secure and convenient

Read more about Passkeys here. https://developers.google.com/identity/passkeys

Stay safe on line.

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Steve Morton
August 2024

Using photography as part of your daily exercise routine.

Reading that title might make you think of bench pressing full camera bags!! Yes they can get heavy, but I was thinking of another way!

I try to keep as active as possible, as a 65 year old retiree, it has to not be too strenuous, but enough for me to close my activity rings on my Apple Watch each day.

Exercise for me is mainly walking, sometimes at a slow pace, sometimes at a fast pace if I’m going somewhere listening to music.

Today I took my camera with me on a photo walk, it didn’t matter that I had been around these streets in the town many times before. Looking around you often see things that have changed, or something you hadn’t noticed before.

I didn’t take many photographs, but I enjoyed the walk and looking for scenes to shoot and the walk did me good. The quality of the photos wasn’t important either.

In most cases I can go back again next time and try again, may be with a different camera out of my small collection!

Today I used my Canon EOS600D. My EOS100D with a fixed wide angle lens is perfect for these photo walks, compact and light weight.

Until next time, take care, keep fit and enjoy photography too.