Digital Camera Shooting Modes and Scene Modes
Image #1, Typical Scene for Using Landscape Mode
Digital camera shooting modes and scene modes are designed to help you take properly exposed pictures.
When a scene mode is used, the shutter speed, lens aperture and ISO (exposure settings) are all set automatically by the camera. The camera is programmed to choose the best exposure settings to fit the type of scene being shot. That is, in addition to the amount of light in the scene.
When a shooting mode is used, the photographer can control some or all of the camera's exposure settings. In addition to full automatic, shooting modes can be semi-automatic, or full manual.
The number and type of scene modes found in digital cameras will vary according to the manufacturer. The following are some of the more common scene and shooting modes that you will find in a digital camera.
Scene Modes:
Landscape or Distance: This scene mode is good for photographing large groups, wide scenes, and naturally, landscapes.
The best thing about this mode besides the fact that you can photograph a wider view is that you will usually have a wide depth of field. This will help to ensure that more parts of the scene, whether close or far away will be pretty much in focus.
Portrait Mode: The camera will assume you are taking a head and shoulder picture of one or maybe two people.
The camera will try to choose an exposure setting that will make the background slightly out of focus while keeping the subject(s) in focus. That feature may help the subject stand out more against the background.
Night Mode: When using the night mode, the shutter will stay open a little longer than usual and then the flash will fire. Since the shutter is open for a longer time period, more light from the background area will be absorbed by the camera lens and more background detail will be recorded.
The night scene mode will work well when you are taking a picture of a person or group at night and you don't want the background to be extremely under exposed. The flash should properly expose the subject(s) that are closer to the camera.
When a scene mode is used, the shutter speed, lens aperture and ISO (exposure settings) are all set automatically by the camera. The camera is programmed to choose the best exposure settings to fit the type of scene being shot. That is, in addition to the amount of light in the scene.
When a shooting mode is used, the photographer can control some or all of the camera's exposure settings. In addition to full automatic, shooting modes can be semi-automatic, or full manual.
The number and type of scene modes found in digital cameras will vary according to the manufacturer. The following are some of the more common scene and shooting modes that you will find in a digital camera.
Scene Modes:
Landscape or Distance: This scene mode is good for photographing large groups, wide scenes, and naturally, landscapes.
The best thing about this mode besides the fact that you can photograph a wider view is that you will usually have a wide depth of field. This will help to ensure that more parts of the scene, whether close or far away will be pretty much in focus.
Portrait Mode: The camera will assume you are taking a head and shoulder picture of one or maybe two people.
The camera will try to choose an exposure setting that will make the background slightly out of focus while keeping the subject(s) in focus. That feature may help the subject stand out more against the background.
Night Mode: When using the night mode, the shutter will stay open a little longer than usual and then the flash will fire. Since the shutter is open for a longer time period, more light from the background area will be absorbed by the camera lens and more background detail will be recorded.
The night scene mode will work well when you are taking a picture of a person or group at night and you don't want the background to be extremely under exposed. The flash should properly expose the subject(s) that are closer to the camera.
Image #2, Small Object Taken Using the Macro Mode
Macro Mode: You may find that when you place the camera lens too close to a subject, the lens will not be able to focus properly. That is when you might try using the macro mode.
This mode is for moving in very close to photograph a small subject. The subject can be anything such as the piece of jewelry shown in image #2, but flowers are probably the most popular subject that people take pictures of using the macro mode.
For the record, Many cameras use an icon of a flower to help you locate the macro mode in the camera.
Using the macro mode may allow you to focus within inches of the subject rather than feet. (the minimum focusing distance will depend on the particular camera lens that is being used.)
The Macro Mode allows you to record all the tiny details that wouldn't show in the picture if you took the shot at a distance of two feet or more away.
This mode is for moving in very close to photograph a small subject. The subject can be anything such as the piece of jewelry shown in image #2, but flowers are probably the most popular subject that people take pictures of using the macro mode.
For the record, Many cameras use an icon of a flower to help you locate the macro mode in the camera.
Using the macro mode may allow you to focus within inches of the subject rather than feet. (the minimum focusing distance will depend on the particular camera lens that is being used.)
The Macro Mode allows you to record all the tiny details that wouldn't show in the picture if you took the shot at a distance of two feet or more away.
Sports/Action Mode Freezes Movement in Pictures
Beach Mode and Snow Mode: These modes are very similar because the camera adjusts the settings to obtain the correct exposure in very bright light situations such as snow or beach shots. Snow and beach scenes can cause the camera's light metering system to produce under exposed (too dark) images. They are underexposed because the camera tries to adjust extremely bright tones to a less bright mid tone.
When you set the camera to the beach or snow mode, you are telling the camera's light metering system that the very bright areas are truly very bright and that the scene doesn't need to be made less bright.
Sports/Action Mode: This mode is geared towards photographing moving subjects. It works well for sports, cars, wildlife in motion, etc. The sports mode attempts to "freeze" the subject in motion by using a fast shutter speed as opposed to a slower one which might may cause your subject to appear blurred in the image.
Panoramic Mode: This is a fun mode that allows you to record images with a wider view than possible with a wide angle lens. When using the Panoramic Mode you take several shots in sequence moving in a horizontal or vertical line direction with each shot overlapping a tiny piece of the previous shot.
The number of exposures in the sequence be can anywhere from three to ten or more. The various exposures are then "stitched" together in your camera (or it can be done in your computer).
The newer camera models now feature "sweep" panorama. With sweep panorama, instead of taking individual shots, just move the camera from one end of the scene to the other in one sweeping motion. The camera will put the whole scene together as one image.
Just remember that scene modes are designed to try and give you the best exposure settings for the type of scene you are shooting.
Shooting Modes:
Automatic Mode: This is by far the most popular digital camera shooting mode. It is available on Compact Cameras as well as on Mirrorless and Digital SLR cameras. In this mode the camera will do all the work for you. It will set shutter speed, aperture, flash, ISO, and anything else needed to come up with the proper exposure. Your job is to turn the camera on, make sure it is set to automatic, then fire away.
Intelligent Auto: When using this shooting mode, the camera will recognize the type of scene you are shooting. In the Intelligent Auto mode, the camera will compare the scene you are shooting with various types of scenes stored in its data base. The camera will then choose the best exposure settings for that type of scene. In the regular Automatic mode, the camera is just reading the light from a scene.
Program Mode: This shooting mode is similar to the automatic mode as it will calculate the proper exposure for you. One difference between the automatic and the program mode is that the program mode allows the user to manually control some of the camera settings that are usually controlled by the camera when it is in the automatic mode.
When using the program mode you will be able to manually change some settings like white balance, ISO, and metering modes to name a few.
In the program mode the shutter speeds and lens aperture are initially automatically set to obtain a proper exposure. However, if you are not satisfied with the setting, clicking a button or turning a dial in one direction or the other will change either the aperture setting or the shutter speed. The correct exposure will be maintained.
The program mode is not usually included in your basic compact camera. However it is included in all Digital Slr cameras like the Nikon D5600. It can also be found in Mirroless Cameras like the Sony Alpha a6100.
The program mode is great for those who want to start learning how to use some manual controls in a camera without having to change all the exposure settings when taking a picture.
Aperture Priority. The aperture priority mode allows you to choose the camera lens aperture setting when you are taking a picture. Changing the aperture setting will give you control over how much light reaches the camera's image sensor.
The camera lens aperture can also help you control how much of the background and/or foreground in your picture is in focus or out of focus. When you set the lens aperture, the camera will automatically choose the best shutter speed to go along with the chosen aperture setting to obtain the proper exposure.
This exposure mode is usually not included in most basic compact cameras. However, it is included in many Bridge Compact Cameras and is included in all Digital SLR cameras.
Shutter Priority: The shutter priority mode allows you to set the camera shutter to the speed you want to use. With this exposure mode you are able to set the shutter to a very high speed to "freeze" the subject motion or you can use a slower shutter speed for night or low light situations.
Once you set the shutter speed, the camera will automatically set the aperture to correspond with the shutter speed so that a correct exposure may be obtained.
This is another mode that is usually not included in most basic compact cameras. However, it is included in some bridge compact cameras and is a feature of every digital single lens reflex camera.
Manual Mode: The full manual mode will allow you to control the camera shutter speed, aperture, ISO and any other feature available on the camera. This mode is best for those who want full creative control over their pictures. This exposure mode is not available in basic compact cameras.
Movie Mode: In this mode you can use your still camera like a video camera. You can video record scenes as well as the sound. The quality might not be as good as in some regular video cameras, but it works well for short recordings when a regular video camera is not available.
When you set the camera to the beach or snow mode, you are telling the camera's light metering system that the very bright areas are truly very bright and that the scene doesn't need to be made less bright.
Sports/Action Mode: This mode is geared towards photographing moving subjects. It works well for sports, cars, wildlife in motion, etc. The sports mode attempts to "freeze" the subject in motion by using a fast shutter speed as opposed to a slower one which might may cause your subject to appear blurred in the image.
Panoramic Mode: This is a fun mode that allows you to record images with a wider view than possible with a wide angle lens. When using the Panoramic Mode you take several shots in sequence moving in a horizontal or vertical line direction with each shot overlapping a tiny piece of the previous shot.
The number of exposures in the sequence be can anywhere from three to ten or more. The various exposures are then "stitched" together in your camera (or it can be done in your computer).
The newer camera models now feature "sweep" panorama. With sweep panorama, instead of taking individual shots, just move the camera from one end of the scene to the other in one sweeping motion. The camera will put the whole scene together as one image.
Just remember that scene modes are designed to try and give you the best exposure settings for the type of scene you are shooting.
Shooting Modes:
Automatic Mode: This is by far the most popular digital camera shooting mode. It is available on Compact Cameras as well as on Mirrorless and Digital SLR cameras. In this mode the camera will do all the work for you. It will set shutter speed, aperture, flash, ISO, and anything else needed to come up with the proper exposure. Your job is to turn the camera on, make sure it is set to automatic, then fire away.
Intelligent Auto: When using this shooting mode, the camera will recognize the type of scene you are shooting. In the Intelligent Auto mode, the camera will compare the scene you are shooting with various types of scenes stored in its data base. The camera will then choose the best exposure settings for that type of scene. In the regular Automatic mode, the camera is just reading the light from a scene.
Program Mode: This shooting mode is similar to the automatic mode as it will calculate the proper exposure for you. One difference between the automatic and the program mode is that the program mode allows the user to manually control some of the camera settings that are usually controlled by the camera when it is in the automatic mode.
When using the program mode you will be able to manually change some settings like white balance, ISO, and metering modes to name a few.
In the program mode the shutter speeds and lens aperture are initially automatically set to obtain a proper exposure. However, if you are not satisfied with the setting, clicking a button or turning a dial in one direction or the other will change either the aperture setting or the shutter speed. The correct exposure will be maintained.
The program mode is not usually included in your basic compact camera. However it is included in all Digital Slr cameras like the Nikon D5600. It can also be found in Mirroless Cameras like the Sony Alpha a6100.
The program mode is great for those who want to start learning how to use some manual controls in a camera without having to change all the exposure settings when taking a picture.
Aperture Priority. The aperture priority mode allows you to choose the camera lens aperture setting when you are taking a picture. Changing the aperture setting will give you control over how much light reaches the camera's image sensor.
The camera lens aperture can also help you control how much of the background and/or foreground in your picture is in focus or out of focus. When you set the lens aperture, the camera will automatically choose the best shutter speed to go along with the chosen aperture setting to obtain the proper exposure.
This exposure mode is usually not included in most basic compact cameras. However, it is included in many Bridge Compact Cameras and is included in all Digital SLR cameras.
Shutter Priority: The shutter priority mode allows you to set the camera shutter to the speed you want to use. With this exposure mode you are able to set the shutter to a very high speed to "freeze" the subject motion or you can use a slower shutter speed for night or low light situations.
Once you set the shutter speed, the camera will automatically set the aperture to correspond with the shutter speed so that a correct exposure may be obtained.
This is another mode that is usually not included in most basic compact cameras. However, it is included in some bridge compact cameras and is a feature of every digital single lens reflex camera.
Manual Mode: The full manual mode will allow you to control the camera shutter speed, aperture, ISO and any other feature available on the camera. This mode is best for those who want full creative control over their pictures. This exposure mode is not available in basic compact cameras.
Movie Mode: In this mode you can use your still camera like a video camera. You can video record scenes as well as the sound. The quality might not be as good as in some regular video cameras, but it works well for short recordings when a regular video camera is not available.