Articles from Parent Magazine
by Matthew Panzarino

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What are all of those little symbols?
Digital Camera Icons Explained!

All of those tiny confusing symbols on your digital camera actually represent a great set of automatic features that can help you get a better picture in a difficult photo situation or, make a good picture a great one! Here's a short list of the most common icons on your camera's command dial to help clarify things.

Auto Mode: When you want to take snapshots without worrying about the mechanics of photography, leave this setting on Auto. It’s the “Dummy” mode.

Portrait Mode: Like Auto mode with benefits, this mode is still automatic but it will attempt to shoot with a fairly wide lens aperture in order to help blur the background, giving you that portrait look.

Movie Mode: Many cameras let you record MPEG or QuickTime videos to the same memory card storing your photos. The videos aren't sharp enough for DVD, but they're great for e-mail.

Macro Mode: To focus on extremely close subjects--say, within a few inches of the lens--choose the tulip. You can take life-size pictures of insects, flowers, and other small subjects in this mode, but the focus range at such distances is very narrow.

Landscape Mode: In this mode, your camera picks the best aperture and shutter settings for the depth of field that you want when taking pictures of landscapes.

Action: The Action (sometimes called Sports) mode sets the camera to the highest possible shutter speed, increasing your odds of getting a clear shot of squirming kids, for example.

For more help on those crazy symbols, come by the store and we’ll be happy to explain!