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Which is then the purpose of this article - to help you understand the most common scene modes available in the digital cameras today.
The camera mode dial on a Nikon D70 camera
This is the automatic mode found in all cameras. It is used by beginners and
professionals who just want to take a quick snap without worrying about exposure
settings. In the automatic mode, you will usually not be able to adjust ISO or
white balance settings. Shutter Priority Mode
The Shutter Priority Mode is best used when you're taking fast action photos and
is usually found in enthusiast
or advanced digital cameras.
Here, you select the shutter speed and the camera chooses the best aperture.
Some examples would include sports or wildlife photography, where you’ll need a
high shutter speed. Aperture Priority Mode
The Aperture Priority mode is found in many enthusiast level cameras, such as
the Kodak EasyShare DX7590,
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20 or
the Canon PowerShot G6.
Essentially, what happens here is that you select the aperture, thereby locking
your depth of field. The camera then automatically sets the best shutter speed
to match the conditions. When do you use the the Aperture Priority mode? Well,
its very suitable when you're shooting a stationary subject when you want to
control your depth of field and aren’t too concerned about shutter speed.
In this camera mode, anything goes. You can set the shutter speed and aperture,
with options to change white balance, ISO, flash and even focus on some cameras.
Choose this mode if you know what you're doing and want maximum flexibility for
experimenting with the photo. Landscape Mode
As the name implies, the Landscape mode allows you to shoot pictures of
landscapes like mountains, Your camera will select the smallest aperture
possible under the conditions to maximize depth of field in the image. Portrait Mode
If you want to shoot close-ups of people or faces, the Portrait Mode is the mode
to choose. When you choose Portrait mode, the camera will select a wide aperture
setting, minimizing your depth of field for a soft background effect, and also
may adjust your zoom. In addition, the flash setting will try to switch to
red-eye reduction.
If you take pictures of flowers a lot (I do), this mode is invaluable. The Macro
Mode allows you to focus on objects at amazingly small distances - sometimes
just centimeters from the lens. Use the Macro mode when you need to capture the
smallest little details on your subject. When activating this mode, I usually
use a tripod for best results. Sports Mode
If you want to capture fast action, then you'll need the fast shutter speed
setting offered by the Sports Mode. When you switch to this mode, your camera
will automatically choose the fastest shutter speed possible given the
situation. Some cameras will also activate continuous shooting (instead of
single frame), enable the evaluative metering mode (if any) and also disable the
flash. Beach & Snow Mode If you shoot pictures on the beach or the snow, the bright and reflective surfaces will confuse the camera. The Beach & Snow Modes serve to compensate for the abundant ambient and reflected light by slightly overexposing based on the meter reading. Conclusion Hopefully, this article has taught you a thing or two about the various scene modes available in your digital camera. Learn how to use the correct scene mode in a given photo situation - and you'll start to achieve better exposures. Happy shooting!
If you've tons of digital photos to share and but are not sure which photo
sharing site to choose, then do take a look at SmugMug Related ArticlesYou may also wish to read the following related articles:
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to take better night photos © 2009 Basic-Digital-Photography.com
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