A beginner’s cheat sheet of camera settings for common situations
Starting settings for portraits, landscapes, events, indoor shots, sunsets and moving subjects that you can adjust from there.
These settings are starting points, not rules. Use them, take a test shot, check the histogram and adjust.
Portrait outdoors in shade
Aperture priority, f/2 to f/2.8, ISO 100 to 400, AF-C with eye detection.
Landscape or city view
Aperture priority, f/8, ISO 100, single-point focus a third into the scene. Use a tripod at sunrise or sunset.
Indoor family gathering
Aperture priority with Auto ISO, f/2.8, minimum shutter speed 1/125, AF-C with face detection. Bounce a flash off the ceiling if light is poor.
Kids, pets and sports
Shutter priority at 1/1000, Auto ISO, AF-C with tracking, burst mode on medium.
Sunset
Manual or aperture priority at f/8, ISO 100, exposure compensation −0.7 to protect the sky’s colors. Shoot until the blue hour.
Interiors and real estate
Manual mode, f/8, ISO 100 to 400, tripod, three-shot bracket two stops apart, two-second timer.
Night street scenes
Aperture priority at f/1.8 to f/2.8, Auto ISO up to 6400, stabilization on, minimum shutter 1/60.
Save your favorite setups to the camera’s custom memory modes so you can switch instantly.
