What is the difference between Canon P & Av modes?

Hallsy

Hallsy

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This may sound like a silly question (it probably is) but what are the actual differences?

I nearly always shoot Av, sometimes Tv and occasionally M on my 20D.

A friend has a 400D and says he often uses P (Program) mode, I said that he would be better using Av or Tv to learn more about the camera, but then we go talking about what the actual difference was!!

In P mode, you rotate the dial and it will change the aperture/shutter to give correct exposure, this is the same with Av mode, you select the aperture - the camera works out the correct shutter.

ISO is adjustable in P mode, flash is your choice, metering is your choice (according to my mate), exposure adjust is your choice - so what is the difference?

Is it that with Av mode you can select any aperture, even if shutter/ISO will mean that the image is wrongly exposed, but in P mode it will only allow perfect exposure settings?

I'm sure there must be something but I haven't grasped it!!
 
In P mode the camera selects both shutter and aperture.

In AV mode you control aperture and thus the depth of field.

P mode will not give "perfect" exposure just best guess and limits the creative input as it does not know what DOF you are thinking of.
 
But in P mode (on a Canon at least) you can just rotate the dial until you get the desired aperture you want and it then pairs it with a suitable shutter speed, but that's the same in Av?

I'm not pro P mode here, I use what I have said above, just that my argument against my friend using P mode seemed a little flawed!!
 
You can 'shift' the program in P mode to select any valid pair of aperture and shutter speed values.
 
He may as well use the green box mode!

In P the camera is selecting pretty much everything. Yes you can turn the dial but it isn't a great way to get the best out of your camera. Of course, it all depends on what your friend's expectations and aspirations are. If he's not a serious shooter but enjoys taking photos then P may suit him. However, if he wants to progress and learn more then P will not hep him in any way. I use M pretty much all the time and find that this gives me the ultimate control over my camera and the most consistent results.
 
I've just had a quick play on my 20D and have found that even though it seems like you can select an aperture, you can only select certain apertures (aperture/shutter combination to get the exposure correct) such as f/4, 5, 5.6, 7.1, 8, 10, etc not great control over the aperture size.

Also, you have to depress the shutter first.

Excellent, at least I have a firm reason to tell him not to use it anymore!!
 
P - stands for pillock mode.
AV - stands for average user mode.
:razz::cuckoo::shrug:
 
Ok, there is much misunderstanding about the shooting modes.

The first and biggest misconception is the using "M" carries more weight in terms of your standing amongst snappers and that the green square means you have none.

The truth is that if you're getting the shots you want, it makes no difference how the camera is set. Some people want or need to know exactly how the camera is doing what it's doing, others couldn't give a stuff and both have equal merit in my book. :)

The difference between using your camera in Av and P mode is that in Av, you set the aperture and the camera will adjust the shutter as the light changes but always leave the aperture where you set it.

In P mode the camera will chose an aperture/shutter combo that it likes the look of. You can then shift that combo up or down to be using a shutter or aperture value that you want but it can start anywhere it wants to. The exposure will be the same choice by the camera in whatever mode you are using. Even manual, if you are using the camera to meter.

Hence, unless you are ignoring the metering and going with your own exposure settings, the camera mode will make no difference to the exposure.
 
P mode isn't really any different to Tv or Av you just have to do a bit more work to get the settings you want by shifting from what the camera suggested to want you'd like it to be. So using Av or Tv means you can start at the right place rather than having to keep changing it but the camera is still "guessing" about the exposure.
 
In changing light (say broken cloud with things going into and out of shadows) then in P mode, the camera will be constantly changing the value it gives you, and you'll have to constantly change it as you take every shot.
In Av (or Tv) mode, you set one half of the equation, and the camera adjusts the other as the light changes. If you know you want one half locked at a set point (f11 or 1/250 or whatever), it's far easier to just use Av (or Tv) to set it to that value rather than having to fiddle with what the camera selects every time you take a picture.

There is a much bigger difference between the modes when using flash, P (and M?) assume the flash is the main light, Tv and Av assume it's fill flash, which obviously makes a huge difference to the exposure settings you use.
 
Canon have always used AV, TV on their cameras even in there FD days before Digital and basically it goes like this:

AV = Aperature Value (Priority on other manufactures) so you chose the aperature and the camera gives to correct corresponding shutter speed for correct exposure.

TV = Time Value (Shutter Priority) this has been the default semi auto mode on Canons for years. You pick the shutter speed and the camera give the correct aperature for again correct exposure.

P = Program Mode simply the camera controls all the exposure values but it will always try and give you a speed of more than 1/30th, because the camera is trying to prevent "camera shake". Most P modes are variable so you can change the values if you wish.

M = Manual You set shutter and aperture values yourself and so can mess it up if you ignore the meter.
 
Knikki
I see you have a Nikon FA, I love that camera got one myself.
What a class camera the FA was, the best camera Nikon ever made.
Got the black one and also had a silver but sold that one.
Always wanted the gold one as well for the set, but never found one. It's like the wonka bar of camera if you get the gold one.
 
Must say, I don't understand this awe of manual. Most of the time I shoot in Av or Tv and dial in compensation. The only time I use M is if I am tracking birds against sky and then trees or a hillside, where I take a neutral reading (grass is a good approximation for 18% grey) and run with that.

As people have said, P gives the same flexibility as Av or Tv, but you have to choose values each time you press the shutter.

Reminds me of my old OM10, where a separate manual adaptor let you use shutter priority rather than aperture.
 
I always thought, without reading the manual, P(on Canon)was the same as auto only difference being you have the choice of whether or not to use the flash.
 
P and the green square will both chose the same settings, the difference is that P lets you change them if you want to and green doesn't. Also, is green jpeg only?
 
Nope, if you roll the top wheel on P mode, it moves the aperture and shutter speed. It keeps the exposure the same (as it does on Av and Tv) but you can dial in compensation on the back wheel (if you have a back wheel - I don't know how it works on other cameras)
 
Whoops - beaten to it by dazzajl
Click to expand...

YEEEESSSSSSS!!!!!! finally.... I typed faster than someone else.

bounce.gif


Now you mention it, no idea if I have green either.
icon_redface.gif

I'm guessing a 1D wouldn't but I have no idea about the 5.
 
PapaLazarou said:
P - stands for pillock mode.
AV - stands for average user mode.
:razz::cuckoo::shrug:
Click to expand...

not 100% useful to the OP, perhaps in future a little more thinking before pressing Submit..
 
Grendel was helping me at a distance the other week and P mode proved very useful for that.

We wanted to know what settings my 350D selected automatically for a particular subject but needed to choose the ISO manually for the experiment.

Other than that I've continued to use M, Tv, Auto or Av in that order plus a bit of playing around with A-Dep. I haven't encountered the need for P mode apart from that experiment but that's not to say there's anything wrong with it - just comes down to what you find gives the shots you're after and personal preference.
 
my god, you really can dig dirt on anyone marcel
 
I read somewher ethat P was short for PhD ..or 'press here dummy' .... it is all about taking control and knowing what DoF you want or what shutter speed you might wisdh to sue...P does not get it right in many instances ... try close up for example..:)
 
Is "m" an abbreviation for "massively anally retentive" then.......:exit:
 
M - missed again...:clap:
 
PapaLazarou said:
Knikki
I see you have a Nikon FA, I love that camera got one myself.
What a class camera the FA was, the best camera Nikon ever made.
Got the black one and also had a silver but sold that one.
Always wanted the gold one as well for the set, but never found one. It's like the wonka bar of camera if you get the gold one.
Click to expand...

Off topic ;) but in reply to the above.

Yes the FA is a great machine the completely manual version of the F4 and considering how old it is and it only has a 4 segment matrix metering patter it works very well. :thumbs:

I did a search for a Gold Nikon FA and found one on flea bay in USA for $2400, so they are out there if a bit rare.
 
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