MANUAL (M)
While it’s seen as a professional choice, full manual only provides an advantage in static lighting. Use this in a controlled studio setting, or to prevent exposure changes between frames, when shooting segments for a panorama, for example.
APERTURE PRIORITY (A, AV)
This is the mode that’s most commonly used by pros, as it allows maximum control over all image parameters, with a speed advantage over Manual. Shutter speed can still be indirectly controlled, but the overall style is defined by depth of field.
SHUTTER PRIORITY (S, TV)
When you’re likely to be changing the look of an image through exposure duration, such as at a sporting event where you nned fast shutter speeds, this mode offers the quickest workflow. Direct shutter speed control is more precise than…