Mode dial

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Generic mode dial for digital cameras showing several common modes. Actual dials may have more or fewer. ModeDial.svg
Generic mode dial for digital cameras showing several common modes. Actual dials may have more or fewer.
Some dials have more modes. CanonEOS100TopLeft.JPG
Some dials have more modes.
A Kodak dSLR with the mode dial located near the flash/viewfinder hump. Kodak DCS Pro SLR-c.jpg
A Kodak dSLR with the mode dial located near the flash/viewfinder hump.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II, with two distinct automatic modes: "intelligent auto" (green "i") and "superior auto" (golden "i+") Sony Cybershot DSC-RX100 II Front.jpg
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II, with two distinct automatic modes: "intelligent auto" (green "i📷") and "superior auto" (golden "i📷+")

A mode dial or camera dial is a dial used on digital cameras to change the camera's mode. Most digital cameras, including dSLR and SLR-like cameras, support modes, selectable either by a rotary dial or from a menu. On point-and-shoot cameras which support modes a range of scene types is offered. On dSLR cameras and SLR-like cameras, mode dials usually offer access to manual settings. The more compact point-and-shoot cameras, and cameras offering a great many modes, do not have mode dials, using menus instead. Some SLR lenses themselves offer control over things such as aperture, reducing the need for mode support in the camera body.

Contents

Location of the dial

On most dSLRs and SLR-like bridge cameras, the mode dial is located at the top of the camera, to one side of the flash/viewfinder hump. On point-and-shoot cameras, however, the mode dial's location is less standard. On many models, it is found on top like dSLRs. On other point-and-shoots, particularly those with a thin body, the dial is found on the back of the camera, often coupled with a menu-navigation button. Some thin cameras use a slide switch rather than a dial.

Modes

Various camera types and specific cameras have different modes. The simpler dial in the top illustration has:

Most dSLRs have a few manual settings and a small sample of automatic modes. Most SLR-like cameras have manual modes and several automatic scene modes. On point-and-shoot cameras, all manual control may be condensed into one mode (e.g. ASP, for Aperture priority, Shutter priority, Program) or may be completely absent. Many compact cameras show a large array of scene modes. Point-and-shoot and SLR-like digital cameras usually have a movie mode to capture videos, and many modern dSLRs also support movie modes.

Detailed information found by users on the modes supported by digital cameras are to be found in the ongoing list of digital camera modes.

Manual modes

Manual modes include: [2] [3]

Automatic scene modes

In automatic modes the camera determines all aspects of exposure, choosing exposure parameters according to the application within the constraints of correct exposure, including exposure, aperture, focussing, light metering, white balance, and equivalent sensitivity. For example in portrait mode the camera would use a wider aperture to render the background out of focus, and would seek out and focus on a human face rather than other image content. In the same light conditions a smaller aperture would be used for a landscape, and recognition of faces would not be enabled for focussing.

Some cameras have tens of modes, showing the majority only in the menu rather than on the dial. Many cameras do not document exactly what their many modes do; for full mastery of the camera one must experiment with them.

In general:

Other scene modes found on many cameras include Fireworks, Snow, Natural light/Night snapshot, Macro/Close-up, and Movie mode.

See also

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Pentax Auto 110

The Pentax Auto 110 and Pentax Auto 110 Super were fully automatic single-lens reflex cameras manufactured by Asahi Pentax for use with Kodak 110 film cartridges. The Auto 110 was introduced with three interchangeable, fixed focal length lenses in 1978. A further three lenses were added in 1981 to coincide with the release of the Auto 110 Super the following year. The camera system was sold until 1985. The complete system is sometimes known as the Pentax System 10, apparently for its official Pentax name, although most Pentax advertising only uses the camera name or Pentax-110. This model represented the only complete ultraminiature SLR system manufactured for the 110 film format, although several fixed-lens 110 SLRs were sold. The camera system also claims to be the smallest interchangeable-lens SLR system ever created.

Aperture priority

Aperture priority, often abbreviated A or Av on a camera mode dial, is a mode on some cameras that allows the user to set a specific aperture value (f-number) while the camera selects a shutter speed to match it that will result in proper exposure based on the lighting conditions as measured by the camera's light meter. This is different from manual mode, where the user must decide both values, shutter priority where the user picks a shutter speed with the camera selecting an appropriate aperture, or program mode where the camera selects both.

Canon A-1

The Canon A-1 is an advanced-level single-lens reflex (SLR) 35 mm film camera for use with interchangeable lenses. It was manufactured by Canon Camera K. K. in Japan from April 1978 to 1985. It employs a horizontal cloth-curtain focal-plane shutter with a speed range of 30 to 1/1000 second plus bulb and flash synchronization speed of 1/60 second. It has dimensions of 92 millimetres (3.6 in) height, 141 millimetres (5.6 in) width, 48 millimetres (1.9 in) depth and 620 grams (22 oz) weight. Unlike most SLRs of the time, it was available in only one color; all black. The introductory US list price for the body plus Canon FD 50 mm f/1.4 SSC lens was $625; the camera body was generally sold with a 30–40% discount.

Nikon FG

The Nikon FG is an interchangeable lens, 35 mm film, single-lens reflex (SLR) camera. It was manufactured by Nippon Kogaku K. K. in Japan from 1982 to 1986.

Canon EOS 5

The Canon EOS 5 is a semi-professional autofocus, autoexposure 35 mm SLR film camera. It was sold from November 1992 onwards, and was replaced in late 1998 by the Canon EOS 3. As part of the EOS line of cameras, the 5/A2/A2e utilized Canon's EF bayonet lens mount, first introduced in 1987.

M42 lens mount Screw thread mounting standard for attaching lenses to 35 mm cameras

The M42 lens mount is a screw thread mounting standard for attaching lenses to 35 mm cameras, primarily single-lens reflex models. It is more accurately known as the M42 × 1 mm standard, which means that it is a metric screw thread of 42 mm diameter and 1 mm thread pitch.

Canon EOS-1N

The EOS-1N is a 35mm single lens reflex (SLR) camera body produced by Canon. It was announced by Canon in 1994, and was the professional model in the range, superseding the original EOS-1. The camera was itself superseded by the EOS-1v in 2000.

Canon EOS 30D DSLR camera

The Canon EOS 30D is an 8.2-megapixel semi-professional digital single-lens reflex camera, initially announced on February 21, 2006. It is the successor of the Canon EOS 20D, and is succeeded by the EOS 40D. It can accept EF and EF-S lenses, and like its predecessor, it uses an APS-C sized image sensor, so it does not require the larger imaging circle necessary for 35 mm film and 'full-frame' digital cameras.

Leica R8-R9

The Leica R8 & R9 are manual focus 35 mm single-lens reflex cameras produced by the German firm Leica as the final models of their R series. Development of the R8 began in 1990: the camera was introduced at the 1996 photokina trade show, and was succeeded by the similar Leica R9 in 2002.

Live preview

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Minolta A-mount system

The Minolta A-mount camera system was a line of photographic equipment from Minolta introduced in 1985 with the world's first integrated autofocus system in the camera body with interchangeable lenses. The system used a lens mount called A-mount, with a flange focal distance 44.50 mm, one millimeter longer, 43.5 mm, than the previous SR mount from 1958. The new mount was wider, 49.7 mm vs. 44.97 mm, than the older SR-mount and had a longer flange focal distance making old manual lenses incompatible with the new system. Minolta bought the autofocus technology of Leica Correfot camera which was partly used on the a-mount autofocus technology. The mount is now used by Sony, who bought the SLR camera division from Konica Minolta, Konica and Minolta having merged a few years before.

Pentax ME F

The Pentax ME F was an amateur level, interchangeable lens, 35 mm film, single-lens reflex (SLR) camera. It was manufactured by Asahi Optical Co., Ltd. of Japan from November 1981 to 1984. The ME F was a heavily modified version of the Pentax ME-Super, and a member of the Pentax M-series family of SLRs. It was the first mass-produced SLR camera to come with an autofocus system.

Canon EOS 100

The Canon EOS 100 is a 35 mm autofocus SLR camera introduced by Canon in 1991. It was marketed as the EOS Elan in North America. It was the second camera in the EOS range to be targeted at advanced amateur photographers, replacing the EOS 650.

Minolta Maxxum 9000

The Minolta 9000 AF is a professional Single-lens reflex autofocus camera, introduced by Minolta in August 1985. It was both Minolta's and the world's first professional autofocus SLR. It was called Minolta Maxxum 9000 in the US and Minolta α-9000 in Japan.

Pentax ME Super

The Pentax ME Super is a highly successful 35 mm single-lens reflex camera produced by Pentax of Japan between 1979 and 1984.

Digital camera modes User selectable camera configurations

Most digital cameras support the ability to choose among a number of configurations, or modes, for use in various situations. Professional DSLR cameras provide several manual modes; consumer point-and-shoot cameras emphasize automatic modes; amateur prosumer cameras often have a wide variety of both manual and automatic modes.

This article discusses the cameras – mainly 35 mm SLRs – manufactured by Pentax Ricoh Imaging Corp. and its predecessors, Pentax Corporation and Asahi Optical Co., Ltd.. Pentax must not be confused with Pentax 6x7 or Pentax 67 which are 120 medium format 6x7cm film cameras.

Sensitivity priority, often abbreviated Sv on a camera dial, and colloquially called "ISO priority", is a setting on Pentax cameras that allows the user to choose a specific Sensitivity value while the camera selects a shutter speed and aperture to match. The camera will ensure proper exposure. This is different from manual mode, where the user must decide all three values, shutter priority where the user picks a shutter speed with the camera selecting the aperture to match, or program mode where the camera selects all three.

Canon EOS 1100D Digital single-lens reflex camera from Canon

Canon EOS 1100D is a 12.2-megapixel digital single-lens reflex camera announced by Canon on 7 February 2011. It is known as the EOS Kiss X50 in Japan and the EOS Rebel T3 in the Americas. The 1100D is Canon's most basic entry-level DSLR, and introduces movie mode to other entry level DSLRs. It replaced the 1000D and is also the only Canon EOS model currently in production that is not made in Japan but in Taiwan, aside from the EOS Rebel T4i.

References

  1. "Which mode between Superior Auto and Intelligent Auto should I use? | Sony USA". www.sony.com. 2019-07-24.
  2. "Pentax K-5 user manual" (PDF). 1 January 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  3. "Nikon D300s user manual" (PDF). 1 January 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2012.