Taking a look at any modern mirrorless or DSLR camera, you’ll notice a slew of controls, buttons, and dials. Atop nearly all cameras sits a large dial labeled with many letters and icons. This is our mode dial. It is how we control the level of power we give to our camera or take for ourselves.
One of the wonderful things that modern electronic digital and film cameras give you is many high-tech options for your image making. One of the horrible things that modern electronic digital and film cameras give you is many high-tech options for your image making. Sometimes, confusion ensues. And, very often, confusion starts with the camera’s modes.
Adding to the confusion, a little bit, is the fact that not all camera manufacturers agree on how to label similar modes. [Hi, Canon! Hi, Pentax!] Adding even more confusion, when some manufacturers say, “shooting modes,” they are referring to whether the camera is going to take one shot, multiple shots, or shoot continuously, instead of how the camera is exposing the image. Other manufacturers refer to these modes as “exposure modes,” a term also used for different “metering modes.” Confused now? Do you see why I had to write a confusing headline for this article? Can we not all get along and standardize this?
These are relatively straightforward once you understand the basics. In this guide, we’re exploring the many common exposure modes and how they work. We’ll also touch upon situations where you may use one over the others and work toward our ultimate goal of getting you more confident when taking pictures.
Speaking of the basics, if you haven’t done so already, we recommend reading these articles on aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. They should give you comprehensive background information on these functions and how a camera adjusts for exposure and will help you understand why these camera modes work the way they do.
The Mode Dial
Atop any interchangeable lens mirrorless or DSLR camera is a mode dial. While each brand has their own proprietary nomenclature and iconography, the general functions remain the same no matter how they’re named or labeled. These functions—and the mode dial—are how we dictate how our camera handles exposure. Before they became staples, cameras were controlled manually, relying on the photographer to rotate the aperture ring to their liking, and to set their shutter speed for the available light. ISO was nothing but a twinkle in someone’s eye, as film speeds were baked in and could not be changed without changing film stocks.
In 1978, the Canon A-1 was released as the world’s first commercially available SLR camera with auto exposure features. Following closely behind in 1981, was the AE-1 Program, which brought this revolutionary new technology to the masses. Since then, it’s become a staple, but the advantages in brings often go unappreciated.
Exposure Modes
Program mode continues to be the standard, with many cameras coming out of the box set in this mode. In program mode, or P, the camera remains largely in control by adjusting our aperture and shutter speed based on the available light; however, you’re allowed to put a hand on the wheel once in a while. You can control ISO if you choose or maybe alter autofocus modes and areas to your preference. The camera will not deploy the pop-up flash, nor will it change settings like white balance or autofocus modes. If we want the camera to do it all, we recommend using full auto, so long as you know the limitations.
To take on more control of our exposure, we can change to one of the two priority modes. For most brands, these are shown on the dial as A and S, which stand for Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority, respectively. Canon calls these “Av” (Aperture Value) and “Tv” (Time Value). Like program mode, the user remains in control of settings like ISO and white balance, as well as deciding when to use flash.
Aperture priority (A or Av) gives the user complete control over aperture, while the camera covers shutter speed. As mentioned above, ISO can be manually or automatically controlled depending on the comfort or needs of the photographer. This is the perfect next step for photographers working with stationary subject matter, portraits, or landscapes.
Shutter priority (S or Tv) is exactly the opposite. You take control of the camera’s shutter speed while aperture is automatically selected by the camera. If you’re photographing fast action such as a sporting event or birds in flight, this is a great mode to learn with.
Manual (or M) gives the user complete control of their camera. Some will argue that real photographers use manual, while others have gone as far as to refer to program as “pro” mode because the pros use it. Ultimately, whichever mode you choose will depend on the subject matter you photograph, the types of images you seek to create and your artistic vision.
Mode Limits
One thing to note is that these modes have limitations. On a very bright day, you might want to make a photograph with shallow depth of field. You just finished the first half of this article and you select Aperture Priority mode because you want to open the aperture up to its maximum to get the shallowest depth of field possible. However, it is bright out and your camera’s shutter cannot open and close fast enough to produce a balanced exposure. You may get a flashing aperture value or blinking “Hi” warning that indicates that your image will be overexposed.
Contrarily, you want to freeze the action of a child blowing out the candles of a birthday cake. However, someone turned off the lights for the hearty rendition of “Happy Birthday” and you have dialed in 1/4000 of a second as your shutter speed on Shutter Priority mode. The camera reacts by opening the aperture to its maximum size, but it cannot simply let in sufficient light to get a proper exposure, leaving you with a “Lo” or “Low” warning, or flashing shutter speed value indicating a possible underexposure of the frame.
Again, refer to your owner’s manual to see how your camera indicates a possible over- or underexposure situation.
Special Modes
Depending on the make and model of your camera, there may be a host of additional modes from which you may choose. We will discuss them briefly here, but intentionally not get too far into the weeds, as these modes vary depending on the make and model of your camera. Some of these modes will change color settings, sharpness, noise reduction, image quality and more.
Check your manual to see what is happening inside your particular camera if you are using these modes. Some newer cameras have seen these settings migrate from the mode dial to a dedicated button or menu within the camera.
Full Automatic Mode (Green Rectangle / Camera Silhouette / AUTO/ iAUTO)
Do not be confused, but this mode differs greatly from the Program Auto mode described above. This is the mode that does everything automatically for you, aside from pointing the camera at your subject. You get all the computer power behind the Program Auto mode with automatic aperture and shutter speed selection, but you will also, depending on the make and model, get automatic pop-up flash (if the camera has a flash), automatic selection of the ISO setting, automatic white balance, and more. If you do not want to think of anything beyond where you are pointing your camera and your composition, this is the mode for you.
Flash Off / Auto Flash Off Mode
This is the same as Full Automatic Mode, but the flash is disabled so that it will not fire in an environment where you would not want to pop off a flash bulb, such as a museum or other light-sensitive setting. Also, depending on the image, you simply might not want to have the stark lighting effect that a flash may produce.
Portrait Mode
This is similar to selecting Aperture Priority and opening your aperture to get shallower depth of field. However, depending on the camera, it may also enhance skin tones and soften skin texture automatically.
Night Portrait Mode
Similar to the standard portrait mode but prioritizes low-light performance. To do so, this mode should fire off the flash while keeping a slower shutter speed that allows background lighting to remain in the scene.
Landscape Mode
This mode uses aperture to maximize our area of apparent focus, or depth of field, and it may even make the scene’s colors more vibrant. Generally, the camera keeps the aperture around f/8-f/11 with the goal of keeping the entire imaging area in sharp focus.
Sports Mode
Sports mode shifts our drive mode to continuous, allowing us to keep capturing frame after frame so long as well hold down the shutter button. Additionally, and more importantly, it cranks up your shutter speed in an attempt to freeze action. Usually, it will disable the flash as well.
Macro Mode
For close-up photography, the camera will either open the aperture to give the image very shallow depth of field or narrow the aperture for the opposite effect. Check your manual to see exactly what your camera does when you select this mode.
Custom Modes
Several manufacturers and cameras offer custom modes that allow you to pre-assign different shooting options to a custom mode setting. What is customizable varies widely between manufacturers, so, if interested in setting up a Custom Mode, break out your manual and see what variables your particular camera allows you to set.
Final Thoughts
Are you now asking, “What mode should I use?”
Well, that is entirely up to you. Some tutorials may give you specific instructions on when and how to use these camera modes. Our thought is that you are the photographer and you can choose when to use one mode over another. Hopefully, this article will help you make a more informed decision as to what mode to select.
Also, in our opinion, there is no shame is using priority modes or even auto if it gets you the results you desire. While we’d love to see everyone expressing their creative sides fully in manual mode, we know that this can be a bit much. Practice, and you’ll be well on your way to mastering your camera at the level that suits your needs.
Many “purists” and “pros” frown on using automatic modes, but if you and your camera are combining to get you the images you love, then keep shooting whatever mode works for you. Do not be afraid to change modes while shooting to see if one works better for you than another. This is a great area in which to experiment. No single mode will work for every photographic situation, so do not be afraid to change modes when you need to.
And, lastly, do not forget to double-check your mode selection before you go out shooting. You might not want to shoot the Grand Canyon while the camera is set to Night Portrait mode! To learn more about exposure and the art of photography, check out our other guides and articles on the B&H Explora page!
