Nikon P80 P80 User's Manual - Page 62

P, S, A and M modes Shooting in P, S, A, and M Modes By rotating the mode dial, you can shoot pictures in the following four exposure modes: P (programmed auto), S (shutter-priority auto), A (aperture-priority auto), and M (manual). In addition to allowing you to set the shutter speed and aperture yourself, these modes offer control over a variety of advanced settings such as changing the ISO sensitivity and white balance in the shooting menu (A 86). Mode Description P Programmed auto (A 49) Camera sets shutter speed and aperture for optimal exposure. Recommended for snapshots and in other situations in which there is little time to adjust camera settings. Flexible program, which changes the combination of shutter speed and aperture, can be used (A 49). S Shutter-priority auto (A 50) User chooses shutter speed; camera selects aperture for best results. Use to freeze or blur motion. A Aperture-priority auto (A 51) User chooses aperture; camera selects shutter speed for best results. Use to blur background or bring both foreground and background into focus. M Manual (A 52) User controls both shutter speed and aperture. D Shutter Speed and Aperture The same exposure can be achieved with different combinations of shutter speed and aperture, allowing you to freeze or blur motion and control depth of field. The following figure shows how shutter speed and aperture affect exposure. When the ISO sensitivity setting (A 96) is changed, the range of shutter speeds and aperture values at which the correct exposure can be obtained also changes. 1/125 F2.8 Shutter speed 20 Aperture P, S, A and M modes Fast shutter speed: Slow shutter speed: Large aperture (small Small aperture (large 48 1/1,000s 1/30 s f-number): f/2.8 f-number): f/8.0