There are 18 Scene Selection modes built in to the Olympus E-420. These modes essentially correspond to photographing specific subject matter and lighting situations. Even for those readers who already have some experience with photography and who know how and when to change various camera settings manually, the Scene Selection option can save time, particularly if you need to shoot quickly.

With each Scene Select mode, the camera automatically optimizes the camera settings for color, white balance and exposure to product the best image for each type of scene.

However, for those of you who'd rather not delve too deep into photographic theory and technique, the Scene Selection modes are designed to give you the same professional quality results without having to deal with manual exposure settings, white balance settings, etc.

For example, let's say you are photographing a portrait outdoors. With the Portrait Scene mode, the E-420 will automatically lock in all of the ideal settings that will help you capture the best portrait. Shooting a landscape? Just set the E-420 to the Landscape Scene mode and fire away. From portraits, to close-ups, night scenes, fireworks, and more, the E-420 can do all of the thinking, while you concentrate on your creativity and self-expression.

Setting the Mode Dial to SCENE
Here's how it works. With the E-420 in hand, find the Mode dial, which is the largest of two round dials located on the top, right side of the camera body. [figure 1]

When the Mode Dial is set to the Scene Select Mode, 18 pre-configured shooting scenarios become available. Displayed on the LCD will be a picture that demonstrates the particular scenario and a written description of that scenario.

This feature is very handy in terms of giving a clear visual of the intended scenario, making it easy to pick out the best option for the scenario you are in. It should be noted that most camera functions cannot be manually overridden while in these Scene Select Modes.

To select a particular Scene mode, use the Up/Down Arrow keys on the back of the camera, then Press OK to confirm the Scene Selection setting.

Portrait Scene Mode
The first Scene mode on the menu list is the Portrait mode. This mode is good for taking mid-range to close-up portraits of people in outdoor lighting conditions. [figure 2]

When the Portrait Scene mode is selected, the E-420 will automatically pick the ideal exposure, white balance, and image tonality settings to render the best possible skin tones in an outdoor portrait.

Shown here is an example of a close-up portrait taken outdoors using the Portrait Scene mode. In this case, the E-420 did a wonderful job of keeping the face sharp, the background out of focus, and the skin tones looking natural. [figure 3]

Portrait + Landscape Scene Mode
As you scroll through the different Scene modes on the LCD menu, you will see an alternative Portrait mode called, Portrait + Landscape. This is the 3rd Scene mode in the list.

Use the Portrait + Scene mode when taking a wide-angle portrait with a distant landscape in the background. [figure 4]

The Portrait + Landscape mode is designed to reproduce blues and greens with slightly more saturation so that sky and foliage in background will appear more vivid.

In this example, we photographed our subject late in the day, about an hour or so before sunset. The Portrait + Landscape mode helped to keep the sky a deep, rich blue, and the skin tones a natural, warm color. [figure 5]

Nature Macro Scene Mode
Macro or close-up photography can be one of the most interesting and unique themes to explore. Photographing subjects at an extremely close range allows us the opportunity to see a hidden world that is otherwise invisible to the naked eye.

Scene Selection mode number 12 on the E-420 is the Nature Macro mode. [figure 6]

This mode is ideal for photographing the smallest of subjects in nature. Using the Nature Macro mode ensures the ideal shutter speed, aperture, and color settings to make your macro shots sharp and vivid.

This example was photographed by setting the E-420 to the Nature Macro mode and using a 50mm macro lens. [figure 7]

A macro lens allows focusing at a much closer range than any normal lens. Fortunately, the E-420 accepts the full range of Olympus Zuiko lenses. If you are interested in doing a lot of macro photography, then a macro lens is definitely a worthwhile investment.

If you are interested in learning about advanced techniques for macro photography, check out the lesson titled, "EVOLT E-330 Close Up and Macro Photography" on Olympus Digital School.

Night Scene Mode
Taking pictures at night can be challenging, even for the most advanced photographers. Without getting into all of the specifics involved in making successful night scene images, we can definitely touch on the two most important techniques that one must become familiar with. These are long exposure times (aka - long shutter speeds) and using a camera support such as a tripod.

The main idea behind night or low light photography is to record or expose the light for a longer stretch of time and to prevent any motion blur by keeping the camera absolutely still during the exposure.

Therefore, a tripod is always a good tool to have and we recommend always using one when using the Night Scene mode.

The Night Scene mode is number 4 in the Scene menu list. This mode will allow the camera to automatically select a long shutter speed in order to properly exposure a night or low light situation. [figure 8]

Here is an example using the Night Scene mode with the E-420. As you can see, the long exposure allowed for detail to record in even the darkest shadow areas. Using a sturdy tripod ensured that the still elements of the image would be perfectly sharp. [figure 9]

If you are interested in learning more about night photography, check out the lesson titled, "Night and Low Light Photography with the E-3" on Olympus Digital School.

Fireworks Scene Mode
Everyone loves fireworks, yet few novice photographers are able to capture the magnificence of a beautiful fireworks display. The E-420 makes it easy to capture fireworks by simply setting the camera to the Fireworks Scene mode. [figure 10]

Just as in the previous example with night photography, Fireworks is another situation where a tripod is highly recommended. Once again, a long exposure is essential for recording the trails of light and color moving through the sky. The Fireworks Scene mode automatically dials in the necessary camera settings to produce the desired effect when photographing a fireworks display. [figure 11]

To learn more advanced techniques for photographing fireworks, check out the lesson titled "Shooting Fireworks with the E3" on Olympus Digital School.

Beach & Snow Mode
Photographing a snowy landscape or a white sandy beach can pose some unique exposure issues. Because the subject is naturally bright or high-key, the light meter inside of the camera can be fooled into making the image too dark.

By using the Beach & Snow Scene mode on the E-420, you can avoid dark, gray, and muddy looking pictures of snow and ensure that your winter wonderland is recorded just how you saw it. [figure 12]

Here is one example of how easy it is to achieve an accurate exposure of a snow covered landscape simply by using the Beach & Snow Scene mode on the E-420. [figure 13]

An Overview
So far we have explored 6 of the 18 Scene Selection modes available on the Olympus E-420 Digital SLR. The remaining Scene Selection Mode options are as follows:

• Portrait: For taking a portrait-style shot.
• Landscape: For shooting landscapes. Vivid reproduction of blues and greens.
• Landscape + Portrait: For shooting both main subject and background. Vivid reproduction of blues and greens.
• Night Scene: For shooting illuminated scenes in evening or at night. Uses a slower shutter speed than in normal shooting.
• Night + Portrait: Uses pop-up flash. For shooting both main subject and illuminated background in evening or at night. Uses a slower shutter speed than in normal shooting.
• Children: Shooting active children.
• Sport: Captures fast-moving action without blurring.
• High Key: Enhances bright areas for impressive pictures.
• Low Key: Enhances dark areas for impressive pictures.
• DIS Mode: (Digital Image Stabilization) This function reduces the blur incurred by a moving subject or camera movement when taking pictures.
• Macro: Best for close-up pictures.
• Nature Macro: Best for close-up pictures of small objects.
• Candle: For shooting under candlelight. Warm colors are reproduced.
• Sunset: For shooting setting/rising sun. Vivid reproduction of reds and yellows.
• Fireworks: Suitable for shooting fireworks at night. Uses a slower shutter speed than in normal shooting.
• Documents: For shooting documents, etc. Increases contrast between letters and background.
• Panorama: Lets you take pictures that can be combined to make a single panoramic picture. (Requires use of xD-Picture card.)
• Beach & Snow: For shooting snow-capped mountains, landscapes, white sand seascapes, etc.

With 18 pre-programmed scene modes to choose from, the photographic possibilities are virtually limitless. Even if you have never set a shutter speed or aperture in your life, you can still have the high quality imaging capabilities of a professional digital SLR without having to master any of the complex photographic concepts.

As your photographic knowledge grows, the E-420 will continue to provide you with all of the advanced features that every professional photographer has come to rely on from even the most high-end cameras on the market. With all of these features packed into such a compact and affordable camera, it is hard to go wrong with the Olympus E-420.