Scene Modes
When you push the info button or the i-button you can see the name of the mode at the top left of the camera monitor. And in the setting SCENE you can choose between different modes using the command dial.
The D5100 will choose all camera settings automatically as in the AUTO mode but the settings are optimised for several typical shooting situations.
There is no magic behind, the SCENE modes alter only settings that you can also set yourself the same way in other modes.
When using SCENE mode several menus appear grayed out and cannot be selected because the D5100 manages the related settings automatically.
The following table gives an overview which settings are changed in which of the scenes compared to the standard AUTO mode:
| SCENE mode | specific camera settings |
|---|---|
| portrait | large aperture for soft, unsharp background flash: automatic picture control: portrait |
| landscape | preferred aperture: 8-11 for good depth-of-focus picture control: landscape flash: off |
| child | flash: automatic I haven‘t noticed any difference to AUTO. |
| sports | short exposure times flash: off autofocus: single focus point |
| close up | flash: automatic autofocus: single focus point |
| night portrait | flash with slow sync picture control: portrait |
| night landscape | flash: off |
| party/indoor | flash: slow sync with red-eye reduction |
| beach / snow | flash: off picture control: landscape, sharpening slightly reduced to 3 |
| sunset | flash: off picture control: landscape, sharpening slightly reduced to 3 |
| dusk / dawn | flash: off white balance: 4550K = warm light ? color rendition is corrected towards cooler (blue) colors picture control: landscape, sharpening slightly reduced to 3 |
| pet portrait | flash: automatic autofocus: single focus point |
| candlelight | flash: off white balance: 4350K = warm light ? color rendition is corrected towards cooler (blue) colors picture control: standard, sharpening slightly reduced to 2 |
| blossom | flash: off picture control: landscape, hue -1 |
| autumn colors | flash: off picture control: vivid |
| food | flash: has to be switched on or off manually using the flash button
picture control: Standard, saturation +1 |
Recommendation: See the beginning of this chapter – SCENE mode can produce better pictures if the chosen scene fits with your shooting situation.
But it should be seen only as a help for users who are not so familiar with the basics of digital photography.
You get better results if you know at least the basic settings and can set them according to your specific situation yourself.