P mode on P7700

[pge]

<p>I have owned SLR's and DSLR's for years but I am absolute beginner with my new P&S.<br /><br />My new Nikon P7700 does not appear to adjust aperture in P mode. For example I just took a shot outside, iso 80, aperture 2.0 and shutter 1/500. No matter how much light there is aperture stays at 2.0. I realize I can adjust the aperture manually by using the command dial to obtain other combinations of settings that will give me the same exposure. But if I am adjusting aperture this way I might as well be in A mode. Why isn't the camera selecting a combination of shutter speed and aperture in P mode as a DSLR would? Thanks for your help.</p>

[phule]

<p>[[My new Nikon P7700 does not appear to adjust aperture in P mode. For example I just took a shot outside, iso 80, aperture 2.0 and shutter 1/500. No matter how much light there is aperture stays at 2.0]]</p>

<p>Just for clarification, I'm assuming you mean the camera chooses the largest aperture, not just f/2. When zoomed all the way out, the max aperture should be f/4. If the camera is reporting f/2 at full zoom then something may be wrong.</p>

<p>When you say "no matter how much light there is" have you tried a real torture test, like filling the frame with a 100 watt lightbulb or something similar?</p>

 

[pge]

<blockquote>

<p>I'm assuming you mean the camera chooses the largest aperture, not just f/2.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Yes</p>

<blockquote>

<p>have you tried a real torture test, like filling the frame with a 100 watt lightbulb</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Interesting. When I do this the aperture does not move from f2 until the shutter hits 1/1250, only then does the aperture start to reduce in size.</p>

[phule]

<p>Even at f/2, depth-of-field is going to be pretty deep. I would guess that the behavior you're seeing is by design.</p>

[jwallphoto]

<p>I would say it's by design because they are really trying to give you the best chance of producing an image w/o loss of sharpness due to camera-shake. I almost always keep my P7000 on P mode so I can just point-n-shoot, though occasionally I'll dial in some + or - exposure values.</p>

[William Michael]

<p>I use a few (Canon) cameras in this class (Powershot) - the P Mode functionality is similar.<br>

Try it at ISO800 - there will likely be a slightly different result.<br>

In any case there is not that much wiggle room - what's the minimum aperture available?<br>

And as already mentioned the DoF for most shooting scenarios will be adequate with the lens wide open . . . the ‘Equivalence’ for the same DoF in an FX Format Nikon DSLR would be a bit more than 4 Stops.<br>

I.e. the F/2 on the Coolpix has a DoF ‘equivalence’ of about F/9 on an FX Format and an ‘equivalence’ of about F/5.6 on a DX Format - which for most shots will be a large DoF.<br>

Also (as you mentioned) the Program Shift is easily available and always active on most cameras of this class (I am pretty sure that Nikon refer to this as “Flexible Program”).</p>

<p>WW</p>

[William Michael]

<blockquote>

<p>“But if I am adjusting aperture this way I might as well be in A mode.”</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Well, yes and no.<br>

I think that could be a very long discussion; or perhaps a very short one: what’s the real (practical) value of Aperture Priority Mode in a Sub-Miniature Format Camera?<br>

It’s seriously not to leverage the Shallow DoF, is it?</p>

<p>WW</p>