Nikon 25478, D5100 1855mm Kit A, and M Modes, Mode Description, Shutter Speed and Aperture

P, S, A, and M Modes

P, S, A, and M modes offer different degrees of control over shutter speed and aperture. See the Reference Manual (on CD) for more information on each mode.

	Mode	Description
		Camera sets shutter speed and aperture for optimal exposure
		(user can rotate command dial to choose from different
P	Programmed auto	combinations of shutter speed and aperture that will produce
		optimal exposure). Recommended for snapshots and in other
		situations in which there is little time to adjust camera settings.
S	Shutter-priority auto	User rotates command dial to choose shutter speed; camera
		selects aperture for best results. Use to freeze or blur motion.
		User rotates command dial to choose aperture; camera selects
A	Aperture-priority auto	shutter speed for best results. Use to blur background or bring
		both foreground and background into focus.
		User rotates command dial to choose shutter speed, presses
M	Manual	N (E) button and rotates command dial to choose aperture. Set
		shutter speed to “Bulb” or “Time” for long time-exposures.

AShutter 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.

Shutter speed Aperture

z

Fast shutter speed	Slow shutter speed
(1/1,600 s)	(1 s)

Large aperture (f/5.6) Small aperture (f/22) (Remember, the higher the f-number, the smaller the aperture.)

43