CASTLEFORD CAMERA CLUB

DSLR Introduction-Session 2Auto and Manual Modes

UNDERSTANDING THE MODE DIAL

CCanon

Nikon

Pentax Sony

UNDERSTANDING THE MODE DIAL

CCanon

Nikon

Pentax Sony

Green mode or AutoThe auto mode is a point –and-shoot mode

The camera will set everything for you - from your aperture and shutter speed right through to your white balance and ISO. It will also automatically fire your pop-up flash (if you camera has one), when needed.

This is a good mode to use while you familiarise yourself with your camera, and it is particularly useful if you need to photograph something quickly, when you don't have time to set the camera up manually.

UNDERSTANDING THE MODE DIAL

CCanon

Nikon

Pentax Sony

Program ModeProgram Mode is a semi-automatic mode. The camera still controls most of the functions ( particularly both shutter speed and aperture), but you are able to control ISO, white balance, and flash. For example, in Program Mode, you could prevent the flash from firing automatically and instead raise the ISO to compensate for low light conditions, such as when you don't want the flash to wash out the subjects' features for an indoor photo.

Program Mode can be great for beginners to start exploring the camera's features.

UNDERSTANDING THE MODE DIAL

CCanon

Nikon

Pentax Sony

SCENE MODES Often these creative automatic exposure modes

are shown as pictograms on the dial mode Tailor made for the subject you are taking

Portrait Mode

The camera will assume you are taking a head and shoulder picture of one or maybe two people.

The camera will try to choose an exposure setting that will make the background slightly out of focus while keeping the subject(s) in focus.

The camera may also use other features such as optimising skin tone colours and may also be a little softer to improve the look of the skin

SCENE MODES

Landscape mode usually uses a small aperture (high f/number) to create a well focused image from the foreground into the distance

May also attempt to boost the blues and greens typical in a landscape photograph

Sports mode

This mode is geared towards photographing moving subjects. It works well for sports, cars, wildlife in motion, etc. The sports mode attempts to "freeze" subject in motion by using a fast shutter speed

Landscape mode

UNDERSTANDING THE MODE DIAL

CCanon

Nikon

Pentax Sony

SHUTTER PRIORITY MODE: TV or S on many DSLRs

In shutter priority mode, you have control over the shutter speed and the aperture is set by the camera.

Shutter Speeds

Using a fast shutter speed you may capture things that the human eye would

otherwise not see and freeze the moment.

Using a slower shutter speed will capture motion blur to create the sense of movement and enable creative shots.

1/50 sec 1/10 sec

Half a second

One second

UNDERSTANDING THE MODE DIAL

CCanon

Nikon

Pentax Sony

APERTURE PRIORITYA or Av

You will have control over the aperture size while the camera sets the speed of the shutter.

What aperture priority mode does best is increase / reduce depth of field.

Aperture Range

A large aperture can help you isolate your main subject from the background

A higher ( smaller) aperture setting will allow a greater depth of field – more front to back

sharpness

Manual mode will allow you to control both the shutter speed and the aperture value and produce

the correct exposure for the intended image.

Manual Mode

When the indicator is in the centre, this signals a correctly exposed image. This is a

good starting point. From here you can adjust your shutter speed or your aperture

to under or over expose.

Your camera will have a light meter scale

Manual ModeIt is easy to get the exposure wrong while controlling both aperture and shutter, however it is fundamental to developing good photography technique and skills.

You may find that manual mode gives you the best control in many situations