Sensitivity priority, often abbreviated Sv (for Sensitivity value) on a camera dial, and colloquially called "ISO priority", is a setting on Pentax cameras

Pentax cameras

This article discusses the cameras – mainly 35 mm SLRs – manufactured by Hoya Corporation's and its predecessors, and .It covers from the first "Asahiflex" models in 1952 and their successor, the pivotal "Asahi Pentax" single-lens reflex camera, to the present time.- Background :The...

 that allows the user to choose a specific Sensitivity (ISO speed) value while the camera selects a shutter speed

Shutter speed

In photography, shutter speed is a common term used to discuss exposure time, the effective length of time a camera's shutter is open....

 and aperture

Aperture priority

Aperture priority, often abbreviated A or Av on a camera mode dial, is a setting on some cameras that allows the user to choose a specific aperture value while the camera selects a shutter speed to match. The camera will ensure proper exposure...

 to match. The camera will ensure proper exposure

Exposure (photography)

In photography, exposure is the total amount of light allowed to fall on the photographic medium during the process of taking a photograph. Exposure is measured in lux seconds, and can be computed from exposure value and scene luminance over a specified area.In photographic jargon, an exposure...

. This is different from manual mode, where the user must decide all three values, shutter priority

Shutter priority

Shutter priority refers to a setting on some cameras that allows the user to choose a specific shutter speed while the camera adjusts the aperture to ensure correct exposure...

 where the user picks a shutter speed with the camera selecting the aperture to match, or program mode where the camera selects all three.

On other cameras, such as those from Canon and Nikon, this is not a distinguished mode. Rather, ISO can be set manually in all modes, or (sometimes) set to auto, and thus sensitivity priority is equivalent to manual ISO and program mode, in both cases automatically selecting aperture and shutter speed, with a manual ISO setting.

See also

Reasons for using:

• Exposure (photography)
  Exposure (photography)
  In photography, exposure is the total amount of light allowed to fall on the photographic medium during the process of taking a photograph. Exposure is measured in lux seconds, and can be computed from exposure value and scene luminance over a specified area.In photographic jargon, an exposure...
  
  
• Depth of field
  Depth of field
  In optics, particularly as it relates to film and photography, depth of field is the distance between the nearest and farthest objects in a scene that appear acceptably sharp in an image...
  
  

Other 'modes:'

• Shutter priority
  Shutter priority
  Shutter priority refers to a setting on some cameras that allows the user to choose a specific shutter speed while the camera adjusts the aperture to ensure correct exposure...
  
  
• Aperture priority
  Aperture priority
  Aperture priority, often abbreviated A or Av on a camera mode dial, is a setting on some cameras that allows the user to choose a specific aperture value while the camera selects a shutter speed to match. The camera will ensure proper exposure...
  
  
• Mode dial
  Mode dial
  A mode dial or camera dial is a dial used on digital cameras to change the camera's mode. Most digital cameras, including dSLR and SLR-like cameras, support modes, selectable either by a dial or from a menu. On point-and-shoot cameras which support modes a range of scene types is offered. On dSLR...