camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

I want to tell you right now that Program, I am sure you know this, is an AUTO shooting mode. You could have some control using Flexible Program but you are not in full control. If you set it to Matrix metering you will get a good percent of well exposed images but under tricky lighting conditions you will not be in control because the camera is selecting what it thinks is the best exposure.
For the best results set the camera to the lower ISO available under good lighting conditions. Many photographers prefer to use AUTO ISO and set the limits for a high and low ISO. I prefer to use manual ISO but that is me. If you set the AF to single shot the camera will not fire unless the subject is in focus. Use that for static subjects. Continuous AF is for wildlife and action photography and if the camera has a way to set it I prefer to shoot even if the image is not in focus.
HDR requires some experience. I usually shoot 3 frames (underexposed, normal and overexposed) for the majority of my subjects but at times I give some more and some less exposure in addition to my basic setting.
I would recommend that you learn to use Aperture Priority as your basic shooting mode because you not only control the aperture for depth of field but also have more control over the exposure. Manual mode is to me the optimum shooting mode because I am in FULL control of the settings. When I am shooting like that if I make a mistake I cannot blame the camera.
Good luck with your settings.

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

Sounds like you want to set up more than just Program mode because you mention AF and HDR. For a basic start, I wouldn’t use HDR nor would I use AF-Auto. Lots of YouTube videos out there for basic setups. Just put your camera model into the search. I use P mode a lot because I’m an inveterate snapshooter and it’s handy that way. I like to set ISO at 400 in daytime so I can get a decently high shutter speed. I use Auto ISO indoors without flash. P program mode sets the aperture and shutter for any given ISO but you can also change one or the other and the camera will adjust accordingly.

Lars Bogart Loc: Camano Isl., Wa., U.S.A.

WOW !!
Now that's the answer & ANSWERS I was looking for.
A HUGE help !!
I live on Camano Isl. Wa.
We are in the middle of Snow Geese arrival and it's simply Beautiful.

Thanks again !!!
Lars

radiojohn

Generally, "P" does everything for you but you can make some modifications that AI auto would not permit.

One is the +/- exposure compensation useful for backlit scenes or extreme light or dark situations. I'd get very famliar with using that, plus checking to see if it resets to 0 when the camera is turned off.

You may also want to take a series of th same shot at a variety of ISOs to see how high you can go before the results are not what you like.

Lars Bogart Loc: Camano Isl., Wa., U.S.A.

Here are more Snow Geese Shots.