Automatic Modes

[480sparky]

I have never shot a camera in any scene mode. I tried a few of the main modes when I first started out with a DSLR but all that resulted in was missing shots of wildlife while I was trying to center the exposure needle. I finally figured out that by going to manual I could set the aperture and shutter speed then let the camera select the ISO. That's what works for me.

Scene Modes has nothing to do with proper exposure.

 

[Overread]

I have never shot a camera in any scene mode. I tried a few of the main modes when I first started out with a DSLR but all that resulted in was missing shots of wildlife while I was trying to center the exposure needle. I finally figured out that by going to manual I could set the aperture and shutter speed then let the camera select the ISO. That's what works for me.

Try this instead:

1) Aperture Priority mode

2) Fix the aperture to what you want

3) Fix the ISO to what you want

4) Keep an eye on the shutter speed; if its ever too slow push the ISO higher

The bonus with this approach is that if the light improves your shutter speed just gets faster and faster to compensate - if it gets worse you just up your ISO yourself to compensate.
Granted your approach can work well, modern DSLRs have goo high ISO capabilities so leaving it on auto can work well, however if you're fixing shutter speed and aperture there is always the chance that your going to have more settings to fiddle with if the light shifts significantly.

That said in the end there is no proper or perfect approach, the key is to try and experiment and practice with a variety so that when a situation arises you can choose the best mode and method to get the shot you want with the settings possible with the scene.

 

[Derrel]

I actually went to the OP's page and looked around before I posted. Did anybody else? Or were you just too busy spouting opinions about how infernal the scene modes on the beginner Nikons are? You know, without ever having even ONCE tried to use scene modes. Oh wait, a lot of us have cameras that do not have scene modes...so we'd have to use the ONE-BUTTON cameras that utilize them in order to have access to scene modes. And who wants to do that right?

Who can properly adjust 11 exposure parameters, using a one-button camera that has 100+ menu options to select from, faster than clicking a dial to one of 11 pre-set icon positions? Anybody???

Nikon D3100. Not Nikon D3x or Nikon D800. Not Canon 1DX or Canon 5D Mark III.

Nikon D3100.......

I'm having a little bit of fun at the expense of some of the nerds, as amolitor calls them.

 

[grafxman]

I have never shot a camera in any scene mode. I tried a few of the main modes when I first started out with a DSLR but all that resulted in was missing shots of wildlife while I was trying to center the exposure needle. I finally figured out that by going to manual I could set the aperture and shutter speed then let the camera select the ISO. That's what works for me.

Try this instead:

1) Aperture Priority mode

2) Fix the aperture to what you want

3) Fix the ISO to what you want

4) Keep an eye on the shutter speed; if its ever too slow push the ISO higher

The bonus with this approach is that if the light improves your shutter speed just gets faster and faster to compensate - if it gets worse you just up your ISO yourself to compensate.
Granted your approach can work well, modern DSLRs have goo high ISO capabilities so leaving it on auto can work well, however if you're fixing shutter speed and aperture there is always the chance that your going to have more settings to fiddle with if the light shifts significantly.

That said in the end there is no proper or perfect approach, the key is to try and experiment and practice with a variety so that when a situation arises you can choose the best mode and method to get the shot you want with the settings possible with the scene.

That's one of the techniques I tried a few years ago. The thing is, I'm just about always shooting at 500mm so setting the shutter speed to 1000 and leaving it there has proven very helpful when getting a shot off quickly. Setting the aperture to f8 and letting the camera chose the ISO is the fastest method I've come up with. For example, take a look at this shot of one of the most elusive birds in the wetlands:

IMG_1840 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Check out the 2 photos of the same bird adjacent to it in the photostream. I had never seen a clapper rail before that day and I've never seen one since. If you look at the EXIF info you will see the lens is at 500mm with a shutter speed of 1000. That bird showed itself for less than a minute. I would never have got any shots of it if I would have had to tinker with camera settings. Been there, done that, it's not for me at least where wildlife photography is concerned. Now shooting in museums is an entirely different situation. There I can take a little time and play around with setting but not when chasing wildlife.

 

[tirediron]

I actually went to the OP's page and looked around before I posted. Did anybody else? Or were you just too busy spouting opinions about how infernal the scene modes on the beginner Nikons are? You know, without ever having even ONCE tried to use scene modes. Oh wait, a lot of us have cameras that do not have scene modes...so we'd have to use the ONE-BUTTON cameras that utilize them in order to have access to scene modes. And who wants to do that right?

Who can properly adjust 11 exposure parameters, using a one-button camera that has 100+ menu options to select from, faster than clicking a dial to one of 11 pre-set icon positions? Anybody???

Nikon D3100. Not Nikon D3x or Nikon D800. Not Canon 1DX or Canon 5D Mark III.

Nikon D3100.......

I'm having a little bit of fun at the expense of some of the nerds, as amolitor calls them.

Okay... some valid points Derrel, but what do they have to do with the OPs question, "So, I ask you all, do you still use those automatic modes or does your experience make you stick up your nose at the very thought?" My interpretation of that was simply that he was asking what we thought of scene modes and whether we used them; nothing relating to his camera or photography... Just sayin'...

 

[480sparky]

I have never shot a camera in any scene mode. I tried a few of the main modes when I first started out with a DSLR but all that resulted in was missing shots of wildlife while I was trying to center the exposure needle. I finally figured out that by going to manual I could set the aperture and shutter speed then let the camera select the ISO. That's what works for me.

Try this instead:

1) Aperture Priority mode

2) Fix the aperture to what you want

3) Fix the ISO to what you want

4) Keep an eye on the shutter speed; if its ever too slow push the ISO higher
........

That right there is my default method. Rarely does shutter speed come into play for me unless I'm using a VND. I choose native ISO, and match the aperture to the lens & scene, letting the shutter speed fall where it may.

 

[Greiver]

I actually went to the OP's page and looked around before I posted. Did anybody else? Or were you just too busy spouting opinions about how infernal the scene modes on the beginner Nikons are? You know, without ever having even ONCE tried to use scene modes. Oh wait, a lot of us have cameras that do not have scene modes...so we'd have to use the ONE-BUTTON cameras that utilize them in order to have access to scene modes. And who wants to do that right?

Who can properly adjust 11 exposure parameters, using a one-button camera that has 100+ menu options to select from, faster than clicking a dial to one of 11 pre-set icon positions? Anybody???

Nikon D3100. Not Nikon D3x or Nikon D800. Not Canon 1DX or Canon 5D Mark III.

Nikon D3100.......

I'm having a little bit of fun at the expense of some of the nerds, as amolitor calls them.

Okay... some valid points Derrel, but what do they have to do with the OPs question, "So, I ask you all, do you still use those automatic modes or does your experience make you stick up your nose at the very thought?" My interpretation of that was simply that he was asking what we thought of scene modes and whether we used them; nothing relating to his camera or photography... Just sayin'...

That's exactly my reason for this topic. To me, the fact that he felt the need to go to my page just cause I asked a hypothetical question is a bit sad and amusing. Plus some of what he said in his post just spells out a massive need to try and appear superior to everyone else around him at all times and I find it hilarious.

Not that I actually care, I'm not saying I'm anywhere near being a pro and I don't care what he thinks of my photos. Especially after I've read some of his past posts.