Aperture priority mode + exposure compensation explained: how to use to your advantage

Why should you be using Aperture priority mode?
What advantages does it give you over Manual mode?

In this video I go through why I recommend using Aperture priority mode.

I'll explain:
- What is aperture
- What the camera does in Aperture priority mode
- How to fine it with Exposure compensation
- How to set it up for portraits and landscapes
- The no.1. mistake I see people make when setting the aperture

Night photography tours in Budapest, Hungary:

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[busabayashi]

This is one of the BEST tutorials about AV Mode, thanks Miklos!

[joncothranphotography]

I wish that I had realized this when I shot as a 2nd shooter at a wedding last month. I was shooting in manual mode and I worked entirely too hard to get the shots that I needed. It struck me on my way home that I could have shot in aperture priority with limits set on the shutter speed and the ISO and enjoyed the experience much more. Thanks for your thoughts!

[PianoSW]

I remember your advice on using Av with Manual ISO when I toured Budapest with you in 2015. I’ve been doing it since and it has worked really well for me on my daytime Travel Photography.
Best regards my friend! Hope to see you again in the beautiful city of Budapest.

[emanuelsmart]

I love this video in the next three months I want to but a camera
For starters I need some advise on bran

[boyantrifonov]

Hey Miklos!

I have watched many, many photography instructional videos.

As I prefer Aperture Priority mode I didn't mind seeing an extra video on it.

You are the first person I see show the relationship between the Shutter Speed and ISO!

It makes so much sense but when I saw it it was an aha moment for me.

Decrease the Shutter Speed --> less light and unchanged aperture --> Increase ISO to balance the lost light and maintain exposure!

Easy!

[KBFM]

Thank you for making your videos from an artist’s viewpoint and not a tech boy viewpoint. Also, your videos have really good production values … very well done.

[patrickmcmahon]

Have you thought about or do you have a video using a manual setting, allowing you to set both aperture and shutter speed, then setting the ISO to auto? Then I can use my exposure compensation to get the proper exposure. I do this generally but sometimes it seems like I’m doing a few extra steps to get to the same point you are. Really good videos!

[bobanderson]

I shoot quite a bit of aerial photography from helicopters and in metro stations with poor lighting. Aperture priority mode is used for both situations. Lighting conditions can change rapidly in aerial photography which makes manual mode impractical. ISO of 400 works well in daylight while an increase is necessary as the sun begins to set. Again with the poor lighting in metro stations where photography maybe restricted, adjustments for manual mode would take too much time away from getting the shot. The ISO may need to be increased to 1600 or more to keep the shutter speed above 1/125 sec for photo bombers moving through the shoot. Photo editing software can be used to remove noise introduced by higher ISO. Manual mode is always used with outdoor static environments where external conditions have less direct effect on capture. Thanks for this video.

[MrDoodsie]

Greetings, Miklos. As usual, it's always nice to see your videos from Budapest. We still talk about our trip to Budapest and hooking up with you for a wonderful night of photography and a great following day hopping around sampling foods from your favorite cafes. I too use AV mode on my Canon 7DMII quite often. If I have the time and my outcome is not all that important, then I'll switch to Manual mode just to have fun. But in general, I keep it on AV. Cheers from Minnesota, my friend!

[hurleygreen]

ENJOYED THIS VIDEO! Although I'm primarily a Manual Mode guy doing urban photograph in Chicago, I certainly see the benefits of Aperture priority at times! Thanks again,

[nielsenvega]

Wow! Great Lesson, I always used Manual Mode and is always a pain to have to check my numbers. Ill try Aperture Priority from now. Looking forward to see my results.

[richardhenson]

Another great video, thanks. I usually shoot in manual and do everything on the fly. I’m going to try your technique and see how my imagery comes out.

[ejandersen]

Love your work Miklos. I use aperture priority most times.

[myderbygirl]

Great video - explains things so well. I'll be looking at your other videos too - thanks!!

[michaelvillalobos]

Hello. Thanks for letting me know those mistakes, Nice model.

[dr.muhammadayyubkhan]

good to learn. I am beginner and really struggling to get nice moon pictures at night or early morning.

[abhijeetchoudhury]

I alwaye shoot in A mode for all genere of photography except panning. It gives me freedom.

[johnbarbier]

Hello. So would you keep the iso on 100 for after photography. On aperture priority. ?
Auto iso ??
Or depending on weather. And light. Low light iso ? Lot of light. ISO. ?

[kmc]

Thanks for the video. So much to learn when getting out of the auto mode.0

[rshackelfordgribble]

Hi Miklós...My wife and I toured Budapest with you back in 2017. It was the best guided photography tour I've experienced!...I enjoy your how to videos too. My question is: I like the "starburst" effect of lights in night photography and it is my understanding that you need to be at f16 or higher for that to show up...if the "diffraction blurriness" happens at f11 or higher in my crop sensor Sony (as described in your email last week), is there a way I can avoid the blurriness when "stopping down" too much? In other words...any tips on getting the starburst lights and a sharp picture? - Mike K.