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Exposure & Metering

Program Mode

An automatic mode, marked P, in which the camera selects both aperture and shutter speed while leaving other controls to the photographer.

In depth

Program is not the same as full auto: exposure compensation, white balance, flash and drive mode all remain manual. Most bodies also offer program shift, which lets a turn of the dial slide through equivalent exposures without leaving the mode — effectively giving aperture or shutter priority on demand.

Examples in practice

A photojournalist keeps the camera in P with +⅓ EV dialled in, shifting the program when a shallow depth of field is wanted.