A Question For The Pros

[Enem178]

Do you guys use the various settings on the camera such as landscape,
sports,portrait, etc or do you mainly keep the camera in manual mode no
matter what type of shooting your doing?

 

[AlexColeman]

No, only PASM.

 

[Overread18 6]

once you get past the entry level DSLRs the landscape, portrate and other such modes don't even appear on the camera. Once you start to understand how the camera works and how you can control and manipulate the settings availble to you you quickly disguard the preset shooting modes.

Aperture priority and Full manual mode are generally the most popular modes - aperture priority is often used by sports, wildlife and other such shooters where you don't have time to adjust shutter speed in rapidly changing lighting conditions, but want to retain a certain depth of field in your shots - the camera can change shutter speed and react to changing light faster than a human can so its beneficial to let the camera adjust - its using the same meter that you read from so no matter which one of you sets the speed - for a given exosure - the speed will be the same.

The same is true of aperture when in shutter priority mode.

 

[tsaraleksi]

In my experience sports is best shot on manual, but it's all a matter of opinion.

It should be telling, in terms of the "scene" modes, that neither of my cameras have those modes, and the 1D hasn't even got a fully automatic mode (P, but no green box).

 

[Joves]

Im no pro but, I have only used the scene mode one when I got my first Dslr and, that was to see what it did. Otherwise Im in Aperture Priority or Manual.

 

[Enem178]

Ok cool. I just got my 40d and I'm trying to shoot in the manual mode only but I wanted to know what you guys used to see if there was any image benefit to using some of the preset modes.
So now I see that manual and the aperture modes are the most commonly used. Thanks all

 

[jcolman]

Manual mode. I've never shot in anything else.

 

[mrodgers]

I don't even have a dSLR and the only time the camera moves from manual or aperture priority is when I set it up for my wife in Program Shift mode.

I put it in P mode for the wife because she refuses to listen to me about changing the ISO, of which I can set auto ISO to 400 in P mode. Anything above ISO 400 is useless with my camera. And her using Av without changing the ISO is useless because she has a 50% chance of shooting indoors or outdoors. Thus, she may be way overexposed outside at ISO 400, or way too slow of a shutter speed at ISO 64-100 indoors.

 

[Big Mike]

I think I may have accidentally taken a shot or two in one of the 'picture' modes...about 5 years ago.

My cameras are in Manual or Av about 90% of the time. Other than that the might be in Tv or maybe P if I'm being lazy.

 

[Jon0807]

The only time I use those modes is if I'm using my P&S for snapshots because it's much more of a chore to get the settings correct than in an dSLR. When I first moved onto dSLR's I tried out those settings again but wasn't happy with the way the photos turned out so I mainly stick with Av or M mode. Tv once in a while when I want to get specific effects. And I like having more control over how a picture comes out rather than depending on the camera to decide for me. Call me a noob but I still have no idea how to work P mode lol

 

[prodigy2k7]

I think I may have accidentally taken a shot or two in one of the 'picture' modes...about 5 years ago.

My cameras are in Manual or Av about 90% of the time. Other than that the might be in Tv or maybe P if I'm being lazy.

I'm not so sure it was an accident

 

[rufus5150]

Not a pro here, but 90% of the time, I have manual (M) set to settings amenable to ETTL flash (which is, dammit, almost always f4 and 1/200), Av ready for creative mode type stuff and I set Tv to 200 or 250. That way I can flip back and forth when flash is required, when I have the time to get the shot I want, or if I have quick need to stop motion without engaging the flash by one or two 'ticks' of the wheel.

I always put it back in greenbox mode when I'm done though as if my wife decides to pick it up and if anything's set to one of the creative modes, she scolds me terribly.

 

[Enem178]

I always put it back in greenbox mode when I'm done though as if my wife decides to pick it up and if anything's set to one of the creative modes, she scolds me terribly.[/quote]



LOL, I guess that's the only time when it's acceptable!! Thanks for the all feedback!!

 

[JerryPH]

Ok cool. I just got my 40d and I'm trying to shoot in the manual mode only but I wanted to know what you guys used to see if there was any image benefit to using some of the preset modes.
So now I see that manual and the aperture modes are the most commonly used. Thanks all

Shooting sports, one could use manual... or shutter or aperture priority.

Shooting weddings, one could use manual... or aperture priority.

I don't use P or Auto mode ever but I put it in P-mode when I hand the camera off to my mother, father or sister to take a picture with me in it.

The situation will dictate the mode you put it in.

There *is* no one single perfect answer for everything. It depends on your preferences, experience, camera and the current need.

As for different scene modes, I stopped using them and went 100% manual even on my point and shoot about 6 months after purchasing it. It is convenient for the people that don't understand camera functionality and photography... its a bit of a crutch, one that even I used a lot in the beginning.

There is basically no difference between using AUTO mode and any other mode unless you understand photography and the metering system. In fact, if you don't understand the basics, it will likely give you worse pictures. However, for those that know how to out-think the camera's metering system, know the basics of photography... they are the ones that are getting the superior final results. They know better than some unknown Japanese engineer who designed the camera years ago in some back room somehwere, on what settings to use and what to meter off of to get the best results out of any given situation.

 

[mrodgers]

I always put it back in greenbox mode when I'm done though as if my wife decides to pick it up and if anything's set to one of the creative modes, she scolds me terribly.

Yes, something I have to remember to do. She grabs the camera while I'm at work and takes snaps of the kids. Her first snap is always black because 1/500 shutter at ISO 64 is not good in the house with no light, hehe.

At least she does know to move the dial to P. Although my complaint about cameras, or at least my camera, is that the ISO doesn't stay set differently for different modes. Whatever it's set at in manual is what it's set at in P. Thus, every shot after the first from my wife has huge camera shake because a 2 second shutter speed at ISO 64 is also not good in the house with no light.

I'd tell her to just use auto, but ISO 800 and 1600 is completely useless with my camera.