1/500 - f/8 - minimum input flash - MACRO mode

[bamas10]

I am new to photography and just bought a Cannon A95. I've read posts that state things like what is in my title and was wondering what these things mean. I understand the "macro mode" but what do the other factors mean. I only know how to use auto right now and would like to learn more. Any information would be appreciated and also if you have a link to a site to show me basic photography and settings I would appreciate it. Thanks in advance.

[Jon]

1/500 is the shutter speed. The sensor is exposed to light for 1/500 second. Halving or doubling the shutter speed halves or doubles the time the light is allowed through.
f/8 is the aperture, how big the lens opening is (it's a ratio, actually - the focal length/8 is equal to the actual diameter of the lens opening, so the bigger the f/ number, the smaller the opening). Because it reflects the diameter, not the area, of the lens opening, each successive f/ stop is 1.4x the next one. So f/5.6 allows twice as much light through as f/8, which allows twice as much as f/11, and so on.
Together these two determine how much light gets captured by the sensor. 1/500 at f/8 is the same as 1/250 at f/11 or 1/1000 at f/ 5.6. But varying the two allows you to, for instance, stop very fast action (at a high shutter speed) or blur moving objects (at slow shutter speeds), or change the depth of field (wide apertures will leave only a very "shallow" range of distances that look in focus, while sall apertures will allow a very "deep" depth of field.

I don't, off-hand recall seeing "minimum input flash" used much, if at all. It might be referring to the range of distances at which the camera can properly expose a picture with its flash, but that's only a guess.

The Photography Basics - Books & Links (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=53846) sticky should have plenty to get you started.