M mode is fully manual mode. What is aperture priority? Mode A in Nikon and Av in Canon
Publication date: 15.04.2015
Shooting modes and exposure options
In addition, automation knows nothing about your creative intentions. Should I blur the background? What to make sharp? Accordingly, the auto mode cannot select suitable exposure and focus settings. In order for the photographer to accurately and correctly adjust the settings, there are more advanced shooting modes. Sometimes these modes are called "creative", sometimes semi-automatic. The four classic modes found in any serious camera are labeled P, A, S, and M. All of them allow you to adjust the white balance, adjust the autofocus, etc. Their difference lies in the fact that they adjust the exposure parameters in different ways.
P, A, S, and M modes on the mode dial
"P" ("program mode")
Automation in this mode sets the parameters included in the exposure pair - shutter speed and aperture. The photographer can also adjust the sensitivity and enter exposure compensation. We can also change the exposure pairs (combination of shutter speed and aperture) selected by the camera. This is called program shift. If you set the shutter speed too fast in P mode, and you want to change these values (shoot with an open aperture and a faster shutter speed), you can use the "program shift". Just turn the control wheel on the camera and you will be offered other combinations of shutter speed and aperture. The "P" mode is quite easy to learn and is often used by beginner photographers.
In manuals and articles, it is often written that advanced photographers use this mode when there is no time and desire to fine-tune the exposure settings more carefully.
However, in an unforeseen situation, you will probably forget to put the camera in “P” mode. Conclusion: to any emergency you need to prepare in advance by choosing the desired shooting mode and more or less universal parameters. Perhaps this universal mode will be the “P” mode for you..
"S" ("shutter priority")
In this mode, the photographer is given control over ISO and shutter speed, as well as exposure compensation. In some cameras, this mode is indicated by the letters "Tv". The photographer independently determines the shutter speed that suits him, and the camera chooses the desired aperture value so that the frame is not too bright and not too dark.
When to use "S" mode? In those shootings where it is important to control the shutter speed. We know that shutter speed is responsible for conveying movement in a photograph. Thus, when shooting moving objects, active scenes, this mode will be relevant. Taking off sport's event, we can set the shutter speed to be long enough for the frame to be blur-free. The automation will do the rest for you. Sometimes it is useful to use the "S" mode in low light, because in it we can set the maximum shutter speed (allowable for our shooting), avoid blurring frames, movement. But if your shots with such settings turn out to be too dark, you need to additionally raise the ISO, or even better, choose a more lit place for filming.
"A" ("aperture priority")
A mode that allows the photographer to control aperture. Automatic adjusts the remaining exposure parameters to the selected aperture settings. If the “S” mode is most often used for reportage shooting, then “A”, on the contrary, is more often used for unhurried staged shooting. The aperture is especially important to control when we are not working with the transmission of motion in the frame, but adjust the depth of field, the degree of background blur. Usually this is shooting staged portraits and photographing landscapes.
At portrait shooting often blur the background behind the person. To do this, you need to shoot wide open. In landscape photography, on the other hand, you usually need to sharpen the entire landscape: from the foreground to the background. To achieve this, you need to shoot on a closed aperture.
When photographing portraits in the "A" mode, you need to carefully monitor the shutter speed (its current value is displayed on the camera screen and in the viewfinder). If the shutter speed becomes too slow (longer than 1/60 sec), the frame is likely to be blurry. When shooting in “A” mode, we can influence the shutter speed indirectly: by opening and closing the aperture, adjusting the ISO. To force the automatic to make the shutter speed faster, just raise the ISO a little or open the aperture slightly.
We also note that in the “A” mode it is convenient to shoot travel photos, taking pictures during a walk or excursion. And when shooting landscapes thoughtfully, it is still more convenient to use the “M” mode.
"M" (manual mode)
It is clear from the name that this is the mode that allows you to fully control all shooting parameters. It is in this mode that we can see how the picture will change when adjusting each exposure parameter (for example, only shutter speed or only aperture). Automatic shooting in this mode does not help and does not compensate for errors in setting certain parameters. For beginners, the "M" mode is perfect for learning, and for advanced photographers - for thoughtful work. In what cases is it important to control all parameters at once? First of all, when shooting takes place in difficult lighting conditions: shooting sunset or dawn, working with backlighting. Also in the "M" mode, they shoot using studio flashes.
Shooting in regime time (early in the morning or late in the evening) is a great opportunity to use the manual mode to get a photo of the desired brightness.
By the way, in modern reflex cameras ah Nikon has one interesting feature: in the “M” mode, you can leave the ISO parameter under the control of automation. Consequently, we have the opportunity to adjust the exposure pair (shutter speed and aperture) as we want. The camera will then adjust the ISO so that the frame is bright enough. In the "M" mode, exposure compensation will also work. Thus, we can easily make the frame lighter or darker, as well as photograph dynamic scenes, without constantly worrying about manually changing the settings.
Contrary to popular belief, experienced photographers shoot in more than just manual mode. They shoot in the mode that (in their experience) is suitable for a particular shooting situation: portraitists often work in the "A" mode, reporters can shoot in the "S" mode, etc. The "M" mode is suitable not only for the most thoughtful working with exposure settings, but also for teaching photography. With it, a novice photographer will be able to figure out how the exposure settings relate to each other, and learn how to control them quickly and accurately.
Fotoshkola.net. Teacher, master class leader.
Professionals and just lovers of photography, probably know something more about the camera and its functions, in addition to how to turn it on and press the shutter button. Although even such primitive things, you need to be able to do it right. For example, the shutter button needs to be released smoothly, while completely holding your breath, and not hitting it with your finger like a jackhammer. But we will not go into detail about such things as how to properly handle the camera, but more specifically, we will talk about advanced shooting techniques. The main shooting modes are as follows: ( P, TV, Av, M).
1.R- shooting in creative mode ( Program). This shooting mode allows you to achieve an expansion creative possibilities, using manual exposure setting (What is exposure in photography). The camera in P mode affects parameters such as aperture value and shutter speed automatically. In automatic shooting, many functions such as flash, auto-focus are set by the camera to avoid bad shots. In P mode, the user can set any settings on his own, you just need to turn the wheel in one direction or another and the shutter speed will change relative to the aperture. You can set the picture style: portrait, landscape, monochrome, accurate, standard, custom. The availability of styles depends on which camera you have. You can also adjust parameters such as white balance, sensitivity ISO, auto-focus, frame advance, exposure, built-in flash, etc.
2.TV- shooting dynamic scenes. This mode emphasizes shutter speed priority (Camera shutter speed) with auto-exposure. With it, you can get clear or blurry shots of dynamic scenes, which is especially important when taking photos of sports matches. Here, depending on what effect you want to get, you need to set the required shutter speed yourself. It is adjusted by turning the dial left or right. To get a clear image of a dynamic scene, you need to reduce the shutter speed, for example, make its value (1/2000 s), if you want to get a blur effect, then you need to turn the dial in the opposite direction and increase the shutter speed, an example of a slow shutter speed (1/30 s.) . To capture a moving subject clearly, always use short excerpts, ranging from (1/2000 s.) to (1/500 s.). To create a blur effect and create a sense of fast movement, it is recommended to use shutter speeds from (1/250 s.) to (1/30 s.). If you want the photo to have the effect of a blurry river or waterfall, then you can use a slow shutter speed (1/15 s.).
3.Av- program mode, in which the depth of field changes (Depth of field). If you want to get a blurry background, or vice versa, to create clear images of near and far objects, then you need to use the Av mode. Aperture priority with auto-exposure is highlighted here. To achieve a sharp foreground and background in the photo, you need to use the disk to set the maximum great importance apertures such as f/32 and you'll get great depth of field. If, on the contrary, you want to highlight an object against a blurred background, then you need to set a small aperture value, let's say f / 5.6. The larger the aperture number, the smaller the aperture diameter. In other words, the Av mode is responsible for IPIG and photographs.
When taking pictures in this mode with a high aperture value (Lens aperture), be aware that camera shake may occur in poor lighting conditions. At high aperture values, slow shutter speeds are used. In low light exposure can be 30 seconds. In this case, you need to increase the ISO sensitivity, hold the camera firmly or use a tripod.
4.M- manual mode. Here you can manually set both the required shutter speed and aperture, as you wish. When shooting with flash, the exposure changes according to the selected manual settings of the camera. The flash sync speed can be set from (1/200s) to (1/30s), and can also be selected manually. In order to take a picture, you need to set the shutter speed, aperture and exposure yourself. For long exposures, it is better to use a tripod and a remote switch. Using this mode requires the photographer to have some experience, so if you do not have it, then you should improve yourself in this regard, the main thing is not to stop taking pictures.
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Photo modes: "P", "Tv", "Av" and "M"
Professionals and just lovers of photography, probably know something more about the camera and its functions, in addition to how to turn it on and press the shutter button. Although even such primitive things, you need to be able to do it right. For example, the shutter button, you need to release
As usual, I will start from the end, i.e. from the output. You need to use mode A. If you're wondering why, read on :)
What kind of modes are these: A, P, S, M and full automatic?
In mode full automatic(Also called "Green" mode, because it is often indicated on the camera with a green rectangle) The camera makes ALL decisions for you. It decides whether a flash is needed (and if so, at what power), what ISO sensitivity to set, what aperture and shutter speed (expocouple) to set, and much more. This mode is certainly good if you want to take a picture without thinking about anything. In my opinion, a person without the appropriate experience and knowledge will take the most normal photos in this mode. Even in this mode, a significant part of the settings related to shooting is often blocked (autofocus mode, Auto ISO, etc.)
Modes A, P, S and M often referred to as "creative". It is in these modes that the camera stops deciding for you whether to use the flash and you have the opportunity to change a bunch of different settings.
Completely manual M mode. Here we must make a reservation, this is a fully manual control mode for shutter speed and aperture, and exposure (brightness of the resulting image) is also affected by sensitivity (ISO) and flash power. If ISO can work both in manual mode and in automatic mode (this already depends on the settings of your camera), then the flash power, as a rule, will be selected automatically (but you can also set the flash power manually through the menu). All this will lead to the fact that even though you set the shutter speed and aperture manually, this does not guarantee full control over the exposure.
AT S mode (Tv according to Canon) the photographer directly controls the shutter speed, and the desired exposure is obtained by adjusting the aperture (there may be nuances associated with the Auto ISO mode).
Mode A (Canon calls it Av) Provides manual aperture control. At the same time, for the desired exposure, the camera, as a rule (again, the ISO and flash power can intervene in the process) "gets" the shutter speed. Those. you doubled the aperture, and the shutter speed itself doubled (for example, instead of f / 5.6, you set f / 8, while the camera set the shutter speed to 1/50 instead of 1/100).
In mode P (Program) the camera works almost automatically. However, this mode differs from full auto in that you already have to raise the flash yourself (if you see fit) and you have the opportunity to shift the balance between shutter speed and aperture in the direction you need. Here you need to stop in more detail.
So how does P (Program) mode work?
It works like this: a special table (or rather, tables) is sewn up in the camera, according to which, depending on the illumination, the shutter speed-aperture pair is selected (i.e. if there is 4 times less light, the camera will open the aperture twice as much and make the shutter speed twice as long) , and the user, at his discretion, can shift this balance in any direction (as far as the lens and shutter allow):
Let me tell you a little about this table. In the upper part you can see a series of numbers from -5 to 22, these are the brightness of the scene measured in EV (exposure value - exposure value) - they indicate a point on the graph along the black sloping lines. The blue vertical lines are a series of shutter speeds (from 30 seconds to 1/4000), the blue horizontal lines are a series of apertures (from 1.0 to 32). The red line is exactly what the camera will choose depending on the lighting. Now let's take a closer look at an example. Wikipedia has an EV table for different conditions shooting (sorry, but only in English), let's take for example a 24-85mm by 24mm lens and a street on a sunny day with a little cloudiness (Typical scene in hazy sunlight (soft shadows)) - it will be about 14 EV. Let's trace the black sloping line from 14EV to the red line. You get a point f/8, 1/250. This will be the exposure for a given illumination and a given lens at a given focal length. The user can turn the main control dial and then the operating point will move diagonally up and to the left or down and to the right (for example, instead of f / 8 and 1/250, we get f / 4 and 1/1000).
On the lower graph you can see that the red line has two breaks - this is due to the fact that the limits of aperture change are not infinite and you cannot open the aperture more than f / 3.5 or close it more than f / 22.
You may also ask, why does the red line on the top chart go more to the right than on the bottom one? This is due to the fact that at 50mm focal length the probability of "shake" (blur from hand shake) is higher than at 24mm and the camera will, if possible, choose faster shutter speeds, while opening the aperture more. Using our example, 14EV on a 50/1.4 lens will result in a different exposure pair: f/4.5 and 1/800. Those. the camera will prefer wider apertures at faster shutter speeds.
A few words about exposure compensation
SLR cameras make it possible to "customize" the machine to specific conditions. This is done by pressing the +/- button and rotating the main control dial. In this case, the camera will try to make the picture lighter (with exposure compensation set to "plus") or darker (when compensated for "minus"). The fact is that automation does not always cope with its task perfectly and in difficult conditions(for example, when a lot of bright sky or snow enters the frame - at "zero" the photo may turn out to be "underexposed") and your subject will turn out to be too dark (because the camera does not know where the main subject of your shooting is). In such cases, she needs help, and it’s very simple: after shooting, look at the resulting frame and if it seems to you that in such conditions the result does not suit you very much in terms of brightness, move the exposure compensation in the right direction).
Here I would like to make one more caveat: exposure compensation does not always affect flash power compensation in the same way. For example, the Olympus E-420 (which I had before Nikonov) did not change the flash power during exposure compensation. This led to the fact that the pictures taken indoors with a flash were approximately the same no matter how I changed the exposure compensation (since the main part of the light in this case was given by the flash, which was not sensitive to exposure compensation). On Olympus, it was necessary to separately adjust the flash power. Nikon did better: exposure compensation is also taken into account by the flash, however, the flash power can be adjusted separately, just like it was with Olympus.
It remains to decide: which mode to use?
M mode- almost no alternative for studio photography, or in other cases, when the vast majority of the light is created by a pulsed source (on-camera or studio flashes). In such cases, to select the exposure setting (do not forget about ISO as well), you will need to either proceed by trial and error, or use a flash meter, which, when issuing a test pulse of light, will give you the aperture that should be set on the camera for normal exposure (shutter speed in the studio, you should almost always set it a little longer than the sync speed, say 1/100).
In other cases (when the light comes from permanent natural or artificial sources light) mode M is not advisable to use: because the amount of this light will constantly and over a very wide range change and you will have to do its work for the machine and in some cases quite quickly. However, ISO sensitivity also affects exposure, and most cameras allow you to turn the ISO into automatic mode (in this case, the camera will select the ISO for the exposure and the exposure pair you have chosen). But one caveat must be made:
What else do the exposure settings (shutter speed, aperture and ISO) affect, besides the exposure itself
Excerpt affects the "freezing" of the movement of the object. Sometimes blur can be useful to give the frame dynamics (for example, when shooting a moving car), but in most everyday cases, blur from long exposure harmful. Thus, the shorter the shutter speed, the less blurring. The shutter speed range is usually from 30 seconds to 1/4000 (for conventional cameras) or 1/8000 for advanced ones. Blurring can be avoided somewhere from a shutter speed of 1/30 (strongly depends on the presence of a stabilizer, focal length and the speed of the object). In this way control range with shutter speed approx. 8 steps(!!!) (1/30 divided by 1/8000)
Diaphragm can greatly change the nature of the image, tk. Firstly, the larger the aperture ( less number f) - that will already be zone of sharpness (DOF). A narrow field of focus is good for portraits (within some limits, of course, because at the limit you can get a portrait in which one eye is sharp and the other is not) and bad for landscapes or shooting small objects at close range. Secondly, the image received by the lens will be different in contrast and sharpness depending on the aperture (for example, see how Nikon AF 50mm f / 1.4D behaves by turning the "Aperture" ruler at the bottom). In other words, there is a certain range for the lens within which it works normally. This is different for different lenses, but up to f / 4, most lenses are soapy due to optical aberrations, and after f / 11 already due to diffraction. It turns out that the diaphragm is relatively harmless you can adjust the exposure within just 3 steps(and at the same time you still need to remember about the IPIG).
Raise ISO sensitivity- the main culprit of noise and multi-page disputes on the Internet. As a general rule, the lower the ISO, the better. To get a "glossy" picture, it is not advisable to increase the ISO above 400, for a reportage or for uploading photos on the Internet - no more than 800 ... 3200 (this depends on the camera model). Thus, with using ISO, you can adjust the exposure within 2, maximum 5 steps(however, there are cameras with ISO 50, then you can add one more to 2-5 steps).
S mode (Canon TV)
As mentioned above, in S (Tv) mode, you choose the shutter speed, and the camera chooses the aperture to provide the desired exposure. However, the limits of safe, from the point of view of the quality of the resulting image, aperture changes are very limited (only about 3 steps). This is why I would NOT RECOMMEND using S (Tv) mode for everyday use.
Mode A (Av for Canon)
It is mode A (Av), in my opinion, is the most convenient. Firstly, in this case, exposure control is carried out by the most flexible parameter (shutter speed, which can be changed over a very wide range: 8 steps is not a problem!). Secondly, you directly control the most important parameter in terms of image quality - the aperture (if you need a portrait - open the aperture, landscape - close it, you need razor sharp - set f / 5.6). And finally, by combining the range of safe shutter speed with auto ISO, you will get a few more steps as if for a gift! (some cameras allow you to automatically raise the ISO only when the shutter speed is longer than a certain limit, and some also take into account the focal length!)
Why would I NOT RECOMMEND P (Program) mode?
First, in this mode, the camera shamelessly controls the diaphragm(a parameter that is very sensitive to the nature of the image), and according to a stupid algorithm: more light - less aperture. At the same time, in bright sunlight, you can easily get a completely strange exposure pair like f / 16 1/1250. Those. the lens will already be quite noticeably soapy, in this case the f / 9 1/4000 exposure would look much better. The reverse problems can start in low light conditions: when the shutter speed is already quite long, the camera will still tighten the aperture. You don’t want to constantly monitor the machine and correct it with the P mode corrector, do you? Why then such a machine?
Secondly, this mode is very close to full auto, so in this case you will not improve as a photographer.
That's the whole story guys!
In our country, it is somehow not customary to read instructions, although sometimes this is a very useful pastime. The same thing happens with cameras. This technique is very difficult, but even here the user manual often gathers dust on the shelf. Therefore, I want to talk about creative shooting modes, namely shutter priority mode (TV) and aperture priority (Av) . In a nutshell, it is these settings that essentially allow you to beautifully blur the background or get a clear picture with a dynamic plot and not too good lighting. In most cases, it is enough to use only these two creative modes, and aperture priority is often required to get the really desired result, and not the automatic one that develops in the "brains" of the camera.
Let's start with aperture priority (Av for Canon cameras). Settings are set on the shooting mode dial. In this mode, you choose the aperture value and the camera automatically selects the shutter speed. In this way, you can control the depth of field of the frame. A smaller aperture means greater depth of field and greater value F (in the picture, Canon 60D screen, aperture 5.6), and vice versa, a smaller value - a more open aperture and a more blurred background. You can read more about this in the article about. Let me just say that shooting with aperture priority is suitable for any scene, and portrait and macro photography is almost unthinkable without it.
Let's move on to shutter priority (Tv for Canon cameras). As in the previous version of the settings, here we can choose one parameter from the exposure pair - shutter speed, and the camera will select the aperture itself. This shooting mode is needed much less often, but sometimes it is simply irreplaceable. Firstly, this is shooting dynamic events when you need to stop or vice versa convey movement in a static frame, for example sports dancing, moving water. Secondly, shutter priority helps when we want to “trick” the camera and make the shutter speed longer, for example at . In this mode, you can use interesting techniques shooting: "light brush", shooting with panning, shooting with zoom.
If everything is more or less clear with aperture, then with shutter speed the question arises - what value to set? As a rule of thumb, to get a clear picture, you need to set the shutter speed to equal to one divided by the focal length. For example, for a lens set to focal length 105mm, shutter speed should be 1/100 or less. Accordingly, at such or less exposure, the movement will freeze, but if, as planned, the picture should turn out to be blurry, you need to increase this value.
You have already learned about what aperture is and how its settings affect the results of shooting. Now it's time to learn how to set the aperture settings on your camera and put the knowledge into practice!
It so happened that all the time that I do digital photography I shoot with Canon cameras. Therefore, rejoice, owners of canons, I can literally take you step by step! Owners Nikon cameras, Sony, Olympus, Pentax, etc. I can only help general advice. In fact, fundamentally, the management of digital SLRs from different brands is not much different. Only the location of the buttons and functions in the menu differs. I am sure you will figure it out quickly - the instruction book for your camera will help you!
We will consider the method of setting aperture values on the camera using the example of Canon 450D and Canon 550D digital SLR cameras, since these are the most common models among amateur and novice photographers.
To begin with, let's see in what general modes the camera will allow us to control the aperture. Pay attention to the rotating wheel on the top of the camera - this is the shooting mode switch.
Now look at the camera display: at the top of the screen you see two rectangles. We need the upper right, it is in it that the aperture value F is displayed.
Now switch between different shooting modes. As you can see, in most of them, the upper right rectangle remains empty, i.e. the camera itself sets the shooting parameters and does not consider it necessary to inform us about the set values. Only in two modes - Av (aperture priority) and M ( manual setting) we can control the aperture value.
How to set aperture in aperture priority modeAv.
The meaning of this mode is that we ourselves set the aperture value, and the automatic camera selects the appropriate shutter speed. In this case, the upper right square contains aperture value and is highlighted (i.e. active). This means that when you move the control wheel marked in the picture, you will open or close the aperture.
Practice setting your aperture in this way and see how your camera changes the shutter speed (shown in the upper left box next to the aperture value).
How to set the aperture in manual shooting mode.
When you switch the camera to manual mode, the shutter speed value is automatically highlighted on the display (the value in the upper left box). This means that when you turn the wheel - the exposure settings switch, only the shutter speed will change. How to set the aperture?
Everything is very simple! For this it is necessary thumb hold down the Av button (shown in the figure) and holding it in this position, twist the exposure wheel, thereby changing the aperture value.
And now the most interesting. I'll give you a little homework.
To reinforce what you've learned about aperture and how to set it, shoot at least 3 days of shooting in Av (Aperture Priority) mode only. Try shooting the same scene with different apertures: F=min, F=6.3, f=9, f=11.
F=min is the minimum possible for your lens. For whale amateur lenses, this is usually 3.5-5.6, for faster optics - from 1.2 to 2.8.
Remember the tip: if you want to blur the background more, open the aperture more (values from 1.2 to 5.6); if you want to show all the objects in the frame as sharply as possible, close the aperture to a value of at least 8.0).
If you have any questions about setting the aperture, ask them in the comments to the article. I would also like to see your first pictures with different meaning diaphragm.
Good luck with your pictures!
