Digital Camera Settings and understanding the mode dial.

Depending on your camera brand this may also be called the program mode dial but it looks similiar to this.

Have you ever wondered what these letters and symbols mean and why would you ever use them anyway?

What is the mode dial and what does it do?

It's one of the many tools associated with digital camera settings. If you haven't adjusted this dial it's very likely on one of the automatic settings.

When you take pictures your camera is taking in to account the exposure. There is a partnership between what's called the aperture, shutter speed and ISO.

It is very possible you may never have a desire to use your camera on any setting except the automatic. However, knowing even a little about your options could help you discover a favorite mode.

First things first.

The camera is choosing the settings to give you the optimum exposure and desired results, according to its perception of the scene.

This is all fine and dandy if you like the results but what if you don't or you simply want to get creative?

Using different digital camera settings through mode dial options is where things get interesting.

In settings which require you to make adjustments you will need to know how to change your aperture and your shutter speed. You may have two dials, one to control each factor or one dial accompanied with pressing a button.

In the case of one dial, it will control either aperture or priority. Let's assume shutter speed. In that case, it's likely there's a small button to press in conjunction with turning the dial, which then controls aperture.

As you read through the descriptions of the modes you may find it helpful to cross reference to your own camera. If need be grab your manual, too.

If you're confused about exposure, aperture, shutter speed and ISO the link to Index Photography at the bottom of the page will direct you a helpful resource index.

In addition, if you really want to understand your basic camera features you'll find all kinds of great information and practice exercises in the 10 Quick and Easy Tips E-Book.

Simply click on the book cover at the top right corner of this page, for more information.

You will need to know how to change your aperture and shutter speed using the dials on your camera.

You may have two dials, one for each, or one dial used in conjunction with a button.

The M or manual mode setting depicted in the above example allows you, the photographer, to choose the exposure for both aperture and shutter speed.

Why would you want to do this?

Several reasons. To over ride the exposure your camera would choose on the automatic setting. Perhaps the end result is too light or too dark and this would allow you to make adjustments which the camera will not "correct."

Adjusting the aperture allows you to be creative with your depth of field, such as with these two extremes.

Once you decide if it's through aperture or shutter speed you then adjust for correct exposure using the opposite partner. So, in the M mode you may set your aperture to f/8, for example. You then adjust the partner, shutter speed, for a correct exposure.

If you decide to use shutter speed to create the mood the partner for exposure becomes the aperture.

Depending on your digital camera settings you may have a different symbol so you'll want to identify the aperture symbol. Av stands for aperture value and relates to depth of field. Aperture value is usually referred to as aperture and also f-stop.

For example, an aperture of 8 is written f/8. Have you ever been asked, "what is your f-stop?" If you had no idea, now you do. It's a number relative to the aperture.

Tv stands for time value and relates to shutter speed.

In the manual mode, just as you did with aperture, shutter speed is used to create mood and exposure.

Shutter speed may not be shown on your camera as a fraction but unless the speed is slower it is actually a fraction of time.

For example, you may see numbers like 60, 90, 250 or 500 but these are actually fractions of time. 1/60th of a second, 1/90th of a second, 1/250th of a second or 1/500 th of a second.

When you see " this means time value relating to seconds, such as .5" or a 1" or 30" meaning one half second, one second or thirty seconds.

About the Av mode.

You are now setting only the aperture and thus named aperture priority mode.

Same theory applies with creativity and mood relative to aperture except now the camera will automatically adjust the shutter speed for a correct exposure.

About the Tv mode.

You are now setting only the shutter speed and thus named shutter priority.

To confirm once again, Tv stands for time value.

The same theory applies to shutter speed, which you set, except now the camera will automatically adjust the aperture for a correct exposure.

B or bulb mode in digital camera settings.

The bulb mode is used to control shutter speed beyond your camera's normal capability. If you adjust your shutter speed in a setting other than bulb you will only be able to go so far. My camera's limit is thirty seconds, 30".

What does the bulb setting allow you to do?

You get to set the camera's exposure when you want longer than 30" or whatever the maximum before going to bulb.

Perhaps you want to take night scenes. Have you seen photographs of night scens depicting star trails? This will be captured using a long exposure and these situations can literally take hours.

When in bulb mode the shutter remains open as long as the shutter buttons remains pressed.

A cable release lets you activate the shutter without actually pressing the camera shutter.

You can use it for a quick exposure or lock it for hours.

The cable release may be used in any function. Its purpose is to activate the shutter release button. The activation button also slides to lock the shutter open until you release it. It's very useful when you're in a position where it's awkward to press the camera shutter release button. I have found it a great help and it's fun to use, too.

In the bulb mode you control the time factor for recording the subject.

One of the reasons a cable release is useful is for hands off the camera for longer exposures.

You may not want to hold the shutter release button for 30 seconds, for example, and not only that the possibility of camera shake is greatly increased.

If bulb mode is a feature of your digital camera settings it will help to refer to your manual. Very possibly the shake reduction feature will automatically turn off in this mode.

Any time you have your camera on, without AC power, battery power is being used, therefore, a long exposure will continue using battery power. If possible you may want to consider using an AC adaptor rather than battery power.

Other digital camera settings.

Once again, depending on your model you may or may not have the same symbols.

For example, in the Pentax K20D, above, you will not find familiar symbols representing portrait, landscape, close-up, action and night-scene. However, the end result is available in the "green mode."

What's happening in the "green mode?"

In the above mode dial diagram the green mode is depicted by the green rectangle on the mode dial and it's pretty clever.

Instead of displaying an array of symbols to choose from the camera actually deciphers the subject information and makes the choice for you. This reduces the number of digital camera settings you need to concern yourself with.

How does this work?

Let's pretend you're hiking along a trail, round a corner and lo and behold a beautiful landscape is before you. In the green mode the camera depicts aha - a landscape. The camera will then choose the aperture and shutter speed to give you clear depth of field, greater amount of focus, throughout the complete picture. In the photo of the old building, above, there is great depth of field.

What if you suddenly want a portrait type photo? Again, the camera deciphers the subject and makes the necesssary adjustments for you. It reacts with a shallow depth of field such as the crocus and blurs the background.

If you take a look at your menu settings while in the green mode you will notice a few features are no longer available, such as multi-exposure.

P, the hyper program.

The hyper program is not about action in relation to digital camera settings, in case you're wondering.

What makes it unique?

A few things. For one, take a look in your menu and you'll notice the multi-exposure is now available.

For another, the camera is choosing the correct exposure. However, you now have the abillity to change the aperture or shutter speed. Which ever one you change the camera will adjust the other to continue giving you the correct exposure.

With the ability to change the aperture or shutter speed how is this different from Av or Tv priority?

The camera works with what it deciphers as the correct exposure. When you're using Av or Tv priority, according to the camera, you can choose an incorrect exposure setting. Does this mean the camera always gets it right according to what you want? Not necessarily and this is where the digital camera settings manual mode comes in very handy.

About Sv, the sensitivity priority.

This mode will allow some flexability in adjusting your settings for shutter speed and aperture.

The difference compared to the other modes is the automatic adjusting of the ISO by the camera. This is helpful when changing lighting conditions such as from outdoors to indoors.

About TAv, the shutter and aperture priority.

This digital camera setting allows some freedom to change the shutter speed and aperture. Depending on the lighting conditions the ISO will automatically adjust.

X, flash X-sync speed.

In a nutshell this features applies with the use of an external flash. Very simply, what's happening is the camera is making sure the shutter is open at the time the flash goes off.

User mode.

This allows you to capture images with the digital camera settings you create.

Let's pretend you're shooting a sports event indoors. If you use the user setting you can adjust things like your aperture, ISO and white balance. During a break you decide to go outside and take photos of some interesting subjects.

Instead of changing the exposure balance in user mode you could switch to another mode.

Why?

Because you're not finished shooting the sport event.

Switching to another mode gives you a short cut for when you're back inside.

Suppose you shot outside using aperture priority. When you return to the game if you switch your camera back to the user mode the settings are exactly as you left them.

The benefit is you don't need to re-adjust your exposure all over again.

Important ISO reminder.

The higher the ISO number the greater the possibility of digital noise which reduces the quality of your photographs.

As referenced with digital camera settings you can easily find information about exposure, aperture, shutter speed and ISO on this page index photography.

Return from Digital Camera Settings to Beginner Photography Guide.

Return from Digital Camera Settings to the Index SLR Digital.

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