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Published on 7 Apr 2024, 13:00
PSAM or PASM may not seem like an important decision, but those letters on your camera dial are actually some of the most important options on your camera. This video is all about the different camera modes most modern digital cameras have.
While photography experts say that manual is always best, there are real-life situations where you’ll want to let your camera do the work for you, even if you are well-versed in shutter speed, aperture and ISO (and if you’re not, try this video: youtube.com/watch?v=7FfzNwPjEc... ).
Manual
In manual mode, as you’d imagine, you set all your settings manually. Your camera controls nothing. This offers maximum creative freedom, but takes time to tune to your liking and requires a firm understanding of your settings. When you have time to play with the settings, or when you’re in an unusually high- or low-light environment, it may be a good time to use manual mode.
Auto
On the other end of the spectrum, Auto/Full Auto/A+ mode is the opposite—the camera has full control. A fantastic choice for beginners or those who aren’t picky about the outcome, just wanting to point and shoot. Program Mode is a decent next step for beginners branching out from Auto. Program Mode controls your aperture and shutter speed, while you control the ISO, exposure compensation, flash, white balance, and other settings. It’s a simple solution for basic photography, but there are more advanced options for artistic shots.
Shutter Priority
This mode, seen as S or Tv on most dials, will allow you to control the shutter speed, aka how long your shutter stays open to allow in more light or closes quickly to capture a fast-moving subject. Your other settings will adjust accordingly. This is a good choice if you know the shutter speed you want in advance.
Aperture Priority
This setting, usually designated A or Av on your dial, allows you to take control of the aperture, adjusting f-stop to make photos look brighter or darker. You can determine depth of field with this mode, and your camera will adjust shutter speed for you. Aperture Priority is one of the most popular with photographers, favored for non-moving subjects.
Auto ISO
While not one of the main shooting modes in this video, Auto ISO deserves a shoutout. Some cameras have this feature to enable camera-controlled ISO. Many other modes leave ISO up to you, so this can be helpful. Your camera may have other modes such as Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Night, and more. These are usually manufacturer-specific combinations of the modes discussed before. Your camera manual should have information on what these modes do. It’s advisable not to become too dependent on these non-standard modes, as they differ widely between cameras and more professional cameras may not even have them.
Which camera mode is your favorite? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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While photography experts say that manual is always best, there are real-life situations where you’ll want to let your camera do the work for you, even if you are well-versed in shutter speed, aperture and ISO (and if you’re not, try this video: youtube.com/watch?v=7FfzNwPjEc... ).
Manual
In manual mode, as you’d imagine, you set all your settings manually. Your camera controls nothing. This offers maximum creative freedom, but takes time to tune to your liking and requires a firm understanding of your settings. When you have time to play with the settings, or when you’re in an unusually high- or low-light environment, it may be a good time to use manual mode.
Auto
On the other end of the spectrum, Auto/Full Auto/A+ mode is the opposite—the camera has full control. A fantastic choice for beginners or those who aren’t picky about the outcome, just wanting to point and shoot. Program Mode is a decent next step for beginners branching out from Auto. Program Mode controls your aperture and shutter speed, while you control the ISO, exposure compensation, flash, white balance, and other settings. It’s a simple solution for basic photography, but there are more advanced options for artistic shots.
Shutter Priority
This mode, seen as S or Tv on most dials, will allow you to control the shutter speed, aka how long your shutter stays open to allow in more light or closes quickly to capture a fast-moving subject. Your other settings will adjust accordingly. This is a good choice if you know the shutter speed you want in advance.
Aperture Priority
This setting, usually designated A or Av on your dial, allows you to take control of the aperture, adjusting f-stop to make photos look brighter or darker. You can determine depth of field with this mode, and your camera will adjust shutter speed for you. Aperture Priority is one of the most popular with photographers, favored for non-moving subjects.
Auto ISO
While not one of the main shooting modes in this video, Auto ISO deserves a shoutout. Some cameras have this feature to enable camera-controlled ISO. Many other modes leave ISO up to you, so this can be helpful. Your camera may have other modes such as Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Night, and more. These are usually manufacturer-specific combinations of the modes discussed before. Your camera manual should have information on what these modes do. It’s advisable not to become too dependent on these non-standard modes, as they differ widely between cameras and more professional cameras may not even have them.
Which camera mode is your favorite? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Got questions about the video or Kingston products? COMMENT or contact us on SOCIAL MEDIA:
Twitter: twitter.com/kingstontech
Instagram: instagram.com/kingstontechnolo...
Facebook: facebook.com/kingstontechnolog...
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/kingston
SUBSCRIBE for more DIY in 5 videos, and receive updates on the latest in Kingston’s memory & storage development, plus guides on getting peak performance from your hardware:
youtube.com/channel/UCLlmpSSdR...
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