Sony DSC-W80/W Sony® Guide to Digital Photography (Spring 2007) - Page 23

Taking your best shot CAMERA CONTROL Multi-Burst A sequence of images that plays back on-screen, Multi-Burst is perfect for analyzing a golf, tennis or baseball swing. Our Multi-Burst mode shoots a sequence of 16 rapid-fire frames, each of which has 320 x 240 resolution. The 16 frames become part of a single 1280 x 960 image that plays back sequentially in the camera. Selectable frame intervals include 1/7.5, 1/15 and 1/30 second for convenient motion analysis. Multi-Burst mode is perfect for analyzing your golf swing. (Sample photos for illustration purposes.) Flash Most digital cameras include a built-in flash. Under most circumstances, when the camera detects that there's not enough light for an adequate exposure, the flash will trigger. This system generally works well, but it does have some limitations. • Metering/exposure issues. With flash as an added variable, it can be difficult for the camera to get an accurate exposure. • Control. There are times and circumstances when you want flash. And times when you don't. Control is crucial. • Red-eye. Whether you're shooting pets or people, flash tends to reflect off the retinas of your subjects' eyes, resulting in the eerie look of red-eye. Fortunately, well-designed cameras address these issues. Sony flash features Face Detection Taking advantage of the BIONZ™ integrated circuit, Sony cameras accurately recognize - and apply appropriate flash to - the human face. Even a simple snapshot can trip up the flash system of a conventional camera. For example, faces can easily become bleached out because the flash was too strong. Sony's BIONZ™ processor solves this problem with Face Detection. As you shoot, the Face Detection function actually analyzes the data that make up your digital picture. In this way, Face Detection can identify and track up to eight faces at a time. Then the camera automatically adjusts for optimum focus, exposure, flash and even white balance on the faces themselves. The result is far more "good" pictures, far fewer rejects and re-takes. For the complete story on Face Detection and the BIONZ processor, please turn to page 26. Burst mode gives you a rapid sequence of shots to capture fast action. (Sample photos for illustration purposes.) Sony solves the common problem of excessive flash with Face Detection technology. (Sample photos for illustration purposes.) 42 TTL Pre-Flash Metering Unlike other digital cameras, which only "guess" at flash exposures, Sony actually measures the flash output and adjusts accordingly. When it comes to flash photography, most auto exposure systems are flying "blind." They can only guess at flash levels because they can't measure the scene as it is lit by the flash. Sony demanded a better way, called Through-the-Lens Pre-Flash Metering. Step One: The Sony system fires a momentary pre-flash onto your subject. Step Two: The system instantly reads the resulting light through the camera's lens, and off the camera's CCD image sensor. CAMERA CONTROL Step Three: In just a fraction of a second, the camera adjusts flash exposure precisely! It's easy. And it's automatic. • Daylight Fill Flash ( ) is ideal for putting light on the faces of your subjects in strong backlight situations. Flexible flash modes Sony flash modes get the best out of your specific shooting situation. Flash is a great addition to your photography when you want it, but there are times when you don't. Sony enables you to control the flash to your best advantage. • Auto Flash mode (no indicator) automatically provides flash when there's not enough light for an adequate exposure. • Forced Flash mode ( ) triggers the flash when you want the extra light. • No Flash mode ( ) is great for twilight photography of distant subjects or candle-lit photographs. • Slow-Sync Flash ( ) is perfect for capturing people in the foreground, while it provides a longer exposure to capture a night-time background. Red-eye reduction Controls the ghoulish red in people's eyes that often appears in flash photography. Red-eye is the creepy effect that occurs when the camera's flash bounces off the retinas of your subjects' eyes. Red-eye reduction tackles the problem by shining a pre-flash, which enables your subjects' eyes to adjust before the main flash fires. Red-eye Reduction filter Correction for red-eye even after you've taken the shot, thanks to the BIONZ™ processor. Sony's pre-flash system can minimize red-eye. But if you forget to use this feature, you can still correct pictures even after you've shot them. Sony's powerful BIONZ™ processor is smart enough to analyze the data in your picture, identify red-eye and suppress it. TTL PRE-FLASH METERING 1. Pre-flash 2.Metering off the CCD, through the lens 3.Accurate flash exposure Unlike the many cameras that can only guess at flash metering, Sony delivers better flash exposure with Through-the-Lens Pre-Flash Metering. (1) Pre-Flash. (2) Metering off the CCD, through the lens. (3) Accurate flash exposure, adjusted according to the metering! SUBJECT IS CLOSE SUBJECT IS FAR FIxed flash: over exposure Adjusted flash: correct exposure Fixed flash: under exposure Adjusted flash: correct exposure Conventional flash metering tends to overexpose near subjects and underexpose far subjects. Through-the-Lens Pre-Flash Metering helps deliver correct exposure for all subjects! In this bright, backlit scene, the flash would normally not fire (left). Daylight Fill Flash automatically fires for the correct exposure (right). (Sample photos for illustration purposes.) Normal flash photography (left) would miss the background. Slow-Sync Flash (right) combines flash for the girls along with long shutter speed for the background, to capture both in one shot. (Sample photos for illustration purposes.) Red-eye Reduction filter suppresses the ghoulish red even after you've taken the shot. (Sample photos for illustration purposes.) First or Rear Curtain flash Coordinates flash and motion for trailing effects. While low-light exposures require large fractions of a second, flash firing is very short - almost instantaneous. To make the most of this difference, the DSC-H7, H9 and the a100 Digital SLR offer a choice in how you coordinate flash with the shutter mechanism. First Curtain flash fires at the beginning of the exposure, and is typically used for subjects that are standing still. Rear Curtain Flash fires at the end of the exposure, and is typically used for subjects that are in motion. Rear Curtain flash gives the brightest exposure to the subject at the end of the exposure, with a streaked, darker image trailing behind. 43