In the last year I have been playing around with the different modes of whichever camera I am using.  It started with the simple point and shoots I could pick up.  First thing is always to dive into the menu and learn about every type of mode the camera has to offer.  Most of them are pretty simple with you Portrait, Macro, Sunset, etc.  All the typical modes that every user will usually just ignore and leave their camera on Auto.  (kind of makes you shudder, doesn’t it.)  

Once I ventured back into the SLR world, I picked up a D3000 (and thusly my current D5100) to brush off the photography skill dust.  I noticed that the D3000 had a bunch of the same Modes on the dial, the only difference were the 4 special ones: M, A, S, P.  Catching up on my reading I learned what these were and how to embrace them for what they can do.  A friend of mine heard that I finally got back into DLSR’s and warned me that if I ever used anything other than M that he may disown me.  While I understood his intent, I really wanted to learn about all of the modes, even the more Auto-like ones.  

First thing I learned is that the Auto specific mode is great.  It takes great pictures and it good for something just point and shoot.  It doesn’t allow you the freedom to tweak your pictures in that way that the photographers eye can catch though.  Most camera’s have this mode, along with all of your other scene specific modes listed above on the Point and shoot style camera’s.  I like to call these “Guest modes”.  I am sure most of us have had to deal with this before. You are at a once in a lifetime event, you want a picture that has YOU in it (unlike all your other pictures) so you need someone to take the shoot for you.  You could A: give a strange the complete dissertation on lighting, shutter speeds, and aperture, B: Hand them the user manual for your camera and wait the 4+ hours for them to memorize it like you did, or C: flip the Camera into Auto, let them push the button and enjoy that picture of you and Lou Ferigno where he is holding you over his head like a twig. (Lou is actually a really nice guy.)

Now, Auto modes aside, that still leaves your M, A, S, P modes.  For those not in the know they are as follows:

M: Manual.  You control the Horizontal and the Vertical….Ok actually you control every aspect from ISO to Shutter and everything in between.
A: Aperture priority.  You control the Aperture setting and allow the camera to adjust the Shutter speed.  Fun fact here is that you really are controlling everything else.  You want that specific Depth of field (DOF) that a F/1.4 will give you but you are in a spot where the light keeps changing.  Slip into A mode and let the camera adjust the Shutter. You still control ISO
S: Shutter priority.  This is identical to A but you are controlling the shutter speed and letting the camera work the aperture.  This is ideal if you want a specific speed on your shot and not worried about your DOF. same here, you still control ISO
P: Program mode. This mode is damn handy some times. With P mode your camera will control the Shutter and Aperture, but you can adjust on the fly.  You are still setting the exposure levels and ISO but all of the speed and DOF are handled by the camera.  You may thing this is a lot like Auto mode, but you would be mistaken.  You are still in control of your lighting and even the speed (to an extent).  By adjusting P mode you can change your levels dynamically to tune your shot.  The best uses of P mode are those tourist type spots where you are moving around, want to grab a quick shot of something and don’t have the time to adjust each setting.    I will occasionally use P at a convention if I just want a quick shot of a Costume or booth and can’t have the person sit for 30+ seconds to adjust for lighting.  P mode is not a sin!!

Now, if you ask me where my camera is set to right now, I’ll tell you it’s in M.  Probably a good 85% of the time I will remain in M because most of the shots I take, I want the most control over them. Aside from that, I am not afraid to venture into other modes, and even the dreaded Auto, is allowed on my camera….just as long as someone else is using it.