Usually, after getting bored with all the camera's 'Auto' modes, a lot of people start using the special semi-automatic modes. MORE P. These modes can be found on the camera control wheel, as shown in the image below. Usually mode MORE P stand out in a separate set, for example, in the photo below, these modes are highlighted by a special arc that combines them. Can be found instead of naming 'M, A, S, P' another name - 'P, A, S, M' or 'M, AV, TV, P' - they are all the same. I will try to talk about these modes in this article.
Camera Modes
All camera modes are aimed at creating optimal exposure. Any mode selects the shooting parameters in such a way as to obtain the most correct picture in terms of the amount of light needed to transmit the exposed scene.
Important: modes P, A, S, M give additional access to many menu itemsthat are not available in automatic modes. In these modes, you can configure any functions to your liking, for example, control ISO, choose the format of pictures, etc.
To understand how these modes P, A, S, M work, I highly recommend that you familiarize yourself with such basic concepts in photography as:
P
The simplest special mode is 'P' (Programmed) - flexible program mode.
It is very similar to the automatic mode of the camera 'Auto', but in this mode you can change exposure within certain limits. Exposure varies in a range that allows extreme aperture values of the lens. Shutter speed can be changed using the control wheels of the camera. If a excerpt changed by the photographer, “*” is added to the mode name. The shortest excerpt in mode 'P' available with the smallest number F, and the longest excerpt available at the largest number F. There is a golden rule of interchangeability of aperture values and excerpts, it is precisely on this rule that the work of this regime is built. For example, if you increase the shutter speed, for example, 2 times, then the aperture closes one step.
Example: if you increase the shutter speed from 1/200 second to 1/100 second, this will enable the matrix to absorb more light and get overexposure, because the camera should reduce the amount of light by covering the aperture, and the aperture will close one step. For example, if at 1 / 200s it was F4.0, then at 1 / 100s it will become F5.6. I do not like this mode in that it constantly tries to set the value excerpts and apertures that are convenient to the camera itself. With each new scene with a different exposure, camera selects shutter speed / aperture again and the exposure value has to be changed over and over again to suit your needs.
What the 'P' mode is used for: it’s convenient to use the mode when switching from the green zone (fully automatic camera mode) to class modes MORE P... You can be sure that the camera will help you get the normal settings. In this mode, you can take pictures of almost everything without worrying about the correct settings. It is very easy to achieve the fastest shutter speed available with the lens and the current ISO, and you can have complete confidence in the correct exposure. This can be used for 'stopping time'. If you turn on the auto-iso mode, then the program mode works a little differently.
Snapshot in one of the PASM modes
A (or Av)
A very useful mode is 'A' (Aperture Priority), or 'Av' (Aperture value) - aperture priority
This is one of my favorite camera modes. It is quite convenient, as it allows you to control the aperture, and with it the depth of field. In this mode, you can simply set the desired aperture value, and the camera itself will recalculate and select the shutter speed. The larger the aperture, the slower the shutter speed. Conversely, the smaller the aperture, the longer the shutter speed. The shutter maneuver is much wider than the aperture maneuver. Usually the shutter speed varies from 30 seconds to 1/8000 of a second, that is, the shutter speed limits are very long and the camera is almost can always find the right shutter speed for almost any aperture value on the camera.
For example: for a lens with aperture limits from F3.5 to F36, the camera will almost always select the desired shutter speed for any value of F. So, for F3.5, a relatively short shutter speed will be selected, and for F / 36 a long shutter speed will be selected.
If for a certain value of the number F the camera cannot find the desired shutter speed, then the camera, in the field that is responsible for shutter speed, will display the value HiGH or LOW.
What is the 'A' mode used for: in this mode it is very convenient to control image depth of field. Using aperture priority mode makes it easy taking photos with blurry background. Typically, aperture (iris control) can seriously improve image quality, since most lenses give maximum image quality only in a certain range of F. So, aperture greatly affects vignetting and chromatic aberration. Using this mode, you can easily control the bokeh intensity, which is sometimes important for photographing portraits. And with the closed aperture in mode 'AND' you can achieve long exposure photographs, for example, such. You can get various interesting effects, for example such. This mode works very effectively when enabled ISO auto sensitivity functions.
Snapshot in one of the PASM modes
S (or Tv)
Mode 'S' - (Shutter Priority), or 'Tv' (Time value) - shutter priority
Here, the opposite is true - this mode allows you to control the shutter speed, in contrast to the program mode, the shutter priority mode allows you to set any shutter speed that the camera can use. If you set a certain shutter speed on the camera, then the camera will automatically select the desired aperture value. The mode works similarly to the aperture priority mode, only instead of the aperture value, you need to set the shutter speed here. The aperture travel is quite limited, and you can often find that the camera is unable to set the desired aperture for a certain shutter speed.
If, at a certain shutter speed, the camera cannot find the desired aperture value, then the HiGH or LOW value will be displayed on the camera in the field that is responsible for the aperture.
What the 'S' mode is used for: using this mode is very easy to achieve motion stop effect. This is very useful when shooting sports and fast-moving objects. In order to freeze something in the photo, it is enough to take a picture at a fast shutter speed, for example, for 1/2000 second, while the camera itself will select the desired aperture value for a shutter speed of 1/2000 second. Also, in this mode it is convenient take off without grease pictures. This mode works very well when the auto ISO function is on.
Snapshot in one of the PASM modes
M
'M' (Manual) - manual mode.
In this mode, the camera will have to set both shutter speed and aperture manually, in fact, that's why the regime is called 'manual camera control'. Of course, the manual mode can be a little automated, about this in more detail here.
Usually mode 'M' used in difficult shooting conditions when exposure metering cannot cope with the determination of the desired exposure. When working in 'M' helps a lot to get right exposure scale exposure in the viewfinder as well, use bar charts. Mode 'M' considered truly a creative mode and allows you to control all the available parameters that are responsible for the exposure. Interesting effect in mode 'M' obtained when using external flash, you can read in more detail here.
Conclusions:
Creative semi-automatic camera control modes are very useful in a number of situations and can very easily get the camera to do what the photographer wants. I recommend doing your own experiments. And a short video on the topic:
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Material prepared Arkady Shapoval. Training/Consultations | Youtube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Telegram
Arkady, good afternoon. Please tell me if you have a section devoted to night shooting of nature and shooting in the mountains (day and night).
I do not have such a section.
Thanks. And you can give practical advice on night shooting of nature and generally night shooting.
Addendum: I have a Nikon D90 18-105 /
A sturdy tripod will be very useful.
Thank you, but I meant shooting modes. Tell me please.
The two main modes are aperture priority and manual mode. Night photos require long exposures, more details here https://radojuva.com.ua/2010/09/how-to-make-night-photo/
Arkady, thank you very much.
Arkady, another question, I often have too dark an object in my photo, I don’t understand what to set up, in S 1 | 400 lo mode, what should I do?
This is a camera tip that says you need to turn on the flash.
Thank you so much. (Nikon D5100 VR AF-S 18-55mm 1: 3,5-5.6G) Suppose I work in “A” mode. Aperture priority. Sunny summer weather, I need to photograph a group of 3-5 people. I'm using a tripod. At my discretion, I want to set the aperture around F10. The shutter speed will be set automatically. ISO-100. This is the right decision? Or do you need a more open aperture? And can I take pictures of nature with the same parameters in the same weather? I apologize if this is a stupid question. I am a beginner amateur and everything is interesting to me. Your site is the best of all, where everything is clear, simple and you Arkady explain everything intelligibly. Thanks you.
Yes, you can - both people and nature.
Arkady, good afternoon. I wanted to photograph raindrops on the branches. Used modes S, A and M, f 5.6, ISO 100, shutter speed 1/400, but the camera focused on the background objects, despite the fact that the distance from the lens to the branch was at least 15 cm. Please tell me what I did wrong. I would not want to miss such shots in the future.
A whale lens can only focus from 45cm.
I can’t understand how the program mode differs from the aperture and shutter speed mode. In program mode, when the aperture is opened, the shutter speed decreases, and also occurs in the aperture priority mode! A similar situation with priority shutter speed! Tell me what is the difference?
Arkady, I would like to clarify a little on the diaphragm. You have some crumpled paragraphs where the limits, ranges, etc. go. And the phrase is not quite correct that when you change the shutter speed twice, the aperture changes by one step, if you combine it with the list of apertures below.
Perhaps everyone already knows this, but since the article is designed more for dummies, I’ll explain :)
When we change the shutter speed twice, the area of the aperture opening, which transmits light, should change twice. Accordingly, its radius should change 1,4 times (the root of two). Therefore, the standard series of apertures looks like this: 1, 1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11 (instead of 11.2), 16, 22. These apertures come with standard shutter speeds of 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1 / 250, 1/500, 1/1000.
Your series of apertures, perhaps, is just designed for a larger number of shutter speeds.
PS And about 1/60 for the flash. There were two types of shutters on old cameras: the shutter and the central one. The speed of movement of the curtain is obviously limited. At slow shutter speeds, it works like this: one leaf opened, stood, the second closed. The maximum time that the entire frame opened was 1/30 second. To obtain a lower shutter speed, the closing half of the curtain was started when the opening was still on the way. Obviously, the flash should fire on a fully open frame, otherwise we will get a frame that is lit only by half or even a thin strip :). In more modern cameras, the fully open frame was brought up to 1/60. If the shutter in the digital SLR is electromechanical, i.e. if there is a curtain or some other opening mechanism, then 1/60 may be associated with this.
1/60 is associated with working with a flash in low light, the curtains were brought to 1 / 200s, and even up to 1 / 320s, then the strobe mode of the flash is turned on (high-speed sync). There will be time - I will rewrite the article.
Good day. And in which mode it is better to do night shooting. Recently acquired Nikon D800, there is no limit to joy. I’m sitting, carping, reading your articles with pleasure, but I can’t find the answer to my question. Thank you for attention.
I didn’t wait for an answer …… But it was good. I figured it out myself and seems to have made some simply wonderful pictures.
Arkady good afternoon.
You already wrote this somewhere, I can’t remember exactly where, and have you found an explanation for this.
I'm wondering why the Nikon camera in P “program” mode (tested on D7000 and D600) memorizes the number of “idle” rotations of the control dial when you reach the limit? Those. it is necessary to turn the control dial in the opposite direction as many times as it turned to “idle” before, to change the parameter.
Please tell me why in my P and AV mode the aperture size 3,5 iso 200 constantly changes the shutter speed when the camera moves, is this the way it should be or is it something with the camera ??? (canon iOS 600D)
That is how it should be.
How does the aperture value change in M mode on the nikon d90?
Good afternoon!
I have D3100,18-55. I try to photograph at night. In M mode, the photo is taken with a wide aperture and shutter speed of about 3 sec. In all other modes collided with Lo. In A and P modes with open aperture, the S value is Lo. How do you know how much it is before taking a shot? And why Lo, because the value of S can be 30 seconds, but when photographing, it turns out only about 3 seconds? In S mode even at 30sec. value A - Lo (here I understand the value of the open aperture will be). But also why Lo, because with such a shutter speed 30s. and an open aperture, the frame is overexposed. In all cases ISO 1600 (maximum set in auto). Can I somehow disable this Lo?
Thanks for the site !!!
Hello Arkady! The question is: I have a Nikon d3000, I want to take a photo with a blurry background, but in A mode, when the zoom magnification changes, the value of the previously set aperture changes upwards. Can this be somehow disabled? Or is my camera meaningless for such effects? ((
not the camera but the lens.
in simple zooms, with an increase in zooming, the aperture value is always increased, this is a property of the lens.
Shoot with a fixed lens or expensive zoom with a constant aperture.
Please tell me, I don’t understand how to set up the chart)) tell me it is very necessary)
Arkady, thanks for your articles. I was just looking for something similar, chewed up to the smallest detail. I haven't read everything yet, but I will hang out here, it helps a lot. As a beginner, I cannot understand when and what aperture should be set for different shooting. For example, a day, a sun fountain ... or an evening after sunset ... How do you determine which aperture to use? D7100 camera Mode A, iso on the machine. lens kit 18-105. And another question is there are two custom modes U1 and U2. What are the optimal settings for these modes. Thank you!
What does the P * mode mean and where is it used?
Turn the mouse wheel up and read
)))
How many do not read articles, I never cease to admire the way of presenting information :) I have not yet met a more informative and interesting source, and I don’t feel like looking anymore)). I’ve been photographing for 13 years, but about such basic things as aperture, shutter speed, etc. I read with such interest that it is impossible to break away, although I already know subconsciously how to operate them.
Thank you very much for the work done! I wish you good health and a merry Christmas!
Everything is very clear! THANKS so much for your work !!! My site is in my bookmarks!)
Thank you, otherwise the instructions do not contain this, the mode dial is simply described, but what's what - zero !!!!. I copied it for myself as a manual for the camera. Thank you !!!!
I started taking pictures with Fed, I seem to know everything, but I can't tear myself away from your articles. May God grant you health !!!
Please tell me how and where to change the aperture on the Nikon D3100. I know where the diaphragm is written, but how to change it is not! Help!
Arkady, I'm a beginner and only a week ago I bought a Canon PowerShot SX50 HS camera. I am a random trial and error, learning Av and Tv modes. I have a question - What is the best photo quality if I only use the Av mode. I have not yet tried to shoot moving objects in full. But poking in the Av mode the camera shows that by raising the ISO I adjust the shutter speed. In clear weather at ISO 400 aperture 5.6 the shutter speed was 1/800, at ISO 1600 aperture 8 the shutter speed was 1/500, and at aperture 3.5 the shutter speed blinked red until it lowered ISO to 200 and the shutter speed was 1/500
You will get the effect of depth of field when changing the aperture in this case. Adjusting the additional ISO. I tried to conjure on a virtual camera, the result is approximately the same. http://photo-review.ru/vse-o-photo/simulyator-foto.html
PS. With the automatic ISO function, the camera sets the minimum ISO-80. Accordingly, a slow shutter speed of 1/60. This is normal?
Thank you very much for the article, I learned a lot of useful things for myself !!!!