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How to Make Good Photos With a Panasonic Lumix

Lumix is a line of digital cameras produced by Panasonic. The cameras range from low-end to high-end digital single lens reflex (SLR). Several models of the camera exist between this range, but they do have many similar qualities. The cameras are made with German-based Leica lenses, are manufactured in Japan and have the option of automatic shooting. Most major differences in operation exist in focusing between normal digital Lumix cameras and digital SLR Lumix cameras.

Instructions

- 1
  Turn the camera switch to the "On" position. The switch is the smallest of three on top of the camera.
- 2
  Turn the settings dial to the intelligent auto-focus option. The dial is on top of the camera on the right. The icon looks like a small camera with the letters "iA" next to it.
- 3
  Switch the camera to record mode by moving the switch on the back to the camera symbol.
- 4
  Select a scenery option by using the navigation arrows on the back of the camera. Press the side buttons to switch between the modes and then press the "OK" button to save the setting.
  
  The different settings are portrait, landscape, macro, night portrait and night scenery. Portrait is symbolized with a face; it follows the face to take clear, bright portraits. Landscape looks like a mountain; it takes sharp pictures of outdoor scenery. Macro's icon is a flower; it helps take clear images of close-up subjects. Night portrait is a person next to a star; it uses flash to take natural looking pictures of people and night scenery. Night scenery is symbolized by a mountain next to a moon; it uses an extended shutter speed to take pictures of night landscapes without a flash.
- 5
  Frame the shot in the viewfinder or on the camera's LCD screen. Point-and-shoot cameras use the zoom lever attached to the shutter button on top of the camera to focus. Push the lever to the right to zoom in and push it to the left to zoom out. SLR cameras turn the ring of the lens to the right to zoom in, to the left to zoom out. Some SLR cameras have fixed lenses that don't move. If this is the case, move toward or away from the subject to zoom in or out.
- 6
  Press the shutter button, located in the middle of the three on top of the camera, halfway in to focus the camera. Keep the shutter depressed halfway and wait for the beep that affirms the subject is in focus. Press the shutter button down the rest of the way to take the shot.
- 7
  Review the shot on the LCD screen directly after it's taken. The image appears for 2 to 4 seconds after each shot. To look at the image again, change the camera to play mode by moving the switch on the back from the camera icon to the sideways triangle. Press the arrows to move back and forth through the images on the memory card.

Photography