Figure 1: Top View
2.3 Command Dial
On the top left of the camera you will find the Command Dial. It selects the camera's exposure modes and other functions. The red L position is Lock, or the camera off position. To turn the dial from the L position, press in the metal tab on the front of the dial. The green square is full auto mode. The four small symbols to the right are the PIC (Programmed Image Control) modes; portrait, landscape, macro, and action. Basically they bias the shutter/ aperture combinations to favor longer exposures and smaller apertures for landscape and macro modes and the other way around for portrait and action modes. Portrait & macro modes as well as full auto mode will also raise the flash when the camera thinks it's appropriate. The major restriction with full auto and PIC modes is that you cannot shift the relative values of the shutter and aperture like you can in P mode. Nor can you bias the exposure up or down like you can in P mode. The camera picks what it thinks is appropriate without allowing any further advice from you. Now that you know what they are, ignore them. Using them will just retard your education of photography as well as learning about the camera. The other positions of the Command Dial are generally more useful.
P is for Program mode. It sets both the shutter speed and the aperture. It's not much different than full auto but one thing it won't do is it won't raise the flash for you. This can be a useful mode when you need to grab the camera and shoot without much think-
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