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Photography vocabulary · Camera Parts & Settings

Manual mode

Meaning in photography, with examples

nounCore term

In photography, manual mode means: A camera mode, marked M on the dial, in which you set the aperture, shutter speed and usually the ISO yourself, and the camera changes nothing.

In Turkish: manuel mod, manuel çekim modu

How it is used

Learning to shoot in manual mode is a milestone for beginners. Professionals use it in the studio, with flash and whenever the light is constant, so that the exposure does not change between frames. People say shoot in manual or shoot full manual.

Example sentences

  1. In the studio we always work in manual mode so every frame matches.

  2. Do you shoot in manual mode or aperture priority?

Common collocations

  • shoot in manual mode
  • switch to manual mode
  • full manual
  • manual exposure
  • aperture priorityA semi-automatic mode, marked A or Av, in which you choose the aperture and the camera chooses the shutter speed for a correct exposure.
  • shutter priorityA semi-automatic mode, marked S or Tv, in which you choose the shutter speed and the camera sets the aperture.
  • exposure triangleA simple model showing how aperture, shutter speed and ISO work together to control exposure; changing one usually means adjusting another.
  • meteringThe way a camera measures the light in a scene to decide the exposure. Different metering modes look at the whole frame, the center or a small spot.

More terms: Camera Parts & Settings

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