Exploring Popular Camera Shooting Modes

Camera shooting modes are essentially programs that allow you to manipulate settings affecting the exposure process, specifically aperture, ISO, and shutter speed. Some modes enable control over 1, 2, or all 3 of these parameters, while others are entirely automatic.

In the days before digital cameras, photographers often had to manually calculate shutter speed, aperture, and select the appropriate type of film. They relied on specialized light meters to gauge exposure information. Then, they configured the camera accordingly. It wasn't until 1962 when a Japanese camera company introduced the first SLR camera capable of measuring light passing through the lens, that the concept of 'automatic exposure metering' began to emerge!

Today, most cameras come with various shooting modes. While phone cameras are fully automatic, professional cameras allow you to utilize both automatic and manual modes.

Common camera shooting modes

As mentioned, cameras nowadays come equipped with numerous shooting modes. However, there are 4 most common modes that every camera must have. They are:

• Program (Simply translates to Program), abbreviated as: P
• Aperture Priority, denoted as: Av or A
• Shutter Speed Priority, denoted as: Tv or S
• Manual, denoted as: M

Now let's delve into each mode in detail, to see how they function and suit various needs?

1. Program Mode

In this mode, the camera will automatically select both the shutter speed and aperture based on the amount of light passing through the lens. It will try to balance both factors to ensure the photo has the necessary amount of light.

Specifically:

• When the lens is pointed towards a bright area, the aperture will increase while maintaining a relatively fast shutter speed
• When the lens is pointed towards a dark area, the aperture will decrease while still maintaining a reasonably fast shutter speed
• If there is insufficient light, the aperture will be at its maximum as allowed by your lens

This mode is suitable for quick photo shooting needs. Calling it a “Semi-automatic” mode wouldn't be entirely wrong! I usually use this mode less because it doesn't allow me to control many exposure parameters. Of course, the camera also lets you override shutter speed and aperture using the control buttons while in P mode.

Many of you might wonder how this P mode differs from the Auto mode (usually denoted by the letter A in green) - right? The P mode only automatically selects shutter speed and aperture for you, whereas the Auto mode will select ISO, shutter speed, aperture, and white balance for you.

2. Shutter Speed Priority Mode

In this mode, you set the shutter speed while the camera automatically chooses the aperture for you based on the amount of light passing through the lens. Specifically:

• If there is ample light, the camera will increase the aperture to limit the light entering the sensor
• If there is low light, the camera will decrease the aperture to increase the amount of light entering the sensor
• In cases of insufficient light, the camera will decrease the aperture to the lowest level permitted by the lens
• In all these cases, the shutter speed remains a fixed number that you have set beforehand!
• This mode is used when you want to capture a fast-moving subject or create a “motion blur” effect.

Shutter Speed Priority Mode can easily result in underexposed or overexposed photos. Why? Because if the surrounding light is insufficient, and you set a very fast shutter speed, your exposure will be limited by the lens's minimum aperture. For example, if the lens's minimum aperture is f/4.0, the camera cannot use a smaller aperture, and it will still shoot at the fast shutter speed you've set. The result will be an underexposed photo. Conversely, if you set the shutter speed too slow, the photo is prone to overexposure due to excessive light exposure.

3. Aperture Priority Mode

In this mode, you manually set the aperture, and the camera calculates an appropriate shutter speed based on the amount of light passing through the lens. Specifically:

• If there is ample light, the camera will increase the shutter speed
• If there is insufficient light, the camera will decrease the shutter speed to allow more light to reach the sensor
• In both cases, the camera maintains the aperture you've previously set

This mode is suitable for portrait, landscape, or most scenes in daily life. When using this mode, you have control over the depth of field as desired, and photos are less likely to be underexposed or overexposed. With such a wide shutter speed range, from fast at 1/4000 second to slow at 30 seconds or more, it meets most daily usage needs well!

4. Manual Mode

This mode allows you to manually set both shutter speed and aperture. It's often used in situations where the camera struggles to meter light due to harsh lighting conditions. For example, when the intensity of light is too strong, causing the camera to meter incorrectly and either overexpose or underexpose. In such cases, you need to set the camera to manual mode and adjust the settings accordingly.

Manual mode is also very useful when you want to capture multiple photos with the same shutter speed and aperture. For instance, when you want to stitch multiple photos together to create a panorama, only manual mode can help.

This mode is often used in challenging lighting conditions, when shooting panoramas, or when using flash. Generally, it's quite a tricky mode to master!

How to set shooting modes?

Most cameras have a dial to select shooting modes, which is a large wheel with modes listed above. For Canon cameras, it will be: “P”, “Tv”, “Av”, and “M”, while for Nikon cameras, it will be: “P”, “S”, “A”, and “M”

On some professional cameras, you'll notice that the dial isn't used to switch shooting modes. Instead, it will be a small button located on the top of the camera.

ISO

In most DSLR cameras, when you use the aforementioned modes, the ISO will not automatically change.

• If your camera has automatic ISO mode, turn it on, then set the ISO to a maximum of around 800-1600 (this number depends on your camera) and set the minimum shutter speed to 1/200 second. If you find the image too noisy when test shooting, lower the maximum ISO to a lower number
• If your camera does not have automatic ISO mode, set your ISO to the lowest possible number and gradually increase it in low light conditions

What about other shooting modes?

Many cameras designed for beginners or professionals have other modes such as: Macro, Sports, Landscape, Portrait, Night (professional cameras do not have these modes). However, I won't mention them because:

• These automatic modes don't help you understand how the camera exposes the light, they don't help you understand the essence of the problem. So it's best not to use them, focus on the 4 modes I introduced above!
• These modes are simply a combination of the 4 modes mentioned above along with certain settings from the manufacturer
• Different cameras will have different custom modes, which will hinder you when upgrading to a professional camera or changing brands. Especially when you use them too much!

Above are my insights on various camera shooting modes. I hope these insights are helpful to you. Wishing you capture some beautiful photos!