Master photography class: What is the shooting mode?

SLR cameras usually have a large dial marked with various shooting modes and a circle of words and patterns. What do these icons represent and how do you choose them? Let us solve the problem for you. What is the shooting mode? There is usually a turntable on the top of the camera, on which you can choose various exposure modes. It provides many ways to set the aperture and shutter. This dial is generally called exposure mode dial or shooting mode dial, and now many digital cameras have added more functions to this dial. Why are there so many shooting modes? There are two reasons. First, the operation can be simplified. Take aperture priority as an example. If you read the manual of the camera carefully, you will find that aperture priority mode is a very convenient shooting mode. The user can control the aperture manually, and the camera provides the shutter speed by metering. This can kill two birds with one stone, and also directly control the depth of field, taking into account the shutter speed. Another reason is to provide more personalized choices. You can choose the mode that you are most used to, so that you can operate fastest among all modes. There is no difference between different models, and all roads lead to the same goal. As long as you can take good photos, it doesn't matter which way you choose. What is the easiest mode for beginners? The simplest mode designed by camera manufacturers is automatic mode, which is usually represented by a green box or an icon with "AOTU" on the dial. In this mode, the camera not only sets the aperture and shutter for the user, but also completely "takes over" the shooting parameter settings. Even the flash will pop up automatically. This mode can make you very worry-free, just take a photo and press the shutter. But this mode also makes your SLR camera become a big card machine, which can't give full play to the advantages of SLR. Besides letters, there are many icons on this dial, such as flowers, mountains and people. What are the uses of these models? These models have different functions, such as portraits, landscapes and sports. It seems that the classification is very careful, but in fact it is of little use. For example, in sports mode, the camera will increase the shutter speed and use continuous focusing, but this still limits our play. The slow shutter is also useful when shooting some sports themes. In these modes, the camera will change many of its own parameters according to the preset settings, such as the auxiliary focus light and flash, and even the picture format. They are just another automatic mode with great limitations. I don't want to use automatic mode. Among other modes, which one should I use first? There are four advanced modes on the dial, and the program exposure mode is most suitable for beginners, which is generally expressed as P file on the dial. In this mode, the camera will select the aperture and shutter according to the metering and the focal length of the lens, while the user will control other settings. When using this mode, users don't have to worry about exposure, but it will still limit your play. If you want to control the depth of field accurately, you should still use a certain shutter speed. That requires a more advanced exposure mode. So what are the other three advanced models for? All digital SLR cameras have three modes: aperture priority, shutter priority and manual mode. In aperture priority mode (Av or A), the photographer sets the aperture, and the camera provides the appropriate shutter speed by metering. When using shutter priority mode (Tv or S-range), the user manually sets the speed and the camera gives the aperture value. Manual mode (M) requires the user to set the aperture and shutter speed. At this time, the camera's automatic metering is still working. From the exposure display of the viewfinder, you can see whether the parameters you set are correct. To control the depth of field, it is best to use the aperture first, and switch to the speed first when shooting. Actually, it's not, because no matter which mode you use and which parameter you manually control, aperture and shutter speed all affect each other. For example, you use shutter priority mode, and now you need a larger aperture to blur the background. You just need to increase the shutter speed. In these two "semi-automatic" modes, aperture priority is better. Why aperture priority is better? We say that aperture priority is better than shutter priority because the aperture value of the camera is much smaller than the shutter speed value. This means that no matter how many apertures you set, the camera can almost find a shutter speed that makes the photo exposure accurate. However, if shutter priority is used, a suitable aperture value may not be found at a certain speed. So it is risky to use shutter priority. For example, if you use a slow shutter, the aperture will be minimized, and if you can't meet the requirements of accurate exposure, the photo will be overexposed. What's the use of shutter priority? Shutter priority is mainly used when the shutter speed needs to be controlled accurately, such as when it is shaking, or when taking taillights at night. However, if you only need to adjust the shutter speed generally, you can use the aperture priority mode. Is the manual mode for professional photographers or ordinary amateurs? Manual mode has many uses, and it is not the patent of professional photographers. Photography enthusiasts can practice their photography skills in manual mode and check the difference between their settings and the camera's automatic metering in the viewfinder. The parameter setting of depth interpretation program exposure mode switches the mode to program exposure, and the camera will provide aperture and shutter speed through metering. Program exposure is not as simple as automatic mode. This mode is more intelligent and will take into account the focal length of the lens you use. Assuming that the user holds the camera, according to the focal length of the lens, the camera will provide a relatively safe shutter speed to prevent the camera from shaking. According to the icon above, the camera will select the specific parameters to be used when obtaining the exposure. The interpretation of photographic terms Av or A in camera mode stands for aperture priority mode. Some photographers set the aperture, and the camera provides the corresponding shutter speed through automatic metering. The abbreviation Tv or S on TV cameras stands for shutter priority mode, which is opposite to aperture priority. The shutter speed is set by the user. EV EV is short for exposure value, which translates to exposure value.