Understanding your camera type: try it yourself

The aim is to identify the equipment you actually own and see what it does automatically. There is no need to make an inventory of every button.

1. Identify the exact model

Find the make and model on the camera body, packaging, manual or device settings. Work out whether it is a phone, compact, bridge, DSLR or mirrorless camera. If you are unsure, search the exact model rather than guessing.

2. Make an Auto-mode baseline

Photograph a simple subject in the easiest fully automatic mode available. This gives you a baseline photograph made largely by the camera’s decisions.

3. Try one alternative the camera provides

If your camera has a Portrait, Landscape, Sport or similar scene mode, photograph a suitable subject in Auto and then in that mode from roughly the same position. Compare the result. If your camera has no scene modes, skip this step.

4. Compare with a phone if you have one

Photograph the same subject with the camera and phone from roughly the same place. Look at framing, brightness, colour, background blur and shadow detail. The point is not to declare a winner, but to notice how differently the devices process the same scene.

You are done when

You know what type of camera you have, where to find its exact model information and at least one thing it does differently from another mode or device.