Camera Modes Explained

Most digital cameras do have a variety of exposure modes. There are several different 'modes' on your camera that determine the level of automation which your camera will provide. These modes are generally adjusted by a dial located on top of your camera, and may range from fully manual, meaning you have control over every single aspect of the shot, to fully automatic, meaning the camera will control everything for you based on the current conditions.

In the following paragraphs, I am going to explain the basic yet powerful modes of your camera.


APERTURE PRIORITY

With this mode, it enables you to have full control on the aperture(f-stop). Your camera will automatically adjust the shutter speed to give the correct exposure. Usually, this mode is particularly useful in low-light conditions where you want to set the brightest, widest f-stop in order to get the highest shutter speed and minimum amount of movement. If more depth of field is needed, you can use a small f-stop to get as much of your picture in focus as possible.

SHUTTER PRIORITY

This mode enables you to set the shutter speed and the camera will automatically select the aperture(f-stop) to give you correct exposure. This is very useful in shooting action pictures and you want to freeze the motion by setting high shutter speed. If you want to photograph a waterfall and you wanted blur, you can set a slower shutter speed and the aperture will adjust automatically.

PROGRAM

This leaves all the decision-making to the camera. The camera will set the combination of shutter speed and aperture so you don't have t think about exposure at all. It offers you the option to manually override settings such as focus and etc. Program mode is decent for beginners who want to be able to get quick shots without putting too much thought into it.

MANUAL

In this mode you have the most control of all, as you are able to adjust every aspect of the shot. There is absolutely no camera assist in this mode. You are able to adjust aperture, shutter speed, and ISO for yourself. Most experienced photographers will exclusively use manual mode due to the level of customization it offers.

PORTRAIT MODE

This mode brings subjscts in the foreground into sharp focus, and may enlist the use of a larger aperture to blur the background.

LANDSCAPE MODE

This mode is for taking shots of distant objects, or wide-angle shots, and will bring background objects more clearly into focus by setting a smaller aperture.

NIGHT SCENE MODE

 This mode uses flash and a slower shutter speed to illuminate the subject and allow more light to enter the camera.

MACRO MODE

Used for extreme close-up shots where the camera may have trouble focusing in other modes.

SPORTS/ACTION MODE

Use this mode for shots in which there is a good amount of motion which you want to capture without blurring.

Understanding these mode settings and how they work is one of the fundamentals of photography. You will never be able to take your shots to the next level unless you understand these settings.