Talk:Digital camera modes

Latest comment: 5 years ago by DonFB in topic Back Button Focus

Reasons edit

Comments on my reasons for creating this article.

First, I've inadvertently named it List of digital camera formats; I'm hoping (and request) that somebody will rename it List of digital camera modes, as this is something I've not done in Wikipedia.

Digital camera modes are often not documented in detail in manuals, so you don't know exactly what's happening with shutter, focussing, etc. As far as I know there's no comprehensive resource that gives this information. I'm hoping that this list will become an increasingly comprehensive list of detailed camera information. Entries something like (examples obviously made up!):

Portrait mode:

  • Generally uses widest aperture possible for the light conditions, 100ASA sensitivity, often recognises and autofocusses on a face if less than 4m from camera, white balance daylight, will not use fill-in flash under bright conditions.
    • Nikon 10000E to 12123F use f/2.8, spot exposure metering
      • 10000AE additionally dangles a toy bird above camera to get babies to smile
    • Canon ABC1 uses center-weighted metering

Pol098 (talk) 23:12, 28 November 2007 (UTC)Reply


Two unrelated notes:

  • Many 35mm film cameras also have these modes. The first one to have the P mode was Canon A-1. By the end of 1990s most film SLRs had PASM as well as Portrait, Landscape, and Macro.
  • Maybe it would be worth to mention Ps, or Program-shift.

AdSR (talk) 22:19, 6 February 2009 (UTC)Reply

New articles or delete old? edit

Aperture priority mode and shutter priority mode have their own articles, but manual mode and program mode do not. Should manual and program modes have their own articles, or should the articles for aperture priority mode and shutter priority be deleted? --The High Fin Sperm Whale (talk) 17:47, 22 October 2009 (UTC)Reply

In any case, it would be nice to have a Program Mode link target that is not just a redirect to the head of this article, so at least Program mode should have its own section here?
--Michael Barkowski (talk) 15:59, 29 April 2011 (UTC)Reply

Back Button Focus edit

I have been trying to understand what back button focus is, having heard a couple of Canon photographers rave about it. I am not sure I entirely understand what it does, but what I'd really like to know is this: What is it called in the lingo of other camera manufacturers, like Sony? Do they call it "back button focus" too, or do they have an entirely different name for it? Or maybe they don't have it in their cameras at all?

I did try the manual, but it's hard to find something if you have no idea what they call it or if they have it.

Thanks! --87.150.10.237 (talk) 15:50, 16 April 2019 (UTC)Reply

Footnote 7 in the "Back button focus" section of the article takes you to a magazine source that explains it in further detail. In short, a button on the back of camera that you press to activate auto focus. DonFB (talk) 17:44, 16 April 2019 (UTC)Reply