What Are Camera Modes?

Cameras, other than camera phones and lower-specification compact cameras, usually offer a variety of exposure modes – selected by turning a mode dial on top of the camera, or via a menu screen. These modes alter how automated or not your shooting experience is. You can select modes that are fully automatic, so that all you have to do is press the shutter button; take complete control over your camera’s functions; or choose modes that fall somewhere between these two extremes. In this lesson we’ll work our way through these various modes, as well as taking a look at drive modes and how they affect the shooting process.