How to SELECT Camera's Drive Modes

Taking your camera out of the Automatic and Scene modes, you can select which drive mode to use for focusing, and shooting photos.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A DSLR (digital single lens reflex) camera which has adjustable shooting modes.

1. Taking your DSLR out of the Automatic and scene modes, offers the option of more control over how the camera performs. It may also respond more quickly to some situations and capture an image more quickly.
   If you are not sure which mode to select (P,S,A, or M), choose P (Program) which allows control over all shooting functions, in other words, you select all the settings which might be chosen by the camera in the Automatic modes.

2. You can select a Drive mode. This is most often how the focus motor in the Auto-focus lens performs. Most have three options. The choices are usually Single, AF (Auto-Focus), and Continuous. In Single, the camera locks focus at one spot, which is generally the closest definable detail to the camera. This is the best choice if the subject does not move. Using Continuous keeps the focus motor continually working (when the shutter button is held half-way down), and a focus point is kept on a moving subject, keeps the subject continually in focus. This is the best mode to choose for any moving subject.

3. in the AF (Auto-focus) mode the camera generally tries to choose whether the subject is standing still or moving and then selects either the Single or Continuous mode for the focus motor. This can cause a slight delay in allowing the photo to be made.

Tips & Warnings

• Selecting Single or Continuous focusing for the lens can speed up the response of the camera to capturing the image.
• This only is effective if your lens is a newer Auto-Focus lens. Manual focusing lenses (older models) must be manually focused.
• Most newer lenses are Auto-focus.
• You must be sure the switch on the lens barrel (if there is one), is turned to AF not MF (Manual Focus).
• Some cameras have an AF/MF option not only on the lens barrel but also in the Menus. They must be both on the same mode (AF) for the lens to work in Auto-focus.