Nikon D3000 Reference Manual

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4
The Mode Dial
The camera offers a choice of the following modes:
❚❚P, S, A, and M Modes
Select these modes for full control over camera 
settings.
P—Programmed auto
 (
0 68): 
Camera chooses shutter 
speed and aperture, user 
controls other settings.
S —Shutter-priority auto
 
(
0 69): Choose fast shutter 
speeds to freeze action, 
slow shutter speeds to 
suggest motion by blurring 
moving objects.
A—Aperture-priority auto
 
(
0 70): Adjust aperture to 
soften background details or 
increase depth-of-field to 
bring both main subject and 
background into focus.
M—Manual
 (
0 71): Match 
shutter speed and aperture 
to your creative intent.
❚❚GUIDE Mode
g (0 35): Take and 
view pictures and adjust 
settings with the help of 
an on-screen guide.
❚❚Auto Modes
Select these modes for simple, point-and-
shoot photography.
i Auto (0 25): Camera adjusts settings automati-
cally to produce optimal results with “point-and-
shoot” simplicity. Recommended for first-time 
users of digital cameras.
j Auto (flash off) (0 25): As above, except that the 
flash will not fire even when lighting is poor.
❚❚Scene Modes
Selecting a scene mode automatically optimizes settings to suit the selected 
scene.
k Portrait (0 30): Shoot portraits with back-
ground in soft focus.
l Landscape (0 30): Preserve details in 
landscape shots.
p Child (0 31): Create portraits of children. 
Clothing and background details are vividly 
rendered while skin tones remain soft and 
natural.
m Sports (0 31): Freeze motion for dynamic 
sports shots.
n Close up (0 31): Take vivid close-ups of 
flowers, insects, and other small objects.
o Night portrait (0 31): Shoot portraits 
against a dimly-lit backdrop.