Camera Settings Guide: Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO
Three settings control every photo: aperture, shutter speed and ISO. Learn them once and you can use any DSLR or mirrorless camera.
Updated 10 November 2026
Aperture (f-number)
Aperture is the size of the lens opening. A small f-number such as f/1.8 lets in a lot of light and blurs the background (great for portraits). A large f-number such as f/8 keeps more of the scene sharp (great for landscapes and groups).
Shutter speed
Shutter speed is how long the sensor sees light. 1/500 s or faster freezes sport and children; 1/60 s is fine for still people; slower speeds need a tripod (tripod guide) and blur moving things.
ISO
ISO makes the camera more sensitive to light. Keep it low (100–400) in daylight and raise it indoors or at night. Higher ISO adds grain, but modern cameras such as Sony Alpha a7 IV Full Frame Mirrorless Camera stay clean to high ISO.
Best settings for common situations
- Portraits: Aperture priority, f/1.8–f/2.8, eye autofocus.
- Sports and kids: Shutter priority 1/1000 s, continuous autofocus.
- Landscapes: f/8, ISO 100, tripod.
- Night city: tripod, ISO 100–400, 1–10 s exposure.
- Weddings indoors: f/1.8–f/2.8, 1/200 s, auto ISO.
White balance and RAW
White balance keeps colours natural under different lights. Shooting RAW lets you fix white balance and exposure later in editing software.
Using a CCTV or IP camera's settings
Security cameras have their own settings: resolution, frame rate, night mode (IR or colour) and motion areas. Set them in the app or recorder; see the CCTV setup guide.
