Why are there so many custom settings in current cameras, surely technology is good enough to simplify photography?

Sarah Brookes, Lancaster

BRIAN SAYS… There are many custom settings, features and functions on all modern cameras, partly due to the wide range of subjects that are now possible to capture. With such diverse subjects the camera needs to be refined to deliver the best result. The fact that images are now more readily scrutinized makes this even more crucial. I’d argue that camera tech has evolved and made many aspects of photography much simpler. The ability of the camera’s automatic exposure metering and white balance is crucial to achieving colourful correctly exposed shots automatically.

Autofocus, be it for identifying and tracking moving subjects makes most photography much easier, but in order for the camera to know what is the subject often means you choosing an appropriate subject type.

I can recall trying to photo racing cars with a film camera that had only a single AF point, and it was much harder than learning the settings required to optimize my current camera to do the same.

I’m sure many photogs think that the latest and greatest model used by the pros does all the work, when it’s still the photographer’s skill that is the biggest factor in securing amazing results. One of the keys to making the most use of any camera is to learn how it operates and how to best use it for the subjects you want to take.

Lots of photographers try to find amazing subjects, but don’t have the knowledge of how to capture them. To advance you need to study, practise and review your work. Fortunately the camera logs all the settings in the image metadata, so you can review what works, and what isn’t a good choice for the photos you want to make.

This bird on a stick picture needed some knowledge to configure the camera to focus on the birds eye instead of the closest branches

The level of customization is truly amazing, and if you want specific access to a little used feature it’s usually possible