Camera modes

Using a handheld camera such as a Nikon DLSR will get the photographer used to four default controls accessed by turning a dial to an intended camera mode near the picture button. These four modes are:

• Manual, M: The photographer does all the automation by manually setting up the shutter and camera aperture.
• Aperture priority, A: Set the aperture and the camera will convert to the corresponding shutter speed.
• Shutter priority, S: Same with aperture priority, only the roles of the aperture and the shutter have switched (set the shutter speed and the camera will convert to the corresponding aperture).
• Program, P: For this final option, the photographer points the camera; said object will then choose a suitable shutter and aperture combination.

The following options only appear when the camera is in 'program mode' according to subject type:

• Action mode
• Landscape mode
• Portrait mode
• Close-up mode
• Fill-in flash mode
• Night mode.

Aperture priority: Shutter speed is automatically chosen depending on what aperture is chosen on the camera. It is shown on a unique scale or viewfinder-only numbers printed in yellow. Change the aperture and the shutter speed corresponds.

Shutter priority: Aperture is automatically chosen depending on what shutter speed is chosen on the camera. Like aperture priority, shutter speed will illuminate as yellow numbers on the viewfinder.

Program mode: The camera speaks for itself by automatically setting its choice of shutter speed and aperture.