Information Addicts

Digital cameras are becoming more and more sophisticated, even basic digital compact cameras have more options than you will probably every use. Whether you use a compact digital camera or a DSLR, when it comes to camera mode’s, most people only use the automatic one.
Do we really need any of the other camera modes?
My latest camera which is the Canon G9 comes with around 17 modes, will I use them all? Never in a million years.
If you want to become more creative with your photography I recommend that you master 4 modes, and these are P, A, S, and M, (on some cameras it is shown as P, AV, TV, M.)
To be honest the rest you can ignore, because you can take any picture with these 4 modes.

In this article I will explain to you what they do and how to use them.

The first mode is the P or Program mode.
This mode is great for beginners as it is almost automatic, it sets the aperture and shutter speed for you. So whats the point of it? With the program mode you have the option to over ride the flash settings, exposure compensation, white balance and ISO speed, which gives you a little bit more control than the automatic mode, (please note that all camera models are slightly different so take the time to read the instructions.) If you want to learn more about your camera settings then this mode is a great way to start off.

Next is the TV or S mode (known respectively as Time Value or Shutter speed.) When you select this mode the camera automatically chooses the aperture for you. The TV mode is generally used for capturing motion, and a lot of sports photographers use it to freeze action shots. It can also be used to make your subject look like they are moving.
Setting a fast shutter speed will freeze your subject for example 1/500 or 1/1000 of a second will freeze a racing car, or let’s say you want to freeze someone playing golf then you will need to set the shutter speed to around 1/500 of a second.

Taken by Mulsanne

Conversely, there will be times when you want a slow shutter speed, such as for blurring moving water in a stream, a river, or at the beach—a speed of around 1/15 or 1/60 sec will do the trick.

Image by atomicpuppy68

The AV mode(or Aperture Value) is a great tool for setting the Depth of Field.
What is Depth of Field I hear you ask? It is the amount of distance between the nearest and farthest objects that appear in sharp focus. When you set the AV mode the camera automatically sets the shutter speed. A lot of photographers use the AV mode for portrait photography, where you may want the subject sharp but the background blurry. To achieve this you need to use a small f number for example f2 or f3 etc.

Image taken by babasteve

The AV mode is also used of for landscape photography where you may need the whole of the picture Sharp. To do this you would need a larger f number for example f11 or f22.

If you want total control over your camera then the M or Manual mode is for you.
In this mode you set the aperture and shutter speed, with options to change white balance, ISO and the flash settings. You need time and patience with this mode, but master this and you will know more about your camera settings than in any other mode.

Trial and error is the key to mastering modes, but once you get the hang of them you will find that you go back to the same mode over and over again.

I mostly use the AV and TV mode. Which mode do you use the most?

Give them a try and let me know how you get on.

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This entry was posted on Saturday, April 12th, 2008 at 1:00 pm and is filed under Photo Tips and Techniques. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.