Leaving tomorrow, can anyone help me?

[DJ Disney Kid]

I have a Sony Cybershot camera ( DSC-P52 ) and I can't find the manual for it. I want to use it tomorrow on my trip, and Im interested in taking some really nice pictures. I've used it before, but never messed with the settings. I'd like to try and get a little more technical with it, so Im hoping someone here can give me some info on what the different settings mean. Thanks for any help!

What do the different Focus settings mean? Multi AF, Center AF, 0.5m, 1.0m, etc?

Theres also a White balance, which is set to Auto, but theres a few little pics above that in the settings. What do these mean and what do they do for the pics?

Theres an EV setting. What is this?

There are Camera settings. One is a moon, a person and a moon, one looks like a snowman, one looks like a palm tree and one looks like a mountain in a square.

And should I set the picture quality to Fine or Standard?

 

[YEKCIM]

Here is a link to the manual in PDF format, from the Sony/UK website:

http://www.sony.co.uk/support/ShowE...anuals/3082146111.pdf&externalLinkType=manual

~YEKCIM

 

[DJ Disney Kid]

Thanks Yekcim! But I still have a question:

What is the difference between Multipoint AF and Center AF?

I'd like to be able to highlight a certain item in the picture and have everything else be blurry around it. How is this accomplished?

 

[YEKCIM]

Thanks Yekcim! But I still have a question:

What is the difference between Multipoint AF and Center AF?

I'd like to be able to highlight a certain item in the picture and have everything else be blurry around it. How is this accomplished?

AF = Autofocus. I believe that what you are referring to is the camera setting that determines whether the camera focuses on what is in the center of the frame, or whether it uses multiple focus points to determine which one to use. How your particular camera implements that, I'm not sure.

More or less unrelated to that is your question about what I would term, "selective focus", which is to have your primary subject in sharp focus, but the surrounding area blurred. Is this what you have in mind:

If that is, indeed, what you are after, it may be a bit of a challenge for a PnS camera, due to the physical limitations of the equipment. In general, though, in order to achieve this effect, try the following:

1. Use the longest "telephoto" setting you have on the camera.
2. Get as close as you can to the subject and the camera be able to focus
3. Use as wide a lens opening as you can...lower "f" number is better

You may need to use your lowest ISO setting in order to get a wide lens opening (small "f" number).

Good luck.

~Y