One feature that I find may DSLR owners (and some point and shoot owners) have on their cameras that they fail to know about (and/or utilize) is Depth of Field Preview.

I know it’s under utilized – because I constantly forget that it’s in my toolbox of camera features myself.

On many DLSRs the depth of field button is located on the front of your camera, right where your left hand will rest when holding your camera, next to the lens.

Pressing this button will tell the camera to set the aperture at the selected level, allowing you to see what the shot will look like in the view finder – particularly the depth of field. This enables you to see how much of your image is in focus sharply.

I’ve ‘rediscovered’ this function in the last few weeks (I always knew it was there but got out of the habit of using it) and have found it quite helpful – particularly when shooting in Aperture Priority mode (when I’m constantly changing apertures).

Of course in digital photography it doesn’t take a lot to access DOF by actually taking the shot and assessing it in review mode on the camera’s LCD – but sometimes it’s easier to do it before taking the shot.

Depth of Field Preview works best in bright conditions – but in low light situations you’ll find that using it might make the viewfinder too dark for it to be much use.

If your camera has depth of field preview make a conscious effort to use it this week and see if it enhances your photography.

Do you use Depth of Field Preview?

Read more from our Digital Photography Techniques Category