Every digital camera today comes equipped with several auto modes designed for both amateur and professional photographers. Knowing what a camera mode does and which one you should use for a particular situation definitely gives a better understanding and control of exposure. Back in the old days, there was no such thing as a camera mode and everything was pretty much manual. A photographer had to decide which aperture to chose, what the shutter speed should be and the right type of film for their cameras. They had to carry around a light meter to measure the light. Then in 1938, Kodak introduced a camera with an integrated light meter and in 1962 a Japanese company called “Topcon” introduced the first SLR camera that was capable of measuring the light. Since then, new cameras started to appear in the market with automatic modes which would measure the light on their own and determine the correct exposure.
At a broader level camera modes can be classified in three categories.
1. Program Mode or Auto Mode
2. Semi Auto Mode
3. Manual Mode
1. Auto Mode: This is when your only task is to point the camera in the direction of your subject and press the shutter release button. In this mode, you leave the camera to decide the best aperture setting and shutter speed while you quickly snap a picture without worrying too much about the details.
Some of the most common Auto modes available in cameras are;
1. Portrait: When you have portrait selected, you camera will assume that you are taking picture of a single person. It will automatically switch to a larger aperture and will blur the background.
2. Macro: This mode is perfect for pictures of flowers, insects and other small objects, when you have to move in close to your subject to take a photo.
3. Landscape Mode: When you use landscape mode, your camera switches itself to a smaller aperture in order to keep everything in the frame as sharp and in focus.
4. Sports: This mode is intended for taking photographs of fast moving subjects. Your camera will select a faster shutter speed in order to freeze the frame.
5. Night mode: Use it in low light situations. Camera wills chose a long exposure, slow shutter speed, and will fire the flash.
Apart from these, there are several other auto modes that are kind of self explanatory by their names like Snow Mode, Fireworks Mode, Kids and Pets Mode, Underwater Mode, Beach Mode, Indoor Mode. The basic concept of all these modes is to suggest your camera about what should be the preferred choice of aperture and shutter speed.
2. Semi Auto Modes: In these modes, you do half of the task and let the camera do the other half. Two semi-auto modes are Aperture priority and Shutter Priority. In Aperture priority mode, you decide what the aperture should be and change it manually. Depending on your choice of aperture, camera will change the shutter speed automatically. Likewise, in Shutter priority mode, you decide what shutter speed you want to choose and camera will change the aperture accordingly. The most important thing to notice while using both these modes is the light meter in the LCD display of your camera. Your camera may adjust the aperture or shutter speed according to your choice but it still may result in an under or over exposed image which the camera will hint in the light meter.
3. Manual Mode: As the name suggests, you take the complete control in your hands meaning that you decide all the setting on your own including aperture, shutter speed, ISO, white balance, flash etc.
