Nikon D5100 - Manual (Page 79)

61
t
t
P, S, A, and M Modes
P , S, A, and M modes offer different degrees of control over shutter
speed and aperture:
Shutter Speed and Aperture
Mode Description
P
Programmed auto
(
0 62)
Camera sets shutter speed and aperture for optimal exposure.
Recommended for snapshots and in other situations in which
there is little time to adjust camera settings.
S
Shutter-priority auto
(
0 63)
User chooses shutter speed; camera selects aperture for best
results. Use to freeze or blur motion.
A
Aperture-priority auto
(
0 64)
User chooses aperture; camera selects shutter speed for best
results. Use to blur background or bring both foreground and
background into focus.
M Manual ( 0 65)
User controls both shutter speed and aperture. Set shutter speed
to “Bulb” or “Time” for long time-exposures.
D
Lens Aperture Rings
When using a CPU lens equipped with an aperture ring ( 0 198), lock the aperture ring at the
minimum aperture (highest f-number). Type G lenses are not equipped with an aperture
ring.
A
Shutter Speed and Aperture
The same exposure can be achieved with different combinations of shutter speed and
aperture. Fast shutter speeds and large apertures freeze moving objects and soften
background details, while slow shutter speeds and small apertures blur moving objects and
bring out background details.
Fast shutter speed
( 1 /
1,600
s)
Slow shutter speed
(1 s)
Large aperture (f/5.6) Small aperture (f/22)
(Remember, the higher the f-number, the
smaller the aperture.)
Shutter speed Aperture