Depth of Field Preview

Depth of field is important. Unless you are a top notch photographer; chances are you're not getting the aperture right on the first shot. Fortunately there is a handy little button on most DSLR's that allow you to see the depth of field before pressing the shutter release. I admit that when I first ran across this handy little button it was accidental. At first glance all it appears to do is darken the overall image. Of course there is so much more. The button is the "depth of field preview" button. By pressing this button you can see exactly how the image will be focused when captured. While the depth of field preview button was far more important during the days of film, it is still a useful time saving tool. No longer do you need to take your eye away from the viewfinder to see what you need.



That is not all this feature can do though. Lens flare can ruin an image. It can be very hard to see where light will streak by looking through the viewfinder alone. It can even be a challenge to see a light streak in the cameras LCD screen. Time and time again I have come home with a great shot, only to find out a lens flare ruined it. Fortunately, by pressing the depth of field preview button dark spots, light spots, and flares come forward.

Image from: www.photoreview.com

But where is this magical time saving button? It is usually located on the front of the camera body around the lens. Next time you are fiddling with your aperture trying to get the shot just right, try it out.