What does this button do please?

LouiseTopp

LouiseTopp

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Can you guys tell me what these functions do please?

P

AV

TV

Many thanks.

:thinking:
 
Programme
Aperture Value (aperture priority)
Time Value (shutter speed priority).

These are exposure modes.
 
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Very simple explanation, but that's about it in a nutshell

P Camera picks what it thinks is the best aperture/shutter speed combo

AV You pick the aperture setting, camera decides the shutter speed

TV Opposite of AV
 
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I use P mode for my walk about mode, having a dedicated flash button on the side of my camera lets me quickly activate it and then also choose ISO quickly aswell. Assuming you're on a canon, play around with the creative auto mode (CA). That's a very clever system that allows you to make some really funky stuff.
 
farrance said:
I use P mode for my walk about mode, having a dedicated flash button on the side of my camera lets me quickly activate it and then also choose ISO quickly aswell. Assuming you're on a canon, play around with the creative auto mode (CA). That's a very clever system that allows you to make some really funky stuff.
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What's the best mode for taking pictures of landscapes?
 
LouiseTopp said:
What's the best mode for taking pictures of landscapes?
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M!

Depends on how much time you've got, if you dedicating yourself to go out and take landscapes then P mode is fine, just shoot away. But if you've got a tripod and a couple of hours spare. Stick it in M and go nuts.

The reason I say M is for landscapes, I like to have control over everything in relation to the photograph, so I pick my own aperture, shutter speed, exposure comp, ISO, the lot. Makes for a much more fine tuned photograph :)
 
LouiseTopp said:
Can you guys tell me what these functions do please?

P

AV

TV

Many thanks.

:thinking:
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Seriously? Come on read the manual. L is the best setting for landscapes.
 
farrance said:
M!

Depends on how much time you've got, if you dedicating yourself to go out and take landscapes then P mode is fine, just shoot away. But if you've got a tripod and a couple of hours spare. Stick it in M and go nuts.

The reason I say M is for landscapes, I like to have control over everything in relation to the photograph, so I pick my own aperture, shutter speed, exposure comp, ISO, the lot. Makes for a much more fine tuned photograph :)
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Think I'll stick to P for now and AV and see what is the better one.
 
I usually use AV for landscapes - because it enables you to decide what creative effect you want in terms of dof (depth of feild) the smaller the apperture (ie the bigger the number) the greater the dof - as you'll probably have the camera on a tripod shutter speed isnt so critical (unless you want a long exposure for creamy running water or cloud movement etc)
 
big soft moose said:
I usually use AV for landscapes - because it enables you to decide what creative effect you want in terms of dof (depth of feild) the smaller the apperture (ie the bigger the number) the greater the dof - as you'll probably have the camera on a tripod shutter speed isnt so critical (unless you want a long exposure for creamy running water or cloud movement etc)
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I'm hand holding at the moment, but will try Av :)
 
LouiseTopp said:
What's the best mode for taking pictures of landscapes?
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If you know what you're doing - M
If it's moving - Tv
If it's not moving - Av
If you haven't a clue - P

That's being a bit unfair to P mode really, as it can be handy if you're in a rush. But that's the gist of it.
 
Alastair said:
If you know what you're doing - M
If it's moving - Tv
If it's not moving - Av
If you haven't a clue - P

That's being a bit unfair to P mode really, as it can be handy if you're in a rush. But that's the gist of it.
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Thanks thats very helpful :thumbs:
 
I tend to use AV even when it is moving - usually because i want a shallow dof , once the OP understands the basic relationship between aperture and shutter speed (and ISO) in determing exposure you can make it work in any mode

that said with a beginner on a fuji finepix i might be tempted to leave it in the auto modes (for landscape select the one that is a picture of little mountains) and concentrate on getting composition down pat before we start worrying about exposure etc
 
Photodiva said:
In that case use a scene mode
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I wouldn't use any fully automated mode. Otherwise you may as well use a point and shoot.

I'd start with AV, then you have full control over the depth of field. That'll help you learn the basics.
 
Photodiva said:
In that case use a scene mode
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It's a starting point, but it is a bit like learning to swim. these modes are like flotation devices. If you are going to progress, move on to Av, Tv and M
 
Alastair said:
If you know what you're doing - M
If it's moving - Tv
If it's not moving - Av
If you haven't a clue - P

That's being a bit unfair to P mode really, as it can be handy if you're in a rush. But that's the gist of it.
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I hate to complicate this (Louise you might want to ignore what I say as it doesn't really relate to original question).

I don't think that summary above will apply for everyone. For example I often use Av (or A in my case on Nikon) for moving targets. Take an example of a bright-ish day and you're shooting something that is moving in and out of sunshine. You might pick 1/500 to freeze movement and the camera will cope fine in the darkest shots but when the subject is in more light instead of reducing your shutter time, it'll close the aperture which may not be the effect you want. What I often do instead is choose aperture priority, set the widest aperture and then use auto iso with a minimum shutter speed of 1/500. That way brighter shots will maintain the depth of field but will have a faster shutter speed which might result in sharper shots. You're defining the minimum shutter speed rather than fixing it.

This manual mode for those who know what they're doing bothers me a bit too. I can only think of a few scenarios where manual offers something that Aperture priority or shutter priority mode might fail you. I use manual when shooting panoramas to ensure that the exposure doesn't change between shots. I also use it when using a 10 stop filter as the camera won't meter. I have also used it when shooting motor racing as the meter can get confused as you are moving the camera. Especially when headlights are involved. For nearly everything else I can think of I'd find it far quicker to shoot in aperture priority or shutter priority and dial in exposure compensation or spot meter when needed. If I were to shoot in manual in these circumstances I'd be doing exactly the same but it would just take longer for no beneficial reason.

I do find P fairly useless though!

Just an alternative take on things.
 
gad-westy said:
..
I don't think that summary above will apply for everyone.
..

..
This manual mode for those who know what they're doing bothers me a bit too.
..
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I was maybe a little over-concise, it's never intended to apply to everyone, but I have found it a useful way to get across the differences between the modes to someone that doesn't yet understand what they are - and 8/10 times it will be a pointer in the right direction if you're unsure which mode to take. And once you're comfortable with exposure you'll no doubt realise that there are many ways of doing things.

My comment about M mode is intended to be taken the other way, if you're not comfortable that you know what you're doing it's probably not the mode for you.
 
Alastair said:
I was maybe a little over-concise, it's never intended to apply to everyone, but I have found it a useful way to get across the differences between the modes to someone that doesn't yet understand what they are - and 8/10 times it will be a pointer in the right direction if you're unsure which mode to take. And once you're comfortable with exposure you'll no doubt realise that there are many ways of doing things.

My comment about M mode is intended to be taken the other way, if you're not comfortable that you know what you're doing it's probably not the mode for you.
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:thumbs:
 
LouiseTopp said:
Is shutter speed of 1/500 quite a fast shutter speed on AV?
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It depends what you're shooting.

It's slow for freezing a subject in motion, but fast for a portrait in mediocre light.
 
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Alastair said:
If you know what you're doing - M
If it's moving - Tv
If it's not moving - Av
If you haven't a clue - P
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I see it slightly different to that (but not a million miles away)....

Tv (shutter priority) is for when I want to control the exposure time, which could be varying the amount of blur on a moving object (or freezing it completely), or changing the ambient light level exposure when using flash.

Av (aperture priority) is for when I want to control the amount of 'focus' (i.e. what's in focus) across the scene or when I want to control flash exposure.

M (manual) is when I'm in the studio, when I want to completely override the camera or when I'm using filters that may fool the camera's metering system (grads for example).

P (program) is the bit of my camera that has cobwebs all over it because it never gets used. It's also a dirty word ;)

Of course, ISO plays a massive part in the decision-making process as to which mode is used, when and how.
 
specialman said:
P (program) is the bit of my camera that has cobwebs all over it because it never gets used. It's also a dirty word ;)
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:thinking: I don't know what the 'P' mode does on a Fuji? or Nikon for that matter but it's very useful on Canon even more so than Tv or Av :shrug:
 
LouiseTopp said:
What's the speed for landscapes please?
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Afraid there really isn't an answer to this question other than saying anything from 1/8000 to several hours. It depends on so many different things that it impossible to answer. It sounds like you need to learn a little about the exposure triangle (iso vs aperture vs shutter speed). I found reading a book called Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson exceptionally useful. Many find it great, many think it's the work of devil but it worked wonders for me. Maybe worth a look or there are loads of free resources on the web (including right here on these hallowed pages) that also tackle the subject.
 
LouiseTopp said:
Sorry that's my fault, will put that in now :)
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That's better :lol:

Okay, I just looked at the spec and although it doesn't go into too much detail it looks to me that the 'P' mode could be the same as Canon. This means it is not a full 'Auto' mode as such as you already have a full 'Auto' green mode on that camera.

The 'P' mode on Canon is an easy way of swapping between Av and Tv without too much fiddling with buttons and works by automatically selecting the shutter speed as you alter the aperture or selects the aperture when you change the shutter speed.

Good stuff, Eh!
 
LouiseTopp said:
What's the speed for landscapes please?
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It can be anything.

I'd worry more about the aperture than shutter speed when taking landscapes.
 
I would say that P mode is similar to having both Tv and Av on simultaneously.

In Tv mode, you set the shutter speed as required and the camera chooses the aperture.
In Av mode, you set the aperture as required and the camera chooses the shutter speed.

In P mode, you can change either parameter and the camera compensates as above. The advantage is you can do it without changing mode. There may be some menu-set limitations at the extremes of the settings, but as a first step away from A (full auto) it's worth playing with.
 
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