Virtual camera. SLR camera simulator. Bokeh simulator and depth of field calculator
The virtual camera simulator is a beginner photographer's simulator that will allow you to easily and visually explore the relationship between shutter speed, aperture and ISO. Using the beginner photographer's virtual simulator, you can also easily figure out the effect of aperture on depth of field and exposure, and shutter speed on exposure and image blur. In addition, using this camera simulator you can experiment with camera settings both in manual mode and in shutter and aperture priority modes.
Learn to set up your camera on the beginner photographer's simulator
Brief instructions on virtual camera settings
aperture
Diaphragm (aperture) - an opaque partition installed between the lenses of the objective. The aperture has an adjustable hole in the center for transmitting a beam of light from the subject to the camera matrix. The depth of field changes depending on the size. The larger the aperture, the smaller. In addition, the size of the aperture aperture affects the exposure of the frame - the larger the aperture, the more light passes to the matrix (or film).
Move the slider to see how aperture works. Aperture and observe the change in the depth of field and brightness of the image. Above the slider are digital aperture values, which correspond to a certain size of the aperture opening, shown in the figure on the right.
Shutter
Shutter - adjusts the exposure of the image. The longer the shutter curtains are open (long exposure), the more light will enter the matrix. Move the engine Shutter and watch how the brightness of the picture changes, depending on the shutter speed indicated above the slider. In the picture on the right, you can see how the shutter works at specific shutter speeds - press the button test speed.
When shooting in manual mode, the most important thing to find is the combination of aperture and shutter speed at which a frame of normal brightness is obtained.
When choosing a shutter speed, be aware that slow shutter speeds can result in particularly moving objects, such as a dog in the foreground running towards the viewer.
ISO - matrix sensitivity
In the event that the range of shutter speeds and apertures of your camera does not allow you to get the normal brightness of the frame, you need to change the sensitivity of the matrix - Please note that at high ISO values, colored dots appear in the picture - these are
Light meter - exposure meter
Almost all digital cameras have a built-in exposure meter - light meter(light meter). A light meter is an electronic device for measuring the illumination of a subject. In many cameras, the built-in exposure meter works in conjunction with the exposure indicator. The exposure indicator on the simulator of the photographer is a scale under the picture of the frame. As in a real digital camera, it shows how many steps the exposure set by the photographer differs from the calculated automatic camera.
Link Aperture / Shutter - Mode A(Av) / S(Tv)
Switching the camera simulator to semi-automatic
Aperture priority mode is designated Av or A and is used for control. The photographer sets the desired value for the depth of field (lens aperture), and the camera automatically sets the appropriate shutter speed for shooting, while the aperture value already set by the photographer.
Shutter priority mode is designated S or Tv and works the same as aperture priority mode, but now the photographer sets the shutter speed, and the camera takes this setting into account and automatically selects the appropriate aperture for it.
Thus, in priority modes, aperture and shutter speed are related to each other by the camera's automatics and at the same time depend on the settings chosen by the photographer. Therefore, such modes are called semi-automatic. it is convenient to use if the photographer has little experience or simply does not have time to set the shutter speed in turn, and then the aperture.
Link Aperture/Shutter[link shutter speed and aperture] - if you want to switch to semi-automatic priority mode, then put a cross in this box on the camera simulator. Now, when changing the shutter speed, the aperture value will change automatically and vice versa, when changing the aperture, the shutter speed will automatically change. This is how the equivalent interact. Depending on which camera simulator engine you control (Aperture or Shutter), the virtual simulator simulates the shutter priority or aperture priority mode, respectively.
Hover your mouse over the parameter you are interested in and you will see a hint.
For detailed explanations, click on the number on the picture.
Illumination of the photographed scene
No matter how expensive the camera you shoot with, the most important condition for obtaining a high-quality photograph is sufficient illumination of the subject. Except for a couple of exceptions, we can say that there is never too much light.
Use this virtual camera engine to change the lighting of your scene and experiment with different lighting conditions. When moving the slider, the corresponding light source symbol appears in the upper right corner of the viewfinder.
ISO - matrix sensitivity
ISO is the sensitivity parameter of the camera matrix. The higher this value, the more the light received by each pixel is amplified. High sensitivity values result in digital noise. Noise is visible in the photograph as colored dots, especially in shadow areas and when the image is enlarged at high magnification.
Recommendations for choosing the sensor sensitivity are simple: use the lowest sensitivity whenever possible. Raise ISO only as a last resort, when all other options for obtaining a normal exposure have already been exhausted.
Aperture
Aperture - a light-tight partition inside the lens with an adjustable hole size. Due to the size of the hole, the aperture allows you to change the sharpness of objects at different distances from the lens.
When all objects, regardless of the distance to the lens, are sharp, they speak of a large depth of field, while the aperture is very small. When only one object (or even part of it) turned out to be sharp, and everything else blurs as it moves away from the focus point, they say that it is small, while the maximum.
The size of the aperture opening is displayed in the camera's viewfinder as an aperture value (for example, F 5.6).
In addition to controlling the depth of field, the size of the aperture opening also affects the amount of light passing to the camera's matrix. Therefore, when changing the aperture in manual mode, a corresponding shutter speed adjustment is necessary.
Shutter speed
To get a good photo, the camera matrix needs to be illuminated for a certain time, which depends on the brightness of the objects being photographed and the brightness of the lighting.
Illumination of the camera's matrix in order to obtain a photograph is called exposure. The time during which the camera matrix is illuminated by light is called shutter speed. Shutter speed is measured in seconds and fractions of a second, such as 2sec, 1/125sec, etc. - the designation in the viewfinder will be 2 "and 125, respectively.
Under the same lighting conditions, the shutter speed depends on the amount of light that has passed through the lens (aperture value) and the sensor sensitivity (ISO). By changing the shutter speed, you can get various effects of moving objects, for example, freeze motion (the object hangs in the air) or motion blur (the object or background is blurred in the direction the object is moving).
When there is not enough light, slow shutter speeds can cause unwanted blurring of a moving subject or even a stationary one due to small movements of the camera when the shutter is released. Such blurring is a photographic marriage and is called a shake.
Tripod
A tripod is a special stand for a camera, usually with three folding legs.
When taking photographs with slow shutter speeds, in order to avoid accidental movement of the camera (shake) and, as a result, blurring of the frame, it is recommended to use a tripod that allows you to set the camera motionless.
However, it should be remembered that a tripod will not help if the subject is moving. In this case, the only way to get rid of the movement and blurring of the image in the photo is by shortening the shutter speed.
Use this virtual camera option to understand the causes of wiggling and how to fix it.
Distance to the subject
The distance to the subject affects the degree of background blur - The closer the camera is to the subject and further from the background, the less depth of field will be and the background will be more blurred.
Use this engine to observe this dependency. The distance is given in feet - ft, 1 meter is approximately equal to 3 feet.
Lens focal length
The focal length of the lens affects not only but also the blurring of the background - the depth of field. The smaller the focal length of the lens, the greater the depth of field of the imaged space (DOF). At longer focal lengths, the depth of field decreases and the background blurs more.
Use this property of the focal length of the lens to get the minimum depth of field!
Moving this virtual camera slider mimics turning the zoom ring on a Canon EF-S 18-55mm kit lens.
Aperture priority: Av or A mode
A shooting mode in which the photographer rigidly sets the aperture value. All other exposure parameters are set automatically.
Since the aperture directly affects the depth of field, this mode is convenient to use when you need to control the depth of field: to take pictures with a blurry background or to take pictures with the sharpest objects at different distances from the camera lens.
Shutter priority: Tv or S mode
A shooting mode in which the photographer rigidly sets the shutter speed. All other exposure parameters are set automatically by the camera.
Shutter priority mode is useful when you want to emphasize the movement of subjects using dynamic effects: blur moving objects or freeze motion.
Exposure indicator
Exposure meter - an electronic device that measures the illumination of the frame before shooting. Exposure is measured in arbitrary (light) units and is denoted by EV [Exposure Value]. Based on the measured illumination of the frame, the camera in any shooting mode, except for M, automatically sets the exposure parameters: shutter speed, aperture, ISO. In this case, the arrow under the exposure indicator scale is in the center of the scale, which corresponds to EV=0. If the set exposure parameters do not correspond to the measured illumination and the frame is assumed to be underexposed, then the exposure indicator needle will deviate to the left (for example, -2 EV), and in case of overexposure - to the right (for example, +1½ EV).
Manual mode M (Manual)
Fully manual shooting mode. This mode is usually used by experienced photographers, because in difficult lighting conditions it allows you to get better results, but it requires a good knowledge of the basics of exposure and the ability to quickly set up the camera. The M mode is most often used by experienced photographers when it is not possible to obtain a normal exposure at EV=0. In manual shooting mode, the camera's automation is turned off, and all exposure parameters (shutter speed, aperture, ISO) are set by the photographer. However, in manual shooting mode, the camera's exposure meter and exposure indicator continue to work, helping the photographer to set the required shooting parameters.
Virtual photo simulators are a great opportunity for beginner amateur photographers to learn about the basic principles of photography in practice.
Camera Simulator
If you already have a SLR camera and you only use it in "automatic" mode, as if it were a regular soap box, then you are missing out! It's time to learn about all the possibilities of your DSLR. Here you can play with shutter speed, aperture, ISO and see how these settings affect the final result.
Understanding the interaction between shutter speed, aperture and ISO takes constant practice. In many ways, it is based on intuition and luck, and even the most experienced photographers can set their camera at random, not always considering all the options. Keep in mind that changing each element not only affects the exposure of the image, but also other things in the photo. For example, changing the aperture will change the depth of field - the smaller the aperture, the greater the depth of field. A high ISO will add noise, and a too slow shutter speed, when shooting handheld, will lead to a blurry picture. We hope that it will help you understand the basics of exposure and hone your skills.
Canon Explains Exposure
Training site from the largest manufacturer of photographic equipment Canon. It is an online simulator with which you can practice photography with various settings. Your shots will appear below where you can view them and compare the settings you used. Be sure to visit the Canon Explains Exposure.
Online Depth of Field Simulator
Do you want to understand the concept of "depth of field" in more detail? Polish photographer and programmer Michael Bemowski has created a fantastic and feature rich online depth of field calculator and bokeh simulator that will help you understand what happens when you change the focal length and aperture.
Depth of field in a frame is affected by aperture and focal length, as this web app demonstrates with an interactive calculator.
There are a number of settings you need to adjust to simulate a photo on the screen, including focal length, aperture value, sensor size, lens-to-subject distance, subject-to-background distance, and crop. You can even save combinations of settings for later use.
Nikon Lens Simulator
Select the desired lens and camera, by moving the focus slider you can change the angle of view, it is also possible to select the FX or DX format. It remains to add the difference in aperture ratio, image quality, stabilizer quality ...) Check out the interesting features.
Virtual photo simulators are a great opportunity for beginner amateur photographers to learn about the basic principles of photography in practice.
1. Canon Explains Exposure
Training site from the largest manufacturer of photographic equipment Canon. It is an online simulator with which you can practice photography with various settings. Your shots will appear below where you can view them and compare the settings you used. Be sure to visit the Canon Explains Exposure.
2. Camera simulator
If you already have a SLR camera and you only use it in "automatic" mode, as if it were a regular soap box, then you are missing out! It's time to learn about all the possibilities of your DSLR. Here you can play with shutter speed, aperture, ISO and see how these settings affect the final result.
Understanding the interaction between shutter speed, aperture and ISO takes constant practice. In many ways, it is based on intuition and luck, and even the most experienced photographers can set their camera at random, not always considering all the options. Keep in mind that changing each element not only affects the exposure of the image, but also other things in the photo. For example, changing the aperture will change the depth of field - the smaller the aperture, the greater the depth of field. A high ISO will add noise, and a too slow shutter speed, when shooting handheld, will lead to a blurry picture. We hope that CameraSim will help you understand the basics of exposure and hone your skills.
3. Nikon Lens Simulator
Select the desired lens and camera, by moving the focus slider you can change the angle of view, it is also possible to select the FX or DX format. It remains to add the difference in aperture ratio, image quality, stabilizer quality ...) Check out the interesting features of Nikon's virtual simulator. 
4. Online simulator depth of field
Do you want to understand the concept of "depth of field" in more detail? Polish photographer and programmer Michael Bemowski has created a fantastic and feature rich online depth of field calculator and bokeh simulator to help you understand what happens when you change focal length and aperture.
Depth of field in a frame is affected by aperture and focal length, as this web app demonstrates with an interactive calculator.
There are a number of settings you need to adjust to simulate a photo on the screen, including focal length, aperture value, sensor size, lens-to-subject distance, subject-to-background distance, and crop. You can even save combinations of settings for later use.
5. Photo editor in 5 minutes
With the help of this service, in 5 minutes, as the creators promise, you will learn about the most common settings of most photo editors and how they affect the picture. And you can consolidate the knowledge gained on real photographs in the online editor from the same developers. 
6. And this chart shows how aperture, shutter speed and ISO affect photos
Mastering the basic principles of photography requires some effort. One of the most difficult for beginners to understand is the relationship between ISO, aperture and shutter speed. On a German photoblog, a diagram appeared that in the most accessible form demonstrates how it works.
The top row is for aperture, the middle row is for shutter speed (shutter speed), and the bottom row is for ISO (light sensitivity). It's not a perfect representation of what you'll get with these settings, but it will help you understand the settings.
Change the values below the screen and click the "Take Photo" button. The result will be displayed on the screen.
Parameters used in the simulator:
Lighting:
Lighting is the main factor in determining how your camera should be mounted. Use this slider to experiment with different types of lighting. The lack of lighting can be compensated by a slower shutter speed or a wider aperture.
Distance:
Use this slider to simulate how close or far you are in relation to an object. Distance affects depth of field. By changing the depth of field, you can "blur" objects or backgrounds, or make your photo sharper.
Focal length:
Focal length defines the boundaries of the frame or the angle of the lens' field of view. The longer the focal length, the smaller the angle (the lens captures a smaller portion of the frame), and the larger the subject becomes in the frame.
By moving the slider to the left towards wide angle, you not only create the greatest depth of field (clearer shot), but also capture a larger field of the frame. By moving the slider to the right, you create a shallower depth of field (usually only the main subject is in focus).
Shooting modes:
DSLR exposure modes allow you to control one parameter while the camera automatically adjusts others.
In shutter priority mode, set the shutter speed. The camera will automatically set the aperture. In aperture priority mode, set the aperture value and the camera will set the shutter speed.
In manual mode, you yourself set the shutter speed and aperture. Refer to the camera exposure meter below the image. This will allow you to get the correct exposure.
Tripod:
Using a tripod in many cases allows you to get rid of the “shake” effect and get a clearer image.
ISO:
ISO is the sensitivity of the matrix or film. ISO is one of the three parameters that affect exposure, along with shutter speed and aperture.
The lowest ISO value (in the simulator - 100) allows you to get a cleaner image, without noise. But it requires more light - slow shutter speeds or an open aperture (smaller f-stops like 2.8).
At high ISO settings (often over 400 or 800), "noise" can occur in the image, which degrades image quality.
Diaphragm:
The aperture determines the amount of light that will pass through the lens and hit the sensor (or film).
As the value of f decreases, the size of the lens aperture increases and, accordingly, the amount of light entering the matrix (or film).
Also, the size of the aperture significantly affects the part that is not in focus of the lens. At small aperture values, background blurring often occurs.
Excerpt:
Shutter speed is the amount of time the shutter is open. At this time, light hits the matrix (or film) and creates an image.
High shutter speeds freeze motion in a photograph, but require a lot of light. Slower speeds allow you to shoot with less light, but may cause image blur.
Exposure:
With exposure, you control the amount of light that hits the sensor (or film). Exposure depends on ISO, aperture and shutter speed. Move the sliders of these parameters and you will be able to understand how they affect the exposure.
