One idea per card

Each card answers one question about your camera, with a diagram or table you can read at a glance.

Card 05, Staying sharp, on an iPhone screen: the slowest sharp shutter speed handheld, with stabilization, and on a tripod

  1. Number and topic

    Cards are numbered 01 to 20 and labeled by topic, so the one you need is quick to find in Photos.

  2. One question

    The title and the line under it say what the card answers: what each letter on the mode dial controls, or how slow you can shoot and stay sharp.

  3. A diagram or table

    Scales, charts, and tables instead of paragraphs: shutter speeds from silky water to birds in flight, or white balance presets in Kelvin.

  4. The note at the bottom

    A rule of thumb or the exception to watch for, such as the handheld rule or why a bright scene comes out dull.

On your phone, with or without signal

One PDF to swipe through, and every card as an image for your lock screen.

Settings by scene, card 19

PDF · 20 pages · phone size

Phone PDF

All 20 cards in one file. Swipe through them in Files, Books, or any PDF app.

Night sky, card 20, as a lock-screen image

PNG · 20 images · 1170 × 2532

Lock-screen cards

Every card as a separate image. Save the one you need to Photos and set it as your lock screen before a shoot.

Twenty cards

Grouped by what they cover. Sixteen have a full guide, tool, or settings page on this site, linked below.

Exposure5 cards

Motion and sharpness3 cards

Aperture and focus3 cards

Light and color3 cards

Lenses and framing3 cards

Files and scenes3 cards

Get Camera Field Cards $9 one-time · every edition included · 30-day refund

What's included

Linked to the guides

Sixteen of the 20 cards have a full page on camerasettings.com when you want the detail.

Works without signal

A PDF and lock-screen images. No app, no account, no connection.

Updates included

Updated editions are sent to the address you bought with. Buy once.

30-day refund, no countdowns

$9. No fake sale, no timer, no daily sales emails.

Questions

Which cameras does it work with?

Any camera with a mode dial and manual control: DSLR or mirrorless from any brand. The cards use the common names for each setting, such as Aperture Priority, AF-C, and Matrix metering, and give Canon's name where it differs.

How is this different from the Field Guide?

The Field Guide gives starting settings for 36 scenarios, from portraits to aurora. Field Cards explain the controls those settings use: what each mode, focus mode, and metering mode does, and how aperture, shutter speed, and ISO trade off. If the settings themselves are new, start with the cards.

How is it different from the free cheat sheets?

The free cheat sheets are printable one-page references. Field Cards cover 20 topics, one per card, sized for a phone, and every card comes as an image you can set as your lock screen.

Is there a print version?

No. The cards are designed for a phone screen. The PDF can be printed, but each card prints as a narrow page.

What exactly do I download?

One ZIP file that expands to a folder with all 20 cards in one PDF sized for a phone, a folder of 20 card images (PNG, 1170 × 2532), and a short README. On an iPhone, tap the ZIP in Files to expand it.

How do updates work?

When the cards change, a new edition is emailed free to the address used at purchase. The edition number is in the README.

How is payment handled?

Checkout runs on Kit, with card processing by Stripe. Card details never pass through this site. Prices are in US dollars. Apple Pay and Google Pay are available where supported.

What if it is not for me?

Reply to your purchase receipt within 30 days and the purchase is refunded in full. Details are in the terms.

Available now · Edition 1.0

Get Camera Field Cards

$9 one-time · every future edition included · 30-day refund
Get Camera Field Cards

Instant download