Get more from your DSLR: Part 2

YOUR CAMERA IS LADEN WITH HIDDEN FEATURES — THIS IS HOW TO FIND THEM.

THINKING ABOUT UPGRADING your camera? Are you doing it to take better photographs and with a clear purpose in mind? Those were the questions we posed in last month’s TechLife (page 104) as we showed off the hidden depths in your current DSLR.

You will be surprised to see that your current DSLR has an array of features that will cast aside its limits — perceived or otherwise. Last month, we demonstrated how to set up intervals, taking effective and creative multiple exposures, truly getting to grips with the LCD screen and more. All of these functions and hardware features have been present from the day you bought your camera; with some expert guidance, they will elevate your results — and save you some cash.

As we’ve previously mentioned, new camera models build upon the specifications of their predecessors, and these new features can be lost in the extensive menus that come with it. It’s worth considering how efficiently you are using your camera, and whether you’d achieve the results you want with the options currently at your fingertips when eyeing off that new piece of kit. Over the next four pages, we’ll show you how to get the most out of your lowly internal flash, customise the button layout to make it feel fresh (and give you access to its powerful features), and show you how to better track fast-moving objects.

With these new ways of thinking in your photography tool belt, you’ll hopefully find a new creative freedom, and really utilise the power of your current equipment.