Is it better to use M or A or S or P to take picture by using Nikon D100?

Answer 1

It´s not a matter of ´better´ - these settings all have different uses.

P is the automatic mode. For if you just want to point & shoot.

A lets you control the aperture and the camera takes care of the shutter speed. Great if you want to set a large aperture for portraits (blurry background) or a small aperture for landscapes.

S lets you control the shutter speed and the camera takes care of the aperture. Useful if you want to set a high shutter speed for sports.

M lets you control both the aperture and the shutter speed yourself. Great if you´re after a certain artistic effect.

I personally use A 95% of the time. I even leave the camera in A when I need to alter the shutter speed - by changing the aperture and ISO, I control the shutter speed indirectly.

Answer 2

M is manuel mode for when you want to control your shutter speed and aperature size. So in sport games I use M mode the most because I want the smallest possible aperature while having the fastest shutter speed possible.

A mode is when you need to control the aperature on your camera and let the camera do everything else automatically. A mode is usually good for when you want to blurr backgrounds and get a greater field of depth.

S mode is when you only want to concentrate your controls on your shutter speed. This is great for when you want a fast action shot but dont really care if the backgrounds blurred or not. This enables to freeze an imagine or let imagines blurr.

P is great for when your on the go and do not have time to fiddle with settings since the camera does all the settings for you. You can still change ISO, flash off/on, exposure. I use P mode to get a metering on the scene and switch it to manuel and try and duplicate the settings but change a few for my desired results.

Choosing the different settings really depends on the the type of shot you will be taking. P mode is a great all around purpose shot but does not give you that much control over your shot. I use manuel the most just because I find it more easier to compose the shot I want to take but of course some situtations will call for you to only concentrate on specific features of the camera.

Answer 3

Each setting has its advantages and disadvantages. For quick shots, use P. Use A if you want to use a certain aperture to either isolate a subject and blur the background, or have everything in the photo sharp. S is for when you want to control the shutter speed, either to stop motion or show motion blur. M is a good one to use when you are working with tricky light, and your camera would probably choose a setting that would be all wrong. I use it for night pictures of the moon.

Answer 4

Reserved for Doctor has given you an excellent answer. The only small point I would add is that I always put the camera back to bed set on "P". That way if I am in a screaming hurry to set up the next shot, chances are I will get a reasonable shot without having to think. If I have time to set up the next shot then I will use a more appropriate setting.