Enrico Marega Interactive photography course
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Shooting modes M, A, S and P

On the mode dial you’ll find M, A (or Av), S (or Tv) and P. They don’t change the photo: they change who chooses what. In each one you decide one value and the camera works out the rest.

1Simulator

Choose a mode

Change mode and move the dial you’re left with: the ones marked auto are set by the camera. Then change the light, see how it reacts and try exposure compensation .

Which one to use

1Simulator In aperture priority (A) you decide how much background blur you want: it’s the most used mode for portraits and landscapes. In shutter priority (S) you decide how to render motion: sport, animals, water. In manual (M) you decide everything: useful when the light doesn’t change, in the studio or at night.

The letters vary a little from brand to brand. Aperture priority is A on Nikon, Sony and Fujifilm and Av on Canon and Ricoh; shutter priority is S on Nikon, Sony and Fujifilm and Tv on Canon and Ricoh; P and M are the same for everyone. Fujifilm cameras with classic dials have no mode dial: with the shutter speed dial on A you’re in aperture priority, with the aperture ring on A in shutter priority, with both on A in program.

1Simulator In A, S and P the camera also gives you exposure compensation : if the photo comes out too bright or too dark, you ask the camera to correct itself by one or more stops.

Exposure compensation

1Simulator In A, S and P the exposure is decided by the light meter, which always aims for a medium brightness. When the scene is very bright or very dark, or when you want a brighter or moodier photo, you tell it how far to shift: that’s exposure compensation. You can recognise it by the symbol, a square split diagonally with a plus and a minus, printed next to the button or on the dial that sets it.

1Simulator It’s counted in stops: +1 asks for a photo twice as bright as the one the light meter would choose, −1 half as bright, usually in steps of a third (+0.3, +0.7, +1). To get there, in A the camera changes the shutter speed, in S the aperture, in P both. In the viewfinder you see it as a marker on a scale from −3 to +3.

1Simulator In M compensation doesn’t change the photo: you move the dials yourself while watching the light meter. The exception is M with Auto ISO, where the camera uses it to choose the ISO. On Nikon, Canon and Sony you’ll find it on the button or dial marked with the symbol; many Fujifilm cameras have a dedicated dial numbered from −3 to +3; Ricoh GR cameras also have a quick control to set it.

Key points

  • A / Av: you choose the aperture, the camera chooses the shutter speed. Ideal for controlling background blur.
  • S / Tv: you choose the shutter speed, the camera chooses the aperture. Ideal for controlling motion.
  • M: you choose everything and the light meter tells you whether you’re over or under. In the other modes you correct with compensation : +1 = a photo one stop brighter, −1 = one stop darker.

Try it yourself

Set aperture priority and photograph the same scene at f/2.8, f/8 and f/16 without touching anything else. Check the shooting data to see which shutter speed the camera chose for each one.

Post the result and tag me @enrico.marega, or send it to me by DM: I’d love to see how you tackled it.

Quick check

You want to photograph a cyclist frozen in action. Which mode is the most convenient?
In aperture priority the photo comes out too dark. What do you use?