The Mode Dial

The D80 offers a choice of the following eleven shooting modes:

Advanced Modes (Exposure Modes)

Select these modes for full control over camera settings.

P — Programmed auto ( 47): Camera chooses shutter speed and aperture, user controls other settings.

S — Shutter-priority auto ( 48): Choose fast shutter speeds to freeze action, slow shutter speeds to suggest motion by blurring moving objects.

A — Aperture-priority auto ( 49): Adjust aperture to soften background details or increase depth-of-field to bring both main subject and background into focus.

M — Manual ( 50): Match shutter speed and aperture to your creative intent.

Point-and-Shoot Modes (Digital Vari-Programs)

Selecting a Digital Vari-Program automatically optimizes settings to suit the selected scene, making creative photography as simple as rotating the mode dial.

— Auto ( 19): Camera adjusts settings automatically to produce optimal results with “point-and-shoot” simplicity. Recommended for first-time users of digital cameras.

— Portrait ( 24, 25): Shoot portraits with background in soft focus.

— Landscape ( 24, 25): Preserve details in landscape shots.

— Close up (24, 25): Take vivid close-ups of flowers, insects, and other small objects.

— Sports ( 24, 25): Freeze motion for dynamic sports shots.

— Night landscape (24, 25): Take landscape shots at night.

— Night portrait ( 24, 25): Shoot portraits against a dimly-lit backdrop.

4Introduction: Getting to Know the Camera