Camera menus use compact labels that hide simple ideas. Menu names differ between makers, but the underlying functions are very similar. This glossary groups the most common terms by what they control, so you can find your way around any camera.
Shooting Mode Terms
- Manual: you set aperture, shutter speed and ISO yourself.
- Aperture priority: you choose the aperture and the camera chooses the shutter speed.
- Shutter priority: you choose the shutter speed and the camera sets the aperture.
- Program: the camera selects both, while you can still shift the combination.
- Auto: the camera makes nearly every choice.
Aperture priority is a common everyday choice because it controls background blur while the camera handles timing.
Focus Terms
Single autofocus locks focus once and holds it, which suits still subjects. Continuous autofocus keeps adjusting for moving subjects. Focus area or AF point tells the camera where in the frame to focus, from one small point to a wide zone. Face or eye detection follows people automatically. Manual focus lets you turn the ring yourself, and focus peaking highlights the sharp edges on screen to help.
Exposure and Metering Terms
Metering mode decides how the camera reads brightness. Evaluative or matrix metering looks at the whole scene, center-weighted favors the middle, and spot metering reads a tiny area. Exposure compensation lets you make the picture brighter or darker than the camera suggests, usually in steps of one third. Bracketing takes several frames at different exposures.
Drive and File Terms
| Term | What it does |
|---|---|
| Single shot | One frame per press |
| Continuous | Several frames while held down |
| Self-timer | Delays the shot after you press |
| RAW | Saves unprocessed data for editing |
| JPEG | Saves a processed, smaller file |
| Image size | Chooses the pixel dimensions |
Color and Style Terms
White balance corrects color cast, with presets such as daylight, shade, cloudy and tungsten, plus automatic and custom options. Picture style or color profile sets contrast, saturation and sharpness for JPEG files. Noise reduction smooths grain, which can also soften fine detail. Long exposure noise reduction adds a processing step after slow shots.
When you first open a menu, resist the urge to change everything at once. Choose one group, such as focus, and learn its options by taking a few frames with each. Many cameras also let you save a favorite combination to a custom slot on the mode dial, which brings your usual settings back with one turn. A short written note of your preferred settings is useful if you ever need to rebuild them.
FAQ
Do menu settings change my RAW files?
Mostly no. Picture styles and noise reduction mainly affect JPEG output, while RAW keeps the original data. Exposure settings still apply to both.
Is there a way to undo menu changes?
Yes. Most cameras have a reset option for settings. Check the maker’s manual for what it clears.
The Short Version
Menu terms group into modes, focus, metering, drive, file and color. Understand each group once, and unfamiliar labels on any camera will make sense quickly.
