topic Re: EOS Rebel T6 -The difference between M and AV modes? in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

EOS Rebel T6 -The difference between M and AV modes?

Dianoban — Sun, 06 Apr 2025 12:04:29 GMT

Have a Canon EOS Rebel T6s with a lens EF-S 18-135mm 1:3.5-5.6. Do not know how to use it. Like to use it for street photography. This is my set up:

Shutter speed: 1/500 second for preventing camera shake.

Aperture: 3.5 ~ 5 for decreasing ISO speed rating. (Not sure whether it does.)

ISO: auto

With these settings, what is the proper mode to be set, M mode or Av mode? And what is the difference between these two?

Thank you.

Dianoban

Re: EOS Rebel T6 -The difference between M and AV modes?

stevet1 — Sun, 06 Apr 2025 13:01:58 GMT

Dianoban,

If you put your camera in Av mode, that means that you pick the aperture and the camera automatically picks the shutter speed for you. It will vary, based on the lighting conditions and your focal length, This is a good mode for stationary objects.

If you put your camera in M mode, that means that you pick both the aperture and the shutter speed. Pay attention to the little graph at the bottom of your viewfinder. What you want to do is move that little arrow until it is hovering over 0 right in the middle.

Read up on the Exposure Triangle and the relationship between aperture, shutter speed and ISO and how they all work together,

Also, if you haven't done so yet, download a copy of your User Manual. They usually come in pdf format, and using the search functions of a pdf reader like Adobe Acrobat can answer a lot of questions that you are going to encounter.

Steve Thomas

Re: EOS Rebel T6 -The difference between M and AV modes?

Waddizzle — Sun, 06 Apr 2025 13:32:45 GMT

@Dianoban wrote:

Have a Canon EOS Rebel T6s with a lens EF-S 18-135mm 1:3.5-5.6. Do not know how to use it. Like to use it for street photography. This is my set up:

Shutter speed: 1/500 second for preventing camera shake.

Aperture: 3.5 ~ 5 for decreasing ISO speed rating. (Not sure whether it does.)

ISO: auto

With these settings, what is the proper mode to be set, M mode or Av mode? And what is the difference between these two?

Thank you.

Dianoban

Welcome to the Community!

Unfortunatle, that is not how cameras work. You cannot set it and forget it. That is not how a car works. That is not how a stove works. That is not how much of anything with user controls works.

Here is a link to the Canon Support page for the Rebel T6s.

https://www.usa.canon.com/support/p/eos-rebel-t6s

Like your owner’s manual to your car, the camera User Guide does not tell you how to used the camera, only. How to operate it. Your owner’s manual for your car doesn’t teach you anything about the rules of the road, read a map, or provide directions on how to drive from Point A to Point B.

The camera User Guide is no different. It does not teach you anything about the basics of photography. You need to become familiar with the pillars of photography, “Exposure Triangle” and “Depth of Field.” I recommend searching YouTube for videos about those topics. Here is a link to a series of videos about camera basics that Canon USA released a couple of years before your camera was released.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLp-znpQge8HwHTOCwSAo04osDXFZx54Bw&si=ckA1nmCX2FuF5_dG

Here is a link to a video about the general basics of photography.

Re: EOS Rebel T6 -The difference between M and AV modes?

Waddizzle — Sun, 06 Apr 2025 14:47:36 GMT

Oops. I linked the wrong video with a similar name.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLp-znpQge8HxrllwXwn9B0Xxf1f7BQnXC&si=MNEf0DQsn6lOEPdt

Re: EOS Rebel T6 -The difference between M and AV modes?

johnrmoyer — Sun, 06 Apr 2025 18:19:11 GMT

I hope some of this might be helpful.

Others mentioned "exposure triangle". An explanation is at https://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/camera-exposure.htm

I am pasting a table from that tutorial here:

I have that same lens and have used it a lot. That lens has good image stabilization which reduces the need for a fast shutter speed. If you expect a lot of subject movement, then I suggest Tv mode and if subjects are not moving very fast, then Av mode.

Distance to subject and F Number also impact what shutter speed one might want. Shutter speed is easy to set in Tv mode and one may leave F Number and ISO to be chosen automatically by the camera.

For camera shake instead of subject movement, it is traditional to choose a slower shutter speed for a focal length of 18mm than for a focal length of 135mm, but it also depends upon distance to subject. Camera shake can be reduced with practice. One might choose 1/30 second for 18mm and 1/250 second for 135mm.

Re: EOS Rebel T6 -The difference between M and AV modes?

stevet1 — Sun, 06 Apr 2025 19:18:35 GMT

Dianoban,

I will say that the shutter speed you mentioned of 1/500 with a low ISO is going to result in some pretty dark pictures.

If your street action is not very fast, I'd recommend a shutter speed in the neighborhood of 1/125 to 1/250.

1/250 is a good speed for people walking.

There is a reciprocal rule that says to avoid camera shake, set your shutter speed at 1 divided by your focal length times your crop factor. That is; if you are shooting at a focal length of 100mm, set your shutter speed at 1/100 X 1.6 or 1/160.

If you are shooting at a focal length of 50mm, set your shutter speed at 1/50 X 1.6, or 1/80th.

That's just addressing the issue of camera shake. Your mileage may vary depending on the lighting conditions. In dark conditions, you might want to set a slower shutter speed. In bright conditions, you might want to set your shutter speed higher.

Steve Thomas

Re: EOS Rebel T6 -The difference between M and AV modes?

Dianoban — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 01:27:42 GMT

Thank you.

I select M mode. And set aperture to the largest the lens provides, so that the auto ISO will not be too high, and set shutter speed at 1/500 second for preventing hand shake.

Appreciate.

Dianoban

Re: EOS Rebel T6 -The difference between M and AV modes?

Dianoban — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 01:36:00 GMT

That you.

" You cannot set it and forget it."

Not forget it but use it with less hassle. On normal days, use it as it is set. On overcast days, lower shutter speed. On bright shiny days, increase shutter speed. Hope the auto ISO will stay 400~800.

Thanks.

Dianoban

Re: EOS Rebel T6 -The difference between M and AV modes?

Dianoban — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 01:50:09 GMT

Thank you.

I will say that the shutter speed you mentioned of 1/500 with a low ISO is going to result in some pretty dark pictures."

Yes, the shutter is set at 1/500 second but this will not result in dart images because the ISO is set at auto and the camera adjusts the ISO according to the illuminations at the time of shooting.

Even if it results in dark images, brighten them up a little bit.

By the way, is it allowed in street photography to adjust the images in any software?

Really appreciate your help.

Dianoban

Re: EOS Rebel T6 -The difference between M and AV modes?

Dianoban — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 02:07:27 GMT

Thank you.

I have not tried any street shooting. I know for sure I'll be very, very shy. The reason that I prefer using Rebel T6s to my other my other gears, is simply because of the zoom and auto focusing lens.

Shooting in the streets is for physical exercise and fun, not for the kind of photography. Not at all. Therefore, I do not want to bother with the setting and good images ....

Thank you very much for your goodwill trying to help.

Dianoban

Re: EOS Rebel T6 -The difference between M and AV modes?

stevet1 — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 02:28:15 GMT

Dianoban,

I understand your reasoning, but your settings have some ramifications that you need to take into account.

A shutter speed of 1/500ths of a second will take care of camera shake, but it also means that your camera sensor is only going to be exposed to the light for a fraction of a second - 1/500ths of a sec. If you are shooting at that speed, your camera is going to raise your ISO in order to compensate. If you slow your shutter speed down, your ISO will drop propotionately, if you are in good light.

A really wide aperture will let in more light, but aperture also controls your depth of field. A wide aperture will have less of your picture in focus. If you would like to take a picture of a subject in its surroundings, and have all of that in focus, you might consider an aperture of around f/7.1 or f/8.

There is a saying that lenses hit their sweet spot, if they are stopped down a stop or two from their widest setting.

You have a variable aperture lens, which means that as you increase your focal length, your minimum aperture gets smaller and smaller. I have the same lens as you do, and it hits f/5.0 at 50mm, and goes to f/5.6 at 85mm.

Since you are just starting out, you might try putting your camera in P (or Program) Mode for a little while and let your camera set the aperture and shutter speed. Use auto ISO. Bring a little notebook with you and jot down the various settings your camera chose in different lighting situations. Was it bright and sunny? Or dark and gloomy?, etc. After a while, you'll begin to get a feel for what your camera is looking for.

Hope this helps.

Steve Thomas

Re: EOS Rebel T6 -The difference between M and AV modes?

LeeP — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 15:13:34 GMT

Street photography is my "thing" i.e. the majority of my work.

For digital I use an R100 with the 28mm pancake lens and totally let the camera do its program thing. The SOOC (straight out of camera) results are pretty excellent 90% of the time. Only when there is low light or fast action to I take the reins in hand.

The ethic of street photography is SOOC and decisive moment. I may do slight--very slight--adjustments to contrast, highlights, shadows, and exposure, but not much.

Everyone gets to do what they want. Frankenstein images built in Photoshop are an anathema to me because for me assembled images aren't photography. But again, "you do you and I'll do me" is how I operate.

I will say that if you develop your eye to capture the decisive moment, you won't need to create Frankensteins (sic) in Photoshop.