Auto mode?

[pete72]

I learned with a manual camera, so have not used full auto since I've had it available.
I set the iso myself & usually use shutter or aperture priority while keeping an eye on what adjustments the camera is making.

 

[kathyt]

I've seen "professional" wedding photographer with expensive flash and camera who shot always in auto mode

Nothing wrong with a little auto now and then, but I would live to see some "pro" wedding photographers websites who openly admit they shoot in auto.

 

[Seventen]

Full auto is for when you hand your camera to another person (non-photographer) to take photos of you. I tried to hand mine to my wife in Program mode and I thought I made the right adjustments before hand but the photos came out dark and had some camera shake. Guess I will be trying fully auto next time.

For me, when I want just a quick shot, I put it in Program mode. (on the suggestion from Scott Kelby in one of his books. He says it uses P for his street photography)

I recently had the same problem I used the camera in (P) mode same conditions just seconds before handing it my my wife to take a picture of me and one of our rabbits and the picture was terrible though how bad it was it was a image I couldnt get rid of, but luckily just few days ago had the rabbit in the same place and recreated the shot. this time she used her phone

 

[ronlane]

Full auto is for when you hand your camera to another person (non-photographer) to take photos of you. I tried to hand mine to my wife in Program mode and I thought I made the right adjustments before hand but the photos came out dark and had some camera shake. Guess I will be trying fully auto next time.

For me, when I want just a quick shot, I put it in Program mode. (on the suggestion from Scott Kelby in one of his books. He says it uses P for his street photography)

I recently had the same problem I used the camera in (P) mode same conditions just seconds before handing it my my wife to take a picture of me and one of our rabbits and the picture was terrible though how bad it was it was a image I couldnt get rid of, but luckily just few days ago had the rabbit in the same place and recreated the shot. this time she used her phone

I just needed to bump up the ISO for her. I didn't realize it until after a couple of shots when she mentioned it. We got a keeper snapshot but that's about as good as it gets.

 

[kathyt]

I have to put my camera in auto for anyone else to use it, because I BBF. They just don't understand why I have to push two buttons to take a picture.

 

[ronlane]

I have to put my camera in auto for anyone else to use it, because I BBF. They just don't understand why I have to push two buttons to take a picture.

That was the other thing that I had to adjust too. I started to explain it and before I got three words out, I just changed it back to front. (WAY easier.) So Katy, you could hand it to me and I'd be fine using it bbf.

 

[supercool2]

Hmmm . Interesting . I have been using manual the last 3 months and last week I tried auto just to see what its like. I don't know why, but the pictures were not turning out as nice as I hoped . I think I actually need to learn how to use auto . Im not joking. It probably sounds retarded reading this. But I am a control freak and maybe its because it will drive me nuts that I cant control the picture taking, or get it how I'm imagining it will turn out. So I do get it , about it being a huge hassle using it on auto, versus manual. But I agree if the person is not skilled enough to be able to think fast in manual mode to take quick pictures of family, etc... I don't see why its a big deal to let the camera "take control " sometimes so you can just enjoy those moments with the people and not have to think every picture through.

 

[ShaneF]

There is no shame in shooting in full auto mode if your happy with the results you are getting or are not comfortable knowing you will get that shot in manual mode.

When i started into the new world of slr photography a few months ago and i was still learning the basics, i was at a family function and most of my shots were in auto mode so i knew i would have usable picture in the end. Then as time when on and i had more and more pictures under my belt and i had spent more time using manual mode I was more comfortable shooting less and less in auto mode. I would take a few pictures in auto just to see what the camera was thinking then swich back to manual to see what i wanted.

Over time i just eventually stopped picking auto at all, i was comfortable knowing i could get decent shots in full manual on my own.

 

[astroNikon]

Confidence and knowledge of your camera is key. As I was learning and progressing to using Manual mode there were times I would stumble and make a setting that just throw the picture off. Not knowing all the settings 100% I would just throw it in Auto mode and continue. So nothing wrong with Auto, if you need to get the moment, then get the moment in Auto. You'll become more confident in Manual as time goes on.

I remember this past summer I was taking pictures of my kids soccer. That darn built in flash kept popping up and it was a bright day. WTH ? Now I know my way around the camera 1000% better than then, but still learning lots. My confidence is so much higher now and I feel that I can get what ever picture I want in Manual Mode though I still have Auto just in case I mess some setting up.

 

[Coasty]

I hear you on the flash always popping up in bright daylight, that sure used to bug me. I moved up to scene mode for some relief but it was only after a quick $75.00, three hour class the local camera store, I finely understood manual. It was better than all the books I bought on how to use my camera.

 

[Steve5D]

I shoot in "P" mode often.

I shoot in the creative modes often.

Anyone saying that shooting in "P" or Auto doesn't allow you to be creative, or exercise control over your image, needs to spend some time shooting in "P" or Auto. You may not be controlling the exposure, but exposure is only one creative aspect of an image...

 

[manaheim]

My recommendation to people using the full AUTO mode is often to try the "P" mode. The difference is that full AUTO will ALSO vary your ISO, choose your focus point for you (depends on the camera) and pop up your flash. These things not only affects your creative choices but will ALSO affect the quality of the image. If you find you REALLY can't get the shot, then go to full AUTO and let the camera take over.

All that said... research all the modes and understand what they do. In the end, each has a purpose. You will find that more experienced folks will tend to use some of the "less automated" modes more often, but I find that the MOST experience folks (such as Steve) will not out-of-hand dismiss any of them. Heck, I think that full AUTO is pretty much a bad bad thing, but there are definitely cases when I've needed it and used it.

 

[Tailgunner]

The only time I use Full Auto is when taking pictures of the family and letting someone else use my camera...that and when ever I get lucky and some guys at the gun range lets me shoot their F/A.

 

[amolitor]

I can't get mine to focus in any sensible fashion in full auto. I could probably dork around with some settings. I was raised to shoot Av and Tv, and since these modes are still there, that's what I do. I don't much like cameras, I like photographs, which definitely colors the way I approach these things.

 

[Derrel]

P or Program mode these days means "shiftable" program mode on basically any camera I am aware of. So when you get right down to it, it's not a whole lot different than Aperture priority automatic operation. P-mode allows the user to shift the speed/aperture pairing to faster or slower speeds, or wider or narrower lens apertures, very rapidly, with just one control wheel's movement. And it gives the novice a more-or-less educated guess of what speed and what aperture the camera makers would consider appropriate. On most cameras, the P mode also factors in the lens focal length as one component, usually favoring higher speeds when the focal length of the lens is longer, which helps eliminate camera shake and helps to stop motion better, which is important when the lens is magnifying things and making them appear larger, as opposed to say an ultra-wide angle lens, which is making everything in the scene appear smaller.

If you need, or want, to use A or AV, or S or Tv, or P, or even the Green Box newbie-mode, go ahead. You can see what the settings are through the viewfinder. JUst kep an eye on how the pics are coming out. If they look 'off', then make some changes to the controls. No big deal.

As ronlane mentioned--when you hand over a fancy d-slr to a newbie and ask him or her to take a shot of you and your s.o., it is usually best to put the camera in a fairly much all-automatic mode, so that they will be less likely to fudge up the shot.