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Camera operating modes. Photo modes: “P”, “Tv”, “Av” and “M”

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Today, any digital camera offers the photographer a frightening variety of shooting modes. Due to the fact that camera instructions describe the features and purpose of a particular mode very vaguely, it can be difficult for a novice amateur photographer to determine which modes are truly useful and which are marketing nonsense. As a result, many either give up on everything and shoot exclusively in AUTO, without trying to dig deeper, or, believing the authors of the instructions, they try to use narrow-minded scene modes (Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Macro, etc.), not suspecting that with a minimum of mental effort, you can achieve much more flexible and complete control above the camera without any damage to your own comfort.

Canon Nikon Sony

Understanding digital camera modes is the easiest thing you need to learn as a photographer. If you are familiar with the concepts of shutter speed and aperture, then it will not be difficult for you to understand the shooting modes.

Basic exposure modes

Since the 1980s, four modes have been standard on most cameras: program mode ( P), aperture priority mode ( A or Av), shutter priority mode ( S or TV) And manual mode (M). It's the 21st century, but camera manufacturers haven't come up with anything fundamentally new. Using the classic four, you can still shoot anything. Other modes (with rare exceptions) are from the evil one.

Program mode

P– Program auto. Program automatic or program line mode is not only the most preferred mode for the novice amateur photographer, but also a completely acceptable choice for an experienced photographer, especially in situations where you have to shoot in a hurry.

In program mode, the camera independently sets the appropriate combination of aperture and shutter speed in accordance with lighting conditions and ISO sensitivity (see Light and Exposure Numbers). By default, the following range of combinations is used: f/2*1/15; f/2.8*1/30; f/4*1/60; f/5.6*1/125; f/8*1/250; f/11*1/500; f/16*1/1000; f/22*1/2000, etc. within the aperture range of a particular lens and the shutter speed range of a particular camera. Of course, intermediate values ​​of the form are also possible: f/6.3*1/160; f/7.1*1/200; f/9*1/320; f/10*1/400, etc., since the values ​​of both shutter speed and aperture usually change in increments of a third of a stop.

To reduce or increase the exposure relative to that offered by the machine, use the exposure compensation or exposure compensation function. For example, in contrasting lighting on many cameras, you have to reduce the exposure by 1/3 or 2/3 of a stop to avoid overexposure in the highlights, and when shooting winter scenes, the exposure should be increased so that the snow does not appear gray in the photo. Typically, exposure compensation is controlled by a dedicated (+/-) button in conjunction with the main command dial. It’s even more convenient when a separate disk is provided for exposure compensation.

Feature good cameras is the ability to shift the program, i.e. choose equivalent combinations of aperture and shutter speed to obtain the same exposure in accordance with the law of reciprocity.

Let me give you an example. A typical exposure on a sunny day is achieved with an exposure pair of f/8*1/250 at ISO 100. Based on the principle of reciprocity, the same exposure can be achieved using any of the following combinations: f/2*1/4000; f/2.8*1/2000; f/4*1/1000; f/5.6*1/500; f/11*1/125; f/16*1/60; f/22*1/30. By rotating the corresponding dial, you can move the program either to the side large values aperture and slower shutter speeds, or towards shorter shutter speeds and smaller apertures. Such a program is called flexible.

ISO sensitivity in program mode is set either manually or automatically, depending on your preferences and camera capabilities.

Aperture priority

A– Aperture priority or Av– Aperture value. Aperture priority mode is deservedly loved by many photographers. In this mode, you independently set the aperture value you need within the range limited by the lens design, and the camera automatically selects the appropriate shutter speed for it. Exposure compensation in in this case It also only affects shutter speed, as the only variable in the exposure pair.

Most of my work is shot in aperture priority mode. Manual aperture control means full control over the depth of field of the imaged space, which is extremely convenient both when shooting landscapes, when the depth of field should be maximum, and when shooting portraits, when you want to visually separate the subject from the background using a shallow depth of field. In addition, the overall sharpness of the image depends on the aperture, and therefore it is highly advisable to keep such an important parameter under supervision.

Shutter priority

S– Shutter priority or TV– Time value. Shutter priority mode is the opposite of aperture priority. In this case, you manually set the shutter speed, and the camera selects the aperture. Shutter priority is useful when you need to limit minimum speed shutter to prevent blur when shooting fast moving objects.

In general, this mode is less convenient and versatile than aperture priority, since, firstly, variations in shutter speed do not have such a noticeable effect on the image as changing the aperture, and secondly, due to the fact that the range of aperture numbers is noticeably narrower than the range shutter speeds, the camera, being in shutter priority mode, often hits the limiting aperture values, which results in underexposure or overexposure of the frame. By the way, you can now usually limit the minimum shutter speed through the automatic ISO sensitivity settings.

Manual mode

M– Manual. Manual mode implies, as you might guess, manual setting of both aperture and shutter speed. The camera's exposure meter continues to work, determining the correct exposure from its point of view, but its readings in manual mode are only advisory.

Manual mode is suitable for leisurely work in the studio (especially with flash lighting), when the lighting remains the same from shot to shot, and you know better than your camera what exposure you need. Also, manual mode can be useful in specific situations when the exposure meter may behave inadequately, for example, when shooting night landscapes with starry skies. Another area of ​​application of the manual mode is shooting panoramas, since in this case, strictly the same exposure is usually required for all frames stitched together in the future, and in automatic modes some fluctuations are always possible.

In all four classic modes, the photographer has access to a full range of settings for exposure metering, ISO sensitivity, white balance, autofocus, flash, image styles, etc. This sets them apart from point-and-shoot modes, which will be discussed below.

AUTO mode

Fully automatic or green mode needs no introduction. Here the camera thinks about everything. Not only shutter speed and aperture, but also autofocus, flash, white balance, in a word, absolutely everything is under her control. Unless she presses the button herself... Although work is already underway in this direction.

Often, the mode AUTO complemented by an almost identical “No Flash” mode.

Listen to some good advice: if you are still shooting in AUTO, then try at least as an experiment to switch to program mode ( P). You will lose absolutely nothing, but you will be able to consciously vary the degree of automation of the filming process, i.e. decide for yourself: which parameters to leave to the camera, and which to check personally. Just having access to exposure compensation will allow you to significantly improve the quality of your photos, eliminating exposure meter errors. Add to this control of white balance and picture styles, and your photos will shine with completely new colors.

Story Modes

Scene modes are available, to my regret, in almost every camera, except perhaps the harshest professional models. These programs are designed to make the life of an amateur photographer easier when shooting a certain set of standard scenes, but in reality, point-and-shoot modes only confuse the beginner. If there are so many scene modes in the camera that they do not fit on the disk, they are usually hidden under a general caption SCENE or SCN.

I must touch on the most common subject programs to show you that there is no magic in them, and that at their core they are just functionally inferior derivatives of the classic exposure modes.

Portrait

In portrait mode, the camera just sets the lens aperture to maximum ( minimum number aperture) to achieve a shallow depth of field and blur the background. If the program is called “Night Portrait”, then the flash will operate in slow sync mode.

Scenery

But here, on the contrary, the camera strives to close the aperture so that all the objects being photographed are in focus. In addition, the use of flash in landscape mode is unacceptable, although, in my opinion, fill flash to illuminate the foreground is not the last thing even in landscape photography.

Sport

To photograph fast-moving subjects such as athletes or children, the camera opens up the aperture and dramatically raises the ISO sensitivity to ensure sufficient high speed shutter

Macro

In macro mode, a DSLR camera sets the aperture to f/8 and... that's it. She is unable to change the lens without your help. And what is f/8 for macro photography? What if I need f/11 or f/16? Compact cameras with a non-replaceable zoom lens behave completely absurdly in macro mode, setting the lens to an extremely wide-angle position, which is stupid, to say the least.

More and more exotic scene modes are constantly being invented, like macro photography of pets on the beach at night, but I don’t even want to waste my time and yours on them.

So why shouldn't you use story modes? Because they simply limit your creativity by locking you into a limited set of stories and an even more limited set of options within each mode. What should I do if I want to change the depth of field? Or synchronize the flash to the rear curtain? Or change the ratio of external exposure and flash exposure? Or disable auto ISO when shooting on a tripod? Who needs flawed under-modes when traditional P, S, M, A provide the photographer with complete freedom and at the same time control over the photograph.

Scene modes along with the mode AUTO, exist for those who don’t want to think while shooting, but it’s the habit of creating consciously distinguishes an artist from mediocrity.

Don't be afraid of classic modes. First, get comfortable with the program mode ( P), and also learn how to use exposure compensation and white balance - the most important camera settings. You will see that there is nothing scary or difficult in controlling the camera, and the benefits of this skill are quite considerable.

Custom Settings

A pleasant exception among newfangled trends is a group of modes designed to save user settings and then instantly recall them. IN Canon cameras custom modes are indicated by a letter C(from Custom), in Nikon and Pentax devices - with the letter U(User), for Sony – M.R.(Memory Recall). They work approximately the same way, allowing you to save a more or less full range of camera settings, so that you can then quickly switch between different banks of settings depending on the shooting situation. In essence, this can be compared to creating your own story programs, but completely tailored to your preferences.

The presence of custom modes greatly speeds up the work, and we can only regret that not every camera has them.

Additional modes

Some modes are specific to cameras of a certain brand, or even to specific models. Here are some of them.

Freehand excerpt

B(Bulb). This mode must be selected on some Canon and Pentax cameras to obtain shutter speeds longer than 30 s. In Bulb mode, the camera's shutter remains open for as long as the shutter button is pressed. Typically, in such situations, a cable release or remote control is used. IN Nikon cameras Bulb shutter speed is available in manual mode (M).

Shutter and aperture priority

TAv. Found in Pentax devices. In this mode, the photographer personally sets the shutter speed and aperture, and the camera adjusts the exposure by changing the ISO sensitivity. A mode of questionable usefulness. By the way, in Nikons, a similar trick is possible in M ​​mode with Auto ISO turned on.

Flash Sync

X. Only in Pentax devices. Essentially, this is a shutter priority mode in which the shutter speed is fixed and corresponds to the flash sync speed (usually 1/200 or 1/250 s). Obviously, Pentax has too much free space on the mode dial to give the sync speed a separate mode.

Depth of field priority

A-DEP. Present on amateur Canon models. Something like aperture priority, but the aperture is chosen not by the photographer, but by the camera, so that all objects covered by the autofocus sensors fall into the depth of field zone. The focusing distance is also selected by the camera. The mode was apparently created for those who themselves do not know what depth of field they need and where the focus should be.

Help Mode

GUIDE. Is distinctive feature younger Nikon models. Ostensibly designed to make it easier to learn the basics of photography, but in reality it slows down the shooting so much that everything interesting will be over long ago before you read the next tip to the end.

Creative Auto Mode

C.A.. Available in Canon devices and is a cross between fully automatic and program modes. Close to Nikon's GUIDE mode. CA mode gives the user a little more freedom than green mode, but most functions are still locked.

Video

VIDEO. Some cameras have a separate mode for video shooting. Well? Quite a reasonable decision.

There are many other modes, but they are not common enough to be of interest to general public. If your camera has an icon whose meaning is not clear to you, please consult the instructions to satisfy your curiosity.

Thank you for your attention!

Vasily A.

Post scriptum

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Manual and semi-automatic modes of the camera, in contrast to the scenario modes of the green zone, allow the photographer to use the camera's resources as efficiently as possible. On the technical side, in all work programs, the camera is always guided by the principle of interchangeability of exposure parameters.

Automatic operating modes

In green zone modes most camera parameters are not available for editing, and the camera operates according to the program embedded in it, with the minimum possible settings available to the user. The well-known phrase “In the green zone the camera operates at 30 percent of its capabilities” appeared for a reason - despite the availability of the central control menu in scenario modes, often the image quality in them does not cause any admiration, since the camera program, in itself, without the possibility of adjustment, far from ideal.

Switching modes is done by turning the camera's main control dial. The disk contains icons corresponding to the mode.

There are several green zone modes on Canon DSLR cameras:

  • Portrait. In this mode, the camera tries to set the lens aperture to its maximum open value, as this allows you to perfectly separate the subject from the background.
  • Scenery. Landscape photography uses a large depth of field (aperture values ​​from f/5.6) at a shutter speed of at least 1/lens focal length.
  • Sport. As a rule, sports mode involves shooting moving objects. When manually controlling the parameters, the shortest possible shutter speed and aperture are selected, allowing you to separate the background from the subject under these conditions. The camera in automatic mode in addition activates the object tracking mode.
  • No flash. Shooting in automatic mode, with the flash turned off (recommended for use in museums and zoos).
  • Night portrait. Long shutter speed at open aperture and high ISO. Due to possible shaking, it is better to use stabilization (tripod, etc.)
  • Auto. Fully automatic shooting mode. According to the program, the camera, depending on the current lighting conditions, will decide for itself which exposure pair to choose. A very questionable mode in terms of output quality, especially if the shooting is done in JPEG.
  • Macro. In macro mode, the camera tries to increase the depth of field, shooting at the minimum possible distance from the lens (not less than the minimum focusing distance).
  • Custom Creative (CA) mode. In this mode, the camera allows you to further change the shooting atmosphere (tint the image). Otherwise, the same machine.

You can use these modes at the very beginning of your photographic journey, they are well described in the names of the modes themselves, or you can try to figure out the camera settings and start taking more technically advanced pictures.

Manual and semi-automatic modes

Manual and semi-automatic operating modes of the camera are also programs built into the camera. Unlike scenario modes, they have O A larger number of controllable parameters, and thanks to this, they are used in a variety of photographic conditions. There are few such modes:

  • Aperture Priority, Aperture Value - A, Av
  • Shutter Priority, Time Value - S, Tv
  • Program machine (Program AE - P)
  • Manual Mode (M)
  • Freehand shooting mode

A number of modern cameras also have camera modes in which all user-set parameters are saved (Custom, C1, C2, C3).

Aperture priority (A, Av)

In this mode, the photographer can change the diameter of the lens aperture. The camera adjusts the required shutter speed based on the current aperture value. This mode is usually used to control the depth of field in the resulting image. For example, when shooting portraits.

On most Canon DSLR cameras, aperture priority mode is convenient for using manual lenses.

Shutter priority (S, TV)

In this mode, the camera selects the aperture value based on the shutter speed set by the photographer. You can use it, for example, when shooting fast moving objects (birds, cars, and so on), or vice versa, if you need to open the shutter for a long time (shooting the starry sky from a tripod). Shutter priority is also used in dynamic lighting conditions, and when there is no need (or opportunity) to think about depth of field.

A photograph taken in shutter priority. Canon 1Ds and Jupiter-37A

Programmable machine (P)

In the automatic mode, the camera works almost like in automatic mode. The difference is that it is possible to change the combination of exposure pairs, set exposure metering parameters, and photosensitivity. Exposure compensation input is also available.

The automatic software can be inconvenient because the camera position often differs from the user’s position: when shooting, for example, moving objects, the automatic often sets the exposure one to three stops lower than necessary, since the calculation is based on lighting data, and not what's happening around :)

The automatic program, in principle, allows you to take good shots.

Manual mode (M)

In the manual mode of the camera, the photographer can play with the settings as he needs it - it is possible to change the shutter speed, aperture, exposure metering mode, sensor sensitivity, exposure compensation, and others. The camera only displays exposure meter readings.

Manual mode is typically used in electronically challenging environments. For example, when all possible exposure metering methods do not produce the desired result, or it is necessary to photograph a moving object with a very shallow depth of field. Well, or in night photography.

The shooting was done in manual mode.

Freehand shooting mode

Bulb shooting mode (BULB) is a mode for manually controlling the camera shutter. Used, for example, when photographing the starry sky, or in other situations where manual shutter control is necessary. In this mode, the shutter opens when you press the shutter button and closes when you release it. Previously, in film cameras, this mode was used to work with non-synchronized flash lamps, hence the name - BULB (lamp).

Also found

A-DEP— depth of field control mode. The user uses a button on the camera body (usually a DOF button) to indicate the “from” and “to” points to set the field depth, and the camera “adjusts” the exposure pair parameters. The mode is found in digital DSLR cameras Canon EOS Digital. Exposure compensation is also available in this mode.

Sv— sensitivity priority mode. It works like a programmable machine, only the camera also sets the light sensitivity of the matrix.

TAv— Exposure priority mode. In it, the camera selects the required light sensitivity of the matrix based on the exposure parameters set by the user/

Sv and TAv modes are found in Pentax cameras. Canon and Nikon do not use them, since it is possible to automatically adjust photosensitivity (with the Auto ISO parameter) in any of the semi-automatic modes.

Which camera modes to use

As you may have realized, there are no universal modes. The most universal mode is the photographer's experience. And experience, as we know, comes through the study of theory and practice. However, I can assure you with an accuracy of 146 percent that when you leave the “green zone” and practice a little, you will subsequently want to re-shoot everything that you “filmed” on the machine.

Ask questions in the comments.

I assume that most photography readers know what an exposure value, shutter speed, and aperture are. In this article I won't cover the basics, focusing instead on the features. practical use modes “P”, “Tv”, “Av” and “M”.

Mode “P” - “Programm”, “Program”. The camera itself selects the desired exposure pair based on the lighting. This exposure pair can be moved towards higher/smaller shutter speed, larger/smaller aperture using a wheel (on some cameras - with buttons).

In this mode, you never know in advance what your aperture and, accordingly, depth of field will be. You don’t know about endurance either. So there is an element of Russian roulette. However, this mode is useful when shooting with flash. The camera believes that the flash is most important in this mode, and that it needs to highlight the scene as it should. Therefore, it tightly controls the power of the flash, highlighting the subject you are aiming at and leaving the background dark. Convenient for reportage shooting.

The mode is also useful when the lighting can fluctuate unpredictably over a wide range of brightness. If you “lock” the diaphragm to small number in the “Av” mode, there is a risk that even at the shortest shutter speed there will be too much light for the camera, and the frame will be overexposed. To some extent, this problem is solved by the “Safety shift” option. If you turn it on, the camera, in case of overexposure/underexposure, will not care about your aperture (and shutter speed) settings and will clamp it tighter to save the frame.

Note. Canon has added in its new cameras strange mutant“P” – “CA” mode (“Creative Automatic”). Essentially, this is the same “green” mode, in which you can additionally control the depth of field and something else - indirectly, through the sliders on the LCD. This mode has never been useful to me anywhere; it is clearly a “user” one and is intended for a soap audience.

“Tv” mode (on Nikons “Sv”) - “ShuTter Value”, “Shutter Priority”. For some reason, most people do not like this regime and do not really understand it. I myself for a long time I belonged to this majority, but now I’ve tasted it, got a taste for it and you can’t shake it off by the ears. In it, you set the desired shutter speed, and the camera, quietly swearing, tries to select an aperture so that the frame is normally exposed.

There are two subtleties of this mode. Firstly, setting “Safety Shift” (see above) in this mode is in most cases meaningless and ruins the whole idea. Secondly, in this mode the “Auto ISO” function turns out to be unexpectedly useful - automatic installation ISO. Unfortunately, Canon (compared to Nikon) implemented this function rather poorly - for example, in the 50D ISO does not rise above 1600. So in dark scenes you have to set ISO 3200 and send rays of happiness to Canon, in the hope that they will come to their senses in the next models .

Several situations when it is useful to control shutter speed:


Mode “Av” - “Aperture Value”, “Aperture Priority”. One of the most used modes, in which the aperture value is set, and the camera suffers, sets the appropriate shutter speed. An obvious application is to control depth of field, i.e. how far the zone of focus will extend from the point you focused on. A non-obvious application is to achieve maximum sharpness from the lens - each of them has its own aperture, at which the picture is the clearest. The specific number for many lenses can be found on SLRGear, the general trend is as follows: Canon, Panasonic, Sigma, Zeiss, Tamron have peak sharpness at f/8.0, Nikon, Tokina - at f/5.6.


For portraits, when you need to blur the background, the aperture is usually set in the range from f/4.0 to f/5.6. There are plenty of exceptions, a lot depends on the framing. All photo stocks love exaggerated portraits with a very open aperture and blurry background, but also part of the front.

In landscapes, when all objects are far away, it is better to clamp the aperture to the “peak of sharpness” or a little more. If there are nearby objects in the scene, there is nothing you can do - either “focus blending”, or clamp the aperture so that both distant and near objects are more or less sharp.

"Safety Shift" can be useful here, especially when bright scenes. If you open the aperture and aim at the sun, the shutter speed will instantly jump out of the range available to the camera (usually 1/8000 s). And then, if “Safety Shift” is installed, the camera itself will tighten the aperture.

Mode “M” - “Manual”, “Manual mode”. Fully manual setting of shutter speed and aperture. “M” is afraid, people run away from him, they don’t understand him. But in vain: this mode can be extremely useful in a number of cases.

Firstly, difficult conditions shooting in extremely heterogeneous scenes and unpredictable lighting. Do you think this happens rarely? No matter how it is, this is almost any filming of concerts and discos. The metering of many cameras often simply cannot cope with scenes where the entire background is dark and the central object is illuminated by a spotlight. Even spot metering doesn’t always help here. Therefore, you set the aperture wide enough, the shutter speed to capture the movement (start with 1/125 and experiment in both directions) and the ISO so that the scene is normally lit.


There will be a separate post about filming discotheques, but for now I’ll only remind you about strobe lighting, which is popular on dance floors.

Also difficult shooting conditions are when you shoot with wiring and turning the camera away from the sun or into the sun. Here you can use manual mode, having previously adjusted it according to the illumination of the longest and most interesting section of the path of the object you are shooting. Or you can “lock” the exposure - all cameras have a button for this. If you press it, the camera for a few seconds, no matter how you shoot, leaves the exposure as it was when you pressed this button. I chose a scene, fixed the exposure, quickly took a few frames, re-fixed the exposure, and took a few more frames.

Secondly, during studio shooting. If you work with flash light, your shutter speed range is limited above 1/320s in most cases. And you regulate the light output by flash power, ISO (usually equal to 100) and the clamped aperture. In addition, the camera does not know in advance how illuminated the scene will be, so you select all the values ​​​​in advance - manually or with an exposure meter. All these ETTL are not for a serious studio. It’s probably possible to create really high-quality light using four or five “native” low-power SpeedLight flashes. For a small stage. But the price of the issue is such that it is cheaper and easier to install conventional flashes and use “manual mode”.

It’s much easier with spotlights; you can use any shutter speed and any mode.

Thirdly, when working with a light brush. This case is somewhat similar to studio shooting with spotlights, with the difference that the shutter speeds are very long. A minute, two minutes is normal. Therefore, an external remote control is usually used for a light brush, which allows you to set such shutter speeds. The camera is set to “M” mode, shutter speed to “Bulb”, aperture - as you like. Over the past couple of years, Nikon has surpassed Canon here too - at least in the D300 I saw a built-in ability to set shutter speeds longer than 30 seconds without having to buy a remote control.

Fourthly, when shooting panoramas. Not always, but it happens. Especially when part of the panorama is well lit, and part is dark. In addition, it is useful to do bracketing in several steps. Canons can do two stages and three frames, older Nikons can do much more, and not three frames, but five to seven (well, you understand who I wanted to kick).


Fifthly, when shooting lightning, fireworks, etc. Especially when shooting lightning. The camera on a tripod is set for a long shutter speed and waits. As lightning flashes, the lens closes. I've seen options for flash synchronization, but I haven't tried it myself yet.

Sixthly, as I already wrote, when working with flash on a camera, manual mode can be very useful to give a guaranteed shutter speed at an acceptable aperture. You set it to 1/320 (or higher, with “high-speed sync” enabled), set the aperture to f/4.0 and go shoot reports with faces.

It is quite possible that I have not listed all the features of each mode. But, I hope, it gave me the idea and the impetus to explore the topic myself. Each of the modes can be useful in some way and good photographer must understand and be able to take advantage of the advantages of each mode.

I will add to this article as I come up with new methods and remember new features.

Difficulties begin when an interested person begins to have questions and disputes with the camera - when it is already tight within the framework of these very programs, you want more, but the camera continues to stupidly shoot on the same settings. Here I remember 4 program (“creative”) modes, due to the incomprehensibility of which it was decided to “temporarily” forget them.

There are no more than 4 of these modes in a regular camera. There are fewer, but for some time now manufacturers have come up with 5, so the number is not fixed. Let's look at them in more detail:
P is just program mode. The camera itself selects the minimum shutter speed and aperture number("exposure couple") required for a clear photograph in these conditions. You can conditionally equate it to the “auto” mode, with the only exception that you can usually configure a number of parameters, unlike scene programs or the “auto” mode (i.e. white balance, matrix sensitivity, jpeg settings, etc.). The mode is absolutely brainless and therefore of dubious usefulness.
A (or Av) - aperture priority mode. The user sets the required aperture number, and the camera sets the shutter speed, in accordance with the exposure meter data. The mode most beloved by most photographers, in which it is possible to fully control the depth of field (an open aperture, for example, 1.8 or 2.8 corresponds to a shallow depth of field and is often referred to as a “big hole”; a closed aperture, for example, 16 or 22, on the contrary - large). The only drawback of the mode is that the range of shutter speeds with which it works is limited from below, namely, at shutter speeds longer than, for example, 4 seconds, it will not work in a number of cameras, although the camera specifications indicate more - it’s just considered that for more than 4 seconds the frame will still be blurry if you hold the camera with your hands. It’s also convenient when you want to achieve “maximum sharpness” for a specific lens - if it is considered that at 2.8 the glass is soapy, but at 4-8 it produces better sharpness, then you just need to set it to 5.6 and forget about soapy frames.


S (or Tv) - shutter priority mode. The user sets the required shutter speed, and the camera sets the aperture. The mode is very limited and, as a rule, applicable when shooting sporting events, when the need to capture the moment is much more important than elaborating the background. By the way, sporting events include children, who can sometimes be “grabbed” only for 1/250 of a second. - then he certainly won’t run away. You can use long shutter speeds - for example, when shooting with wiring.



M - fully manual mode. The user manually sets all parameters. Typically, automatic sensitivity can be set in the first three modes, but is not available in manual... the answer is simple: this mode is chosen by those who are experimenting or know exactly what they are doing. The mode completely removes restrictions on night photography, because... allows the user to set absolutely any shutter speed and aperture at any sensitivity value. You can also take deliberately underexposed or overexposed pictures, shoot with lenses that are not intended for this camera, etc. Night photography deserves a separate reservation - since there is a lot of time (and the sky is black, which puts the exposure meter into a stupor, because it will count the picture is dark and infinitely increase the shutter speed - which is why the limitation was introduced in aperture priority mode), you can stand for a long time near a tripod with different meanings exposure parameters to achieve the desired effect: blurring water or car lights when long exposure, the appearance of stars in the sky with a very long shutter speed, or shooting falling drops of water with a very short shutter speed.



Sv - sensitivity priority mode, similar to program mode (P), but in addition to shutter speed and aperture, the camera selects sensitivity, with the possibility of quick correction by the user
TAv - aperture and shutter priority mode, when the user sets the required aperture and shutter speed, and the camera sets the required sensor sensitivity
A-Dep - aperture priority mode with depth of field control, used to study both the foreground and background - in this case, the camera measures the distance to both and sets the aperture (and shutter speed) accordingly.

The penultimate two modes exist, on at the moment, only in the latest Pentax cameras, and the latter only in Canon - it’s hard to say whether other manufacturers will implement them, and it’s only possible to understand how justified it is to move the automatic or semi-automatic setting of the matrix sensitivity into a separate mode(s) over time. It is still difficult to say in what conditions it is justified to use these modes, so we will not dwell on this for now.

To finally decide which of the four modes should be used under what conditions, we have compiled a small table:


There is also such a thing as exposure compensation. So, if you use it in modes A and S, then to adjust the illumination of the scene, the camera will adjust the shutter speed and aperture values ​​accordingly. Those. For example, you set the shutter speed to 1/30 in mode S, the camera chose an aperture value of 2.8 for this, you didn’t like it, decided to make it darker and introduced exposure compensation of -0.3 EV - the camera left the shutter speed the same, but closed the aperture to 4.
In mode M there is no exposure compensation as such, because both shutter speed and aperture are set rigidly by the user. But the exposure compensation value is displayed on the screen and it means a deviation from the optimal exposure from the camera. camera
Let's say that when shooting the last scene (looks like a beach at night), mode M was selected and accordingly. settings that allowed us to get such a shot. I'm sure the camera would show -2EV, i.e. the scene is too dark in her opinion.

IN digital camera The quality of the resulting images depends on correct settings such parameters as sensitivity (ISO), aperture, shutter speed.

In order to correctly shoot the selected scene, you need to determine exactly the amount of light to create a picture, that is, correctly determine the exposure. These are all the camera modes used to obtain the correct exposure when different conditions shooting. Without a correct understanding of the terms exposure, aperture, shutter speed, depth of field, it will be difficult to understand all camera modes.

There are programmed story programs: portrait, landscape, sports, macro photography, night photography, automatic shooting, etc. These settings are well suited for beginner photographers who do not know how to set shutter speed, aperture, etc.

The composition and number of such settings may differ in some cameras. Modes such as beach, snow, fireworks, text are rare.

And there is creative settings, in which you can influence one or more parameters at your discretion. There are usually four of them:

  • P (program mode);
  • A (aperture priority);
  • S (shutter priority);
  • M (manual).

Creative Camera Settings

1) Program mode (P). In this mode, the camera itself selects the minimum shutter speed and aperture number needed for high-quality shooting. At the same time, it is possible to configure a number of parameters separately, for example, sensitivity, white balance, etc. This mode is similar to automatic, that is, the camera itself selects all parameters, but unlike automatic mode, you can adjust any parameter.

2) Aperture priority (A or Av). In this mode, you set the aperture yourself, and the camera itself selects the desired shutter speed. This mode allows the photographer to influence the depth of field using the aperture. Most commonly used.

3) Shutter priority (S or Tv). Here you set the shutter speed, and the camera sets the aperture necessary for correct exposure. Used when shooting fast-paced scenes, such as sports competitions.

4) Manual (M) . You need to set all the parameters yourself. Suitable for experiments or when you have experience and know exactly what to do. Very useful when shooting at night or when you need to take obviously underexposed or overexposed pictures. Often used in studio work.

Rarer modes:

  1. Sv – sensitivity priority, similar to P mode. The camera sets the shutter speed, aperture and sensitivity, but it is possible to quickly adjust the sensitivity.
  2. TAv – aperture and shutter priority mode. The camera only adjusts the sensitivity of the matrix, and you – the aperture and shutter speed.
  3. A-Dep – aperture priority mode with depth of field control. The camera sets the required shutter speed depending on the required depth of field.

Story programs

Automatic shooting. The camera itself sets all the shutter speed, aperture, etc. values. This mode is suitable when you need to quickly shoot a scene and don’t have time to adjust the camera settings. The advantage is that you are not distracted from building the exposure of the frame. This mode is often used in entry-level point-and-shoot models. The disadvantages of shooting include focusing the camera on the wrong object. All parameters are set according to a predefined algorithm, and the desired result is not always obtained. The camera turns on the flash itself when it deems it necessary, and this is not always justified. The movement of the subject is often blurred due to incorrectly set shutter speed.

The following modes are suitable for users who miss the automatic mode and want more control over the quality of their photos.

Portrait. The camera will try to highlight the subject against the background. The subject will be in sharp focus, but the background will be blurry. To do this, the camera sets the aperture to its widest possible aperture, which reduces the depth of field. In portrait mode, the shutter speed may change automatically, which can lead to blurry images, so it is better to use a tripod.


Scenery . From the name it is clear that the mode is used for shooting landscapes, panoramic views and large objects. The aperture value is chosen by the camera and it usually selects small values ​​to obtain greater depth sharpness. In this case, the shutter speed will be long, so it is advisable to use a tripod. Focusing is set to infinity, allowing you to photograph through glass.


Sports. Using other settings when photographing sporting events or other fast-moving scenes may result in a blurry image. In this mode, the camera sets the most short shutter speed. Good for photographing children playing.


MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY

Macro photography. In "macro" you can shoot objects with very close range. This is how insects, plants, etc. are removed.


NIGHT SHOOTING

Night photography. This mode is used in low light conditions. Such conditions occur, for example, at night or in the evening. The camera will focus on the nearest subject. In low light, the shutter speed can be long and it is better to use a tripod to avoid blurring.


All pre-programmed scene modes do not allow you complete control over the photography process. With the help of automation, the camera averages all the values, and there is no such flexibility and accuracy as in creative mode X.