Different shooting modes of a camera

In this post, lets discuss about the different shooting modes that are available in most modern cameras. So without further ado, lets jump on it.

Shooting Modes-

So what is a shooting mode? We just take pictures of things, what mode has to do with it? Natural questions that come to mind. So make things clear, at the outset, let me be clear that if you are absolutely in ease adjusting the three pillars i.e Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO while taking pictures in Manual mode, you may not care about the other modes. Full manual mode is always the best option. But unfortunately, we as amateur photographers are still not that much comfortable in using the full manual mode all the time. Then the shooting modes come handy. They are basically some preset settings that are most likely to fit some defined situations. Take a look at the mode dial of your camera. It should look something like this-

   

Notice carefully that apart from the pictures on the dial, four things are common in all four of them. The  M,Av,Tv,P in the Canon dial, the M,A,S,P in the Nikon dial, the P,A,S,M in the Sony dial and the P,Sv,Tv,Av,M in the pentex dial. To be honest, I haven't used anyone of them apart from the Nikon and Sony, but there are no differences. The P means Program Mode, S means Shutter Priority Mode, A means Aperture Priority Mode and M means Manual mode. Their usages are briefly explained below-

P or Program Mode- It is basically the same as auto mode where the camera controls absolutely everything, but here you have to control the flash yourself. Also some models allow you to change certain things in P mode like the ISO, Shutter Speed or Aperture. But still, its almost the same as auto. This mode is to be used when you are in a big hurry and don't want to lose time fiddling with the camera settings or when you hand over your camera to a total stranger (who won't run away with it, hopefully) to take a picture of you standing in front of Taj Mahal.

S or Shutter Priority Mode- Here you control the shutter speed while the camera adjusts the aperture accordingly. This mode is particularly useful when your shooting requirement changes constantly, like shooting children playing in a park at Afternoon. You can adjust the shutter speed before each shot without caring for the aperture.

A or Aperture Priority Mode- This is just the opposite of Shutter Priority Mode. Here you control the aperture while the camera adjusts the Shutter Speed accordingly. This is particularly useful when you have to constantly change your DOF (Depth of Field) before each shot.

M or Manual Mode- This is my favorite. You are the king, the boss in charge of every damn setting your camera offers. This is the mode which most professionals use while shooting as it allows incredible flexibility. But it also demands more expertise because each shot is unique and even if one of the three pillars are not properly set, the shot is not going to be perfect.

These four are the main modes in a camera. Apart from these four, another mode that is constant across all models is the Auto mode. It is exactly the opposite of M mode. Here the camera controls every setting. Personally not a fan, but if I am in a big hurry or in a situation where everything is moving at a high speed, or I am covering a war, I may resort to this mode. 

Apart from these, there are some funny pictures in the dial. They are known as 'Scene Modes'. The  Entry-level and intermediate digital ILCs may have from a half-dozen to two dozen scene modes, including some that is really silly, such as Food (increased saturation to make the food look better) and Museum (locks out the flash even in low light, so you won’t get kicked out of the venue), because there are other ways to achieve the same effect. Scene modes generally make some settings for you, and may limit the other settings that you can change by blocking out your override capabilities for focus, exposure, brightness, contrast, white balance, or saturation.

I don’t know any professional who work with scene modes regularly, but they’re handy if you’re a neophyte and fear that the basic programmed exposure modes or semiautomatic/manual modes won’t do the job. If a split-second photo opportunity arises, such as a pet unexpectedly doing something cute, if you can’t remember what settings you’ve adjusted on your camera, switch into an appropriate Scene mode. You’ll get your picture even if it turns out the camera was set in manual mode for a 30 second fireworks exposure the night before.

Ok folks, thats all on shooting modes in DSLRs. Like my previous posts, here also I am attaching a video for your reference. Check it out-

What shooting mode do you love to use and why? Please comment below your choice and lets discuss.