Nikon P5100 - Manual (Page 59)

45
P, S,
A an
d
M
mode
s
P, S, A and M modes
Shooting in P, S, A, and M Modes
P, S, A, and M modes offer control over a variety of advanced settings, including
shutter speed, aperture, and white balance.
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.
Mode Description
P
Programmed auto
(
A 46)
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 46).
S
Shutter-priority auto
(
A 47)
User chooses shutter speed; camera selects aperture for
best results. Use to freeze or blur motion.
A
Aperture-priority auto
(
A 48)
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 49) User controls both shutter speed and aperture.
17 17 17
F F
1/125 1/125 F4.3 F4.3 1/125 F4.3
Shutter speed Aperture
Fast shutter speed:
1/1,000s Slow shutter speed:
1/30s Small aperture (large
f-number): f/7.6 Large aperture (small
f-number): f/2.7