Understanding M,A,S and P Mode in Nikon DSLR


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drmarx

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those MASP haunted me for a long time. How can I choose them like when i m doin' portraits, landscapes or like that.
Thanks in advanced.
 

A great beginner book to read is "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson. The book will go over when and why to use each M, A and S modes. Oh and there are some shots taken in Singapore which is kind of nice.
 

those MASP haunted me for a long time. How can I choose them like when i m doin' portraits, landscapes or like that.

Do you want to snap or do you want to learn how to take (or make) pictures. For snapping just the the scene modes and be happy. If you want to take / make pictures then learn what exposure and the exposure parameters are and how make use of them. Then use the appropriate mode that enables you to setup the parameters accordingly. There are no "magic settings" - it's all about intention and existing conditions.
Read the newbies guide, read the book as recommended by 2evans, read other discussions here. Plenty of information, it only requires you to learn instead of pressing buttons like on a vending machine.
 

those MASP haunted me for a long time. How can I choose them like when i m doin' portraits, landscapes or like that.
Thanks in advanced.

1. Read your manual. It lists examples of what shots use what modes.
2. Read your manual.
3. Read your manual.
4. Practice practice practice
5. Read the newbies guide to photography right here on CS, as well as good books, like the aforementioned "Understanding exposure" and any other newbie photography books.
 

Read your manual and understand what aperture does and what shutter speed do.

A simple maths representation:

A= Aperture
S= Shutter Speed
I= ISO
E= Picture Exposure

therefore your picture outcome = A x S x I = E
F number (small--->Big) Brighter < A < Darker
Shutter (slow--->fast) Brighter > S > Darker
ISO (low--->high) Darker < I < Brighter

so if in different mode the A S and I become a variable u can control while some are fixed or camera controlled.

in aperture mode the A is a controllable varible by u while S is auto computed by the camera and I is usually fixed by u.

shutter mode will be S variable and A computed by camera and I still fixed by u.
 

The comments above sound harsh but are certainly true. You can easily understand the workings of the 4 modes through your manual.

After reading and learning, you can put that knowledge to practice and you will realise when each mode becomes applicable.
 

RTFM. if you don't have the manual coz you lost it, or it did not come with your camera (2nd hand, or watever), go online, download the manual and RTFM.
 

wah..so fast give up hope liao? :dunno:
 

Sure Dear Folks, I won't sell my cam. next few months, I'll buy D90 body and then I can use without changing lens. Btw, I am confusing about choosing D90 and D200 coz i m feeling the auto, auto without flash, child, portrait, landscspe or like that are seem to be a bit childish.
Any suggesting Please.
 

if you find the D90's auto-scene modes childish, just use black marker to cover them! Will certainly ruin the resale value, that's all.
Honestly, they're there just as extra choices, since D90 is sometimes purchased as a first DSLR. So those newbies would appreciate such features.
Don't like, just don't use la.

D200 is much much older than D90. It's probably more solidly-built, but that's about it.
I give thumbs up to D90!
 

Here is my version. Start with full Auto and get a hang of how to camera works and behaves. Soon you will be asking how I can set this/that (like I want to control iso). This is when you will read the userguide and proceed to Program AE mode (P mode).

As you progress, you will come into more situations where you want controls like setting speed or aperture. Then you progress to AP and SP more.

Maybe in longer term, you want to photo the stars or car trails, that when you have reached Manual mode.

There is nothing wrong with Auto mode. Photography is about indivdual taste and method, how you do it, it doesn't matter. Reading gives you some idea but practice and learn is required.

Remember not to stress by over fearing of taking bad photos during a visit. Think of taking usable photos.
 

R T F M.

everything you need to understand is already in the basic manual included in the box.

and for goodness sake, THINK of how to apply those settings you have learnt. do you need us to THINK for you on how to apply those settings? might as well give us your camera, we shoot for you.
 

Sure Dear Folks, I won't sell my cam. next few months, I'll buy D90 body and then I can use without changing lens. Btw, I am confusing about choosing D90 and D200 coz i m feeling the auto, auto without flash, child, portrait, landscspe or like that are seem to be a bit childish.
Any suggesting Please.
Nobody becomes a pro in 1 day. And don't be thinking they're "childish" features if they take better pictures than you can in P, S, M modes.
 

Sure Dear Folks, I won't sell my cam. next few months, I'll buy D90 body and then I can use without changing lens. Btw, I am confusing about choosing D90 and D200 coz i m feeling the auto, auto without flash, child, portrait, landscspe or like that are seem to be a bit childish.
Any suggesting Please.

What do you mean by, "I'll buy D90 body and then I can use without changing lens."?

Buying another camera body won't be the answer to understanding photography or give you better photographs. There are lots of resources online and also in books that can help your understand more about this hobby. People are fairly helpful on this forum, but its nice and also curtious to show some initative first.
 

I'll buy D90 body and then I can use without changing lens << this is my problem of changing 2 lens recently. Normally, I use 18-135mm lens but when I want to shoot far away, I have to change to 70-300mm. So it's not good for my camera's sensor, I think. that's why I want to use 2 cameras handy and fast for future use. Lately, I am so ambitious about photography and I am now beginning from here.

Thanks very much for all of the clear and sharp answers.
 

I'll buy D90 body and then I can use without changing lens << this is my problem of changing 2 lens recently. Normally, I use 18-135mm lens but when I want to shoot far away, I have to change to 70-300mm. So it's not good for my camera's sensor, I think. that's why I want to use 2 cameras handy and fast for future use. Lately, I am so ambitious about photography and I am now beginning from here.

Thanks very much for all of the clear and sharp answers.
Changing lens has nothing nothing nothing to do with the sensor. In my opinion, buying a new D90 will be a complete waste of money if you're not yet able to use the D40x fully.

If you don't mind wasting money, then go ahead and buy. Save our economy. Buy D3X better.
 

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