The task I set for myself this week was to find and learn something from my Olympus Stylus 1 camera’s user manual. Since I got the camera well over a decade ago, I do not have a manual in print. So, I searched the internet for it and found one on a hub for manuals! Now I’m wondering why I have a Rubbermaid tub of manuals hidden in a cupboard with the plethora of manuals that every household accumulates.
User manual Olympus STYLUS 1 (English – 120 pages)
I realized there were things that I knew, but there were definitely more things that I did not know. Starting with some of the basics, that anyone who aspires to be a photographer must know, and because I am a) self-taught and b) clearly an amateur I did not have a good understanding of.
Here are a few of the things that I learned about:
Tone: the ability to adjust light and dark shadows for brightness and highlights in images. Also ties to gradation. Not the usual tone that we speak about as educators in regard to how we speak or the feeling evoked in literature.
Aperture: the camera has an aperture priority mode which lets the camera adjust the shutter speed for optimal exposure. Changing the aperture can blur the background of an image or just soften it, or change the depth of field in an image. The camera has this little lever on the front to change the aperture, I never knew what this lever was for!
Shutter Speed: also connects to aperture, but can allow an image to be taken of something moving fast without any blurriness.
Image Aspect: or aspect ration has to do with the horizontal-to-vertical ratio when taking pictures. The standard ratio is [4:3].
I also learned that these things are outlined on the digital display and are there for reference, not just to clog the screen with unclear numbers. Imagine that!
Exposure compensation: allows the brightness to be adjusted via a dial (that, once again, I did not know the purpose of).
There are also a number of other settings, some of which I had previously used, like colour enhancement to make certain colours pop, creating black and white monotone images, and portrait mode. There are some art modes for shooting as well, which allows images to have different focuses, sepia shades, a dramatic tone, etc.
I have really shortened my learning journey down to the Sparknotes version in this post, but the 120 page manual was quite in-depth and I really did learn a lot.
My plan for the next week is to use this new knowledge to produce some pictures. I also have the option to use my phone to operate the camera, and this could make for some interesting photography. Wish me luck!
Wow, it’s amazing how much you uncovered just by diving into the manual! I love how you connected the technical terms to your own discoveries like finally figuring out what that lever was for. Can’t wait to see the photos you create now that you’re putting this knowledge into practice. Good luck, though it already sounds like you’re off to a strong start!
Shayna, I really enjoyed reading about your experience this week and it’s clear you pulled out a lot of new knowledge. It makes me wonder: do you feel the manual was sufficient for your level of understanding? Did it meet you where you are as a self-taught learner, or did you find yourself needing to pause and translate the technical language into something more usable?
Your post also made me think back to being a kid and renting video games. If the manual wasn’t in the case, I was often completely lost and had no other resources to figure things out. The manual was everything. Thinking about that, I realize how different it is today, when we almost instinctively turn to YouTube tutorials, forums, or communities whenever we hit a wall.
In that light, what do you see as the deficiencies of a manual on its own? Where do you think you want to go next when you’re looking to deepen your knowledge. Is it more experimentation with your camera, or seeking out other resources online?
I like that your next step is putting the manual’s guidance into practice by actually taking pictures. That seems like the best way to test how these new settings feel in action, and I’m excited to see how it plays out
Thank you for your insightful comments Matt. You know, it was interesting that you asked the question about the limitations of expectations of the manual, because I felt myself frustrated by its length and wished for there to be more user friendly additions such as bookmarks. And yes, translating the technical language is a challenge! Sometimes it takes time to work new language into a repertoire, you know?