Drive Modes Explained: what they do and when to use them

Understanding all your camera’s drive mode options can help you take better photos in a wide range of situations, so if you’re not sure what they’re all for you better read this…

Understanding Drive Modes: Single shooting
In this mode the camera records a single image every time the shutter release button is pressed. Even if you keep the release depressed, the camera will only take one picture.

Many photographers use this mode by default, because it avoids taking extra pictures if they’re a bit slow to take their finger off the shutter release.

SEE MORE: How to use a camera – your exposure modes made simple

It’s a useful option for lots of general shooting scenarios like landscape, still life and portraiture, but should usually be avoided with action because you have keep lifting your finger and repressing the shutter release to take more shots.

SEE MORE: How to focus a camera – set your AF mode, stay sharp and when to use manual

Understanding Drive Modes: Continuous shooting
In this mode the camera will continue to take pictures for as long as you hold the shutter release down or until the camera’s buffer (temporary memory) or card is full.

In continuous autofocus mode the camera will refocus the lens between shots, but in single autofocus mode the focus is fixed at the start of the sequence.

SEE MORE: Raw vs JPEG – how many images can you actually take in burst mode

Many cameras offer two continuous shooting options, high and low. In high continuous shooting mode the camera usually shoots at the fastest frame rate available, although it may be possible to customise this via the menu.

This is a popular choice for sport and action photography, however, some cameras cannot focus continually when the highest frame rate is selected so it needs to be used with caution.

If the subject is moving towards or away from the camera it may be better to set a lower continuous shooting rate so that the camera can focus the lens between shots.

Many photographers use low continuous shooting mode for everyday photography because it gives them the option to keep their finger on the shutter release and keep shooting if some unexpected action should develop.

However, because the camera will fire off shots at a slower rate than it does in high continuous shooting mode, the low mode runs less risk of firing off a large number of unwanted images.

It’s also often possible to specify the rate of shooting when using a camera’s low continuous shooting mode.

SEE MORE: Continuous shooting mode – why more is better

Understanding Drive Modes: Self-timer
When the camera is set to self-timer mode it delays taking the shot for a specified time after the shutter release is pressed.

It’s a useful mode to use when you want to be in the photograph because it gives you time to run into the scene before the shot is taken. There’s often a choice of delay times, but two and ten seconds are the most common.

Self-timer mode is a useful back-up when you don’t have a remote release to hand and you want to avoid touching the camera immediately before the shot is taken.

SEE MORE: Hands-free photography – 4 ways to take pictures without touching your camera

Understanding Drive Modes: Remote release
Some cameras have a remote release mode that should be used when connecting the camera to a remote release. In some cases there are cable and wireless release options.

A remote release lets you fire the shutter to take a photograph without actually touching the camera. The benefit of this is that it avoids creating vibration that can blur your images.

SEE MORE: 6 top remote releases tested and rated

Understanding Drive Modes: Mirror lock-up
Most SLR cameras offer this mode, but it isn’t always found in amongst all the other drive mode options and you may have to hunt for it in the menu.

When this mode is activated the camera takes the shot a few moments after the camera’s mirror has lifted when the tiny blur-inducing vibrations that this causes have subsided.

It’s a good option to use when shutter speeds are low and you want the ultimate in image quality; many landscape, still life and macro photographers use it on a regular basis. It’s best used in conjunction with a remote release and with the camera on a solid tripod.

In most cases taking a shot in this mode involves two presses of the remote shutter release. The first press lifts the mirror while the second trips the shutter. Some cameras only require one press and the shutter is automatically released after a short delay.

Some Nikon SLRs have both mirror lock-up and exposure delay modes. Mirror lock-up requires two presses of the shutter release to take a shot while exposure delay mode trips the shutter automatically a short while after the mirror is lifted following the first press of the shutter release.

SEE MORE: Mirror lock-up – the easy way to get sharp photos

Understanding Drive Modes: Bracketing
The most common form of bracketing is auto-exposure bracketing and it’s used when there is some uncertainty about the correct exposure settings that are required for a scene.

At it’s simplest when this mode is selected the camera takes three shots, one at the specified exposure settings plus one with greater exposure and one with less.

The degree of over and under exposure can be set by the photographer. Many cameras allow you to take more than three images in a bracketed sequence, although it’s always an odd number, and you can usually specify in which order the shots are taken.

Sometimes the camera can be set to continuous shooting with bracketing so the sequence of images is produced in quick succession while the shutter release is held down. Otherwise you will need to depress the shutter three times to take the full bracketed sequence.

Some cameras offer additional bracketing options such as Film Simulation mode or Art Filter mode. When these options are selected the camera will produce several versions of the image with just one press of the shutter release.

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