DSLR News

The first thing most of us do when we get a new camera is dive into the menus and select the various settings that work best for our style of shooting. This is an important task, because when chosen carefully these settings can make photography easier, but improper settings can really hold you back.

Brendan van Son is a professional nature and travel photographer, and in the video below he takes a strong stand—identifying six camera settings he says most photographers need to change. He insists, "There are six or seven camera settings you can change, that will make your life as a photographer easier."

We realize that Shutterbug readers are a savvy bunch, so you may already be using some of the settings van Son suggests, but just about everyone will pick up some helpful advice by watching the video. He begins, with oft-asked question, “Why are you shooting JPEGs, and explains in detail the advantage of shooting Raw. Other topics include the disadvantages of using long-exposure noise reduction, why he sets the camera to “auto-rotate” images during playback, and his hatred of the “dreaded beep.”

You’ll also learn why van Son says, “The grid display is vastly overrated.” We’ll let you watch the video for details on these and other settings, but suffice to say that you’ll likely be changing some setting very soon.

There are more helpful videos on van Son’s YouTube channel, and don’t miss an earlier tutorial we posted with everything you need to know about long-exposure travel photography.