NIKON D80 Dial Settings

[Kryton55]

Hi,

I'm learning the Dial settings of the D80.
I got tied in knots with the "A" and "S" settings.

Went to "P" Auto and found I could change the Shutter speed without causing conflicts of settings.

I assume with "A" and "S" you need to be more knowledgeable about how to set up the camera correctly?

Could somebody give me the benefit of their experience please?, just a few helpfull hints..... idiots guide stuff

Dave

 

[Bristolian]

Hi Dave,

If you don't have a manual for your D80 then I would recommend downloading one from the Nikon UK web site - it's free

Okay, to answer your question regarding the settings. P is Programmed Auto. In this mode the camera will set the shutter speed and aperture according to the ISO you have set and the metering it sees from the picture you are trying to take. If you like what the camera has set then great but, if you'd like a different shutter speed or aperture you can alter those settings and the camera will adjust the other to maintain correct exposure.

A is Aperture Priority - not to be confused with AUTO. This setting lets you set the aperture while the camera sets the shutter speed to give correct exposure. This mode is useful if you want to control the depth of focus in your picture. Weirdly, the lower the f number the wider the aperture

S is Shutter Priority. This is kinda the inverse of A in that you set the shutter speed and the camera works out the aperture needed for correct exposure. This mode is useful to freeze action (fast speed) or induce blur (low speed).

M (rather predictably) is Manual mode. This requires you to set both the shutter speed and aperture to obtain correct exposure. The meter in the viewfinder shows if your settings are good or will result in over/under exposure. This mode gives you the most control over the way your picture will turn out.

Hope this helps

 

[hillwalkinggirl]

Use S when speed is the main criteria, and A when the Depth of field is most important. An high f number is a smaller aperture and a low f number is a larger aperture. For landscapes where you want to get everything sharp you would use an higher f number and when you want to keep something sharp and have a blurred background use a low f number.

If you were photographing a child playing for instance you would use a faster speed to shoot them with no blur, but conversely if you wanted to give an impression of movement you could use a slow speed.

These are the basics but when you've mastered these you can get on to more complex ways of using them.

If you want to keep your chosen aperture constant and the corresponding shutter speed is too slow to avoid camera shake then you can increase the ISO until it shows a faster speed.

The same principles apply to shutter priority.

I hope this makes sense to you, as my brain is on slow tonight.

 

[Trig's]

Dave,

If you can get yourself this book or similar (if you dont have the manual) Nikon D80 Digital Field Guide it will help you out with what you want to know all about the D80..... It does help as have had em for previous Nikon's from the D40, D60, D80, D90... It seems that I've kept the author in business saying that