Long a favorite of amateur and professional photographers, Canon makes cameras that are easy and rewarding to use. Canon has been putting micro processors into cameras since the ground-breaking A1 in the 1970s. Today's digital cameras from Canon still use a similar methodology to easily access settings and simplify the process of taking great photos in both auto and manual modes.
A Lot of History in That Little 'P'
With a micro processor in your camera, the computer can assess you aperture and shutter speed needs and either make the adjustments for you or give you acceptable ranges for your settings. The little 'P' stands for program and with its help countless novice photographers have learned take risks effectively and capture great shots in a variety of situations. Program mode evolved into the Auto mode we expect on every modern camera.
PASM is Your Friend and You Should Get Better Aquainted
A program-enabled Canon camera is able to break apart the various automatic exposure settings, give you control of the settings most relevant to your shot and automatically compensate for the rest. Program mode is fully automatic while Aperture Priority lets you select the f-stop to control depth of field or emphasize dramatic lighting. Shutter Priority mode lets you dial in shutter speeds for action or evening images from the tripod. Manuel mode lets you adjust both parameters but gives warnings when your settings need further adjustment. With all four modes (PASM) still available in most Canon digitals, you can experiment freely without worry of wasting film.
Can I Take a Better Picture Than the Computer?
Images show more of your your perspective once you take control of even one part of your camera settings. The computer knows nothing of how the light from a lamp plays on the corner of a chair, and it won't know to limit the depth of field in a portrait to make your subject stand out. Canon cameras are some of the best at bringing out the inner photographer. With control of your settings and the confidence to go after that special something you really can take better shots than the computer.
Tags: your settings, depth field, mode lets, Program mode, your camera
