Digital Camera Modes - Advanced Modes
Once you’ve mastered shooting with basic modes, try some of the more advanced modes your camera supports. When starting to use these modes, I recommend some experimentation so you get familiar with each mode and how it changes the final photo.
Program Mode |
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This mode is similar to the Auto function in that the camera does some of the work, but you still have some control over how you want the photo to look. Program mode allows you to select from one of a number of shutter/aperture combinations for a specific exposure. I suggest learning how the different modes affect the shot by setting your camera on a ledge or tripod and shooting a scene with each of the different program modes. Notice how each mode changes what you see with the image. |
Aperture Priority / AV Mode |
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This mode allows you to set the aperture setting for your camera and let your camera choose the appropriate shutter speed. Changing the aperture allows you to control the depth of field in your image - basically so you can choose how much is in focus. |
Shutter Priority / Time Priority / TV / S Mode |
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Use Shutter Priority when the portrayal of motion is most important. When you want moving objects to blur, choose a slower shutter speed. A fast shutter speed will freeze your subject. The camera will select the appropriate aperture for a correct exposure. |
Manual Mode |
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Here you can choose both the shutter speed and aperture to get just the setting you want. This mode gives you total control over the depth of field, lighting and motion in your images. |
Most professionals use Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, or Full Manual mode because they provide the most control over the image. All these extra settings do take some learning though, so I recommend trying one mode at a time and see how it affects the images you take.
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Hi,
I greatly appreciate your articles.
Photography is about a 40 years hobby.
I did some with mgnesium powder flash - - if you still remember that technique ! on glass plates !
“Gradudted ” to digital about a year ago and still enjoy .
Keep up the good work - it’s not me alone appreciating your articles. H.
September 19, 2006 @ 6:27 pm
this has been very helpful, I take alot of “night shots” unfortunatly, race cars are moving very fast and it is hard to get no camera shake. I need to try a differant tri pod, Thanks!!!!!!
September 21, 2006 @ 11:10 am
do you know something about
video
dose anything aply to any of the
above about video
September 29, 2006 @ 12:14 pm
do you know something about
video
dose anything aply to any of the
above about video
by theway i do shoot still photo.
September 29, 2006 @ 12:19 pm
I’m sorry to be so elementary but could you tell me what exactly is aperture priority. shutter speed I understand I think. together with these manual settings, does the ISO not play a role? I have a canon 350D and I just can’t seem to take good pics. the ones that end up good are a pure mistake and I find that I cannot repeat the magic (understanding that every picture moment is a magic that cannot be repeated, nonetheless I want to be able to capture the magic moment everytime or atleast most of the time.) I never get the lighting right-its either too bright or too dark and then the pixtures come out pixilated somehow. and then the lens is wrong or not satisfactory to me. I’v got a standard 18-55mm and a 70-300mm. I was thinking that I need a 18-200mm lens maybe but then to day I was out on a photohoot for a magazine and I observed this photographer using a 18-55mm lens and taking very good pics. I don’t have a tripod maybe that’s what I need. Is it the accessories or the camera man that has a problem here. I wanna enjoy my pictures especially since I’v the camera
October 5, 2006 @ 11:56 pm
This quick comment if to mordechai, I definetly can relate, just keep trying things and if possible write downthe settings for your shots and then you can go back to them for the ones that came out the way you like it. My question though is I hve a nikon D50 and using the 18-55 lens I can set the shutter fast but there seems to be the f stop limit so if not carefull get dark pix. I know this so I dont use the shutter indoors that much generally use P and pix come out fine. They dont look sharp on the computor but when printed look great, is that a resolution thing?
Larry
October 17, 2006 @ 11:02 pm
Moderchai, If I can shed some light on the subject I’ll give er a try. I teach digital photography and must say your not the only one in the life raft. Try this: F-stop (higher numbers) aperture is smaller (hole that lets the light in). The bigger the F-stop number the more depth of field (more things in focus). which also means the smaller the aperature the greater the depth of field. Also remenber that the the smaller the aperature the exposure time may be longer. ISO effects or has an factor in everything. The higher the ISO the faster the digital back will catch an image. However, too large of a number in ISO can cause digital noise which used to be called grain in the ASA days. I use mostly a Cannon 20D with a 28 to 300 lens and find it takes nice pictures. Hope this Helps a little.
November 2, 2006 @ 11:20 am
Hello David,
Thanks for this. This is a good sum up of all the controls.
Best regards
Eugene
November 7, 2006 @ 2:33 pm
So far all the information that you have provided are very informative and useful and the explanation are in the level that could be understood clearly. Thank you very much.
November 20, 2006 @ 6:32 pm
Thanks once again for a brilliant collection of tips.
November 25, 2006 @ 4:34 pm
Once again a very usefull information.
December 1, 2006 @ 11:39 pm
Hi David,
You not only provide us with great tips but also lay a common ground to share/discuss our issues and/or experiences.
Once again, keep up the good work.
December 13, 2006 @ 5:12 pm
program mode is confusingly explained.What is the difference between program mode and manual mode.Both look the same.What exactly means by ‘The camera’ does some work?
December 25, 2006 @ 10:19 pm
Many thanks for all your help at last I understand what all the settings are for .
January 9, 2007 @ 6:35 pm
Guys,
I have been using an old Yashica 2000 SLR since 1986 with mostly getting good results.
But recently I got a D50 and for about past 5 months. Since then its only mediocre results. I am not sure what I am doing wrong, any points for me?
January 18, 2007 @ 12:15 pm
what should be setting of aperature and iso speed to take the picture at
less light and that too without flash
i mean at night . when subject is visible to eye but in camera we get
only dark picture why…?
January 27, 2007 @ 4:35 pm
Most people seem to have a problem understanding the relation between shutter speed and aperture.
Imagine you are filling a pail with water, which is taking the picture. You open the tap so the water flows slowly, that is your aperture,(that would be the amount of lightthat enters the camera). Now the time it takes to fill the pail (that is your shutter speed).
Should you open the tap fully the pail would fill much faster.(big aperture Fast shutter speed) and (small aperture slow shutter speed).
These are the combinations
February 17, 2007 @ 9:14 am
Dennis and Jonathan,
I’m sure your explanations have helped many newbies to DSLR cameras. Some of us need the very basic lessons and we sure do appreciate your input. Some of the new cameras today do not have scene modes and for those of us wanting to get away from the Auto mode, you guys have helped us a great deal. You’ve been a big help. Thanks.
February 25, 2007 @ 11:19 am
David,
I too am still having trouble with my canon 350D I cn use on auto, P or sometimes AV and my pictures are often too bright or too dark. The only few that seem to come out ok are those done on tripod indoors. I just dont know what is wrong. I use mainly the 17-85 IS lens
February 25, 2007 @ 12:09 pm
thanks for all the good tipbut I am having trouble with shutter speed and aperture lot of time my picture turn out dark.
March 7, 2007 @ 1:23 pm
I seem to have a great deal of problems with focus and movement? If I am in AV mode what f stop and shutter speed should I use while indoors? And if taking a picture of more than one person what do I put the focus on so that each one is in focus?
March 9, 2007 @ 3:31 am
Could you please explain in an other e-mail mailing the advantages and dis-advantages of digital and traditional film photography?
Sincerely,
Alain
March 24, 2007 @ 1:09 pm
Thank you Howard Grant for sending me this wonderful link…you rock Dad!
April 8, 2007 @ 3:16 pm
Thanks David,
Your suggestions and tips were very useful and fully understandable.
April 23, 2007 @ 3:15 am
good
June 2, 2007 @ 2:06 am
i just wanted to keep saying thanks for all the tips!!
they really are great! Thanks!!
June 18, 2007 @ 6:27 am
thanks david..
July 7, 2007 @ 1:28 pm
Could you please let me know how to get a good photo indoors at night with no flash using various settings like maybe iso I am a real nivice any help would be appreciated and thank you for your site.
July 15, 2007 @ 5:27 pm
This is for Lynn
To get a good photo at night and indoor, set the ISO (film sensibility) to 400 or higher; set your camera on a table or counter or use a tripod ( to help eliminate camera shake or else you get a blurry picture); turn on all the lights inside as much as possible especially lower level lights like tablelamps etc. Take the picture and although there is noticeably a lot of noise on it, you can use the computer editing program to correct the details of the picture (brightness/contrast; Red Green Blue color corrections etc)
This is true for not using the flash.
July 25, 2007 @ 1:13 pm
Thanks for your great tips. They are very useful.
July 30, 2007 @ 6:39 am
Thankyou so much all the while keep emailing me all the photography secrets.
I read them all,although I can’t remember all in my brain.:-)
I read them all over again and again.I enjoyed all the tips you give.
I have improved a bit so far as told by my photography friends.
Thankyou.
July 31, 2007 @ 8:51 am
Severe lighting changes, long distance action shots.
The average shot is 40 to 90 feet.
Nikon D200 with 70 - 200 VR lens.
Everyone seem to be impressed with our shots but I would like to do better.
Indoor shots are done with the Quantum X4D & 5D flashes.
Extra hints are always helpful.
We seem to have to be constantly tweeking our cameras when we are outdoors. Is there a simpler way?
August 2, 2007 @ 4:10 am
Some more additional tips to remember for shooting in low light (indoor with no flash), aside of ramping up the ISO (film sensibility) to higher numbers e.g. 400 and above and accept the fact of getting some “noises” or speckly grains in the background; don’t forget to turn on the “anti-shake” or stabilization feature on; turn on the self-timer (if you have one) to 3 or 10 seconds, put it down on anything solid and press away! Don’t forget to adapt the white balance setting to the type of lighting you have indoor too (cool-white daylight; incandescent bulbs (tungsten) etc. With digital, you can experiment each shot with each different settings, you can delete shots you don’t like, keep the best ones and it did’nt cost you anything except time and effort. Wow, what a deal!
August 3, 2007 @ 12:51 am
Knowing more and more of the features and controls of a digital camera is really helpful and great. Be careful though, you might shoot pictures with the wrong settings, especially when you change environment like coming indoor to a different conditions! Be sure to be aware of where you are.
August 7, 2007 @ 9:55 am
just to add that as said above the camera must be secured (tripod, surface) for indoor shots because the exposure is going to be about 2-4 seconds, outdoor night scenes even longer.
For those action slow shutter speeds shots in Tv mode, your iso need not be too high 100 or 200 especially when shooting during the day. If you are shooting moving shots of vehicles such as bikes, racing cars, (very) low aircraft, helicopters, its all about practice and getting a good smooth rotation, although a good lens, possibly with images stablisation(sp!) will help too. The subject has to be pin sharp even at 1/15 of a second.
August 10, 2007 @ 4:59 am
to my post above…
sorry 1/15 is the extreme really, you will still be throwing lots of photos away! but its worth it when you get it right. If you only have limited time with the subject or if the subject is moving faster, you may want to choose a higher speed, 1/125 and above for a jet landing, not really guidelines, have fun experimenting.
August 10, 2007 @ 5:07 am
David,
Thank you so much for telling all of us about the different modes and how they work, this has help so much. Have a great day.
September 1, 2007 @ 11:50 pm
Hi David,
thanks for your tips and secrets.
It is a big excellent tip and secrets collection.
October 9, 2007 @ 6:31 pm
I can’t think of anyplace I have come across that had so much useful information on the subject of digital photography. I have really enjoyed the emails and look forward to the continued insight. Keep it comming! Thanks!
November 12, 2007 @ 11:39 am
I am doing mostly landscape photography, hence my essential use of aperture priority. Digital photography will not help you take better photographs: it’s a different game, adding to some extent the pleasure of “lab work”, but the rules are the same. Use a tripod, take your time, expose carefully, etc. I still regret the unique quality of a good transparency, much more difficult to obtain.
December 20, 2007 @ 5:53 pm
Aperture and depth of field…
When shooting, remember that 1/3 of what is in focus is in front of where you focus and 2/3 is behind of where you focus. When shooting people in groups, you have to make sure you have the depth of field, a high enough aperture, to keep everyone in focus. You also have to properly select your focus point.
When shooting with a VR/IS lens, do not use the VR/IS when shooting on a tripod. You are defeating the purpose of the lens. It is trying to prevent shaking when you are mounted on a stable surface. Only use it when hand holding your camera.
Shoot manual. Use the light meter of the camera to determine if the setting is correct. That will be centering the line to the 0 in your viewfinder. Yes, automatic is nice, but manual is where you learn how to use your camera. If your photo is too dark, go to the + side of the 0, too light, go to the – side.
The real key is to shoot photos constantly and learn your equipment. Read the manual. Shoot, review what you shot. Read the manual, then do it over again. Oh, did I say read the manual for your camera.
That is what is goingto help you with solving the problems you are having with taking photos with you cameras. Read the manuls and practice.
Anyone in the Houston, TX area…I teach at HAL-PC (www.hal-pc.org) on the 3rd Saturday each month from 1 to 3, Digital Imaging. You are invited to attend. Membership to HAL-PC ($40 a year) after first free meeting is the only cost.
January 15, 2008 @ 12:56 am
The tips really make me clear about the mode to be used.. Thanks David
February 5, 2008 @ 7:42 pm
I love your tips, and they have been of great use to me. I do not leave home without my camera anymore. I have noticed that when I am taking pictures at night, they seem to be a bit grainy, why would this be? Is there a way that I could correct it?
March 25, 2008 @ 9:05 pm
Hi,
I have a canon 20d… i was trying all of these different modes and i noticed that when in the “Tv” mode it will be really bright or really dark and i cant see what i’m taking a picture of. or it’s just white. I can adjust and get a good picture in this mode but does anyone know how to get the portrayal of movement???????…. Thanks…
May 5, 2008 @ 1:21 am
Hi,
I am novice in photography. The tips provided by you are really helpfull to get along with better Photography.
Thanks
May 26, 2008 @ 4:53 pm
I have a Nikon D100, and never seem to get the color I want….Just doesn’t pop….I have my pocket Kodak EasyShare C875 that has better color results…I take mostly children picture, with my flash Nikon SB-80DX…Hope you can help…..Thank you…Marilyn
July 9, 2008 @ 7:19 am
The darker the environment the harder it is for the sensor in the camera to
receive enough light to create a good image. You can try certain things to
make the most of it:
1) Use a fast lens. This means using a lens with a
large aperture (low number, usually between 2.8 and 1.2).
This helps a lot if you don’t want everything in focus.
Large aperture means having a shallow depth of field
(very little is in focus), which isn’t always what you want.
2) Use a tripod. Great for stationary objects or if you
want to photograph things like streaks of car lights.
3) Use a flash. And I don’t mean the on-camera flash.
The on-camera flash is very very unflattering, especially
with people. If you can afford it get an external flash
unit. Those have a lot more power and you can bounce them off
walls/ceilings. Flash is great for indoor photography. Do try
to minimize the power of the flash in comparison to the ambient
light. Most people will tell you to avoid flash but that’s
often because they have seen pictures made with a flash that
looks really unflattering. When you use a flash in a good way
you can make it really hard to see that a flash was even used.
4) Increase the ISO. Personally I try to avoid this as much
as possible. The lower the ISO the less noise in the images.
But it also means slower shutterspeeds are needed. When you
set your camera at ISO 400 it needs half the light it would
need at ISO 200. Sometimes you need to increase the ISO to
get a picture (when hand holding or when you’re not allowed
to use a flash for instance) but it will result in more noise
in the image. But then again, you might not be able to get
any shot otherwise. The latest pro cameras are a lot better
with high ISO values (they can use ISO 1600 to 6400 in some
cases with very little noise). For most cameras it’s best to
stick with a maximum ISO of 800 or lower.
Some of you are trying to do the impossible though. I saw
someone talking about night shots and race cars while using
a tripod. You need to use a tripod for slow shutterspeeds.
To “freeze” a race car you will need a pretty fast shutterspeed.
Fast shutterspeed means you need a lot of light in a very short
time. When it’s almost dark there is not enough light. Only with
a really high ISO setting you can get enough light sensitivity
to capture the race car without it being blurred. With the
current cameras though (except maybe the Nikon D3/D700) the
image will be so noisy it’s probably unusable. Note that this
is not a problem specific to digital photography. The new
cameras are actually a lot better in darker environments than
old cameras.
@John:
Use slower shutterspeeds to get the “blurred” motion look.
Probably 1/15th of a second or slower. Btw, in Tv mode the camera
will automatically adjust the aperture as much as possible to get
a good exposure. If your lens has a maximum aperture of 4 and you
need an aperture of 1.8 to let enough light in for a good exposure
your image will be dark. Pay attention to the in-camera exposure
meter. Some combinations are just not possible in certain situations.
If you’re in broad daylight for example and want to use very slow
shutterspeeds you will probably have too much light even when
using a very small aperture (tiny hole). In those situations you
usually use ND filters to block a certain amount of light.
@Marilyn:
The Nikon D100 is basically a pro/advanced amateur camera.
Most of the more advanced cameras won’t make the picture really
pop by default like they do with pocket cameras. Pocket cameras are
really meant to be just point and shoot, no or hardly any editing
and most people like the image to pop. Most people that shoot with
a camera like the D100 will do some post processing in photoshop in
which case they can add more saturation if they want it as well.
You can try to edit the color settings in the D100 menu and increase
the saturation. This should help to make it pop a bit more. The
default look in the better cameras is often very neutral which makes
it great for editing afterwards but you’ll probably won’t like the
pictures as much when they’re right out of the camera. Nikon cameras
like the newer Nikon D300 allow for very vivid colors right out of
the camera, something I personally like a lot.
July 17, 2008 @ 10:09 pm