Beginner: What mode do you commonly shoot in??

[CSR Studio]

mostly aperture mode since most all of my shots are outside in the bright sun and shutter speed is high enough to stop action, or indoors where shutter speed isnt of any concern. i only use shutter priority if i need to force higher speeds

I shoot very similar to this when walking around and also when shooting wildlife. That way the camera reacts to changes in lighting far faster than I can and it also allows me to use the exposure comensation controls should my meter be giving me undesirable results in my shots.
The times I change are when I am shooting with flash being the dominant light source in the shot - such as in much of my macro work - and then I shift to full manual mode so that I can take full advantage of the extra light given out by the flash in the scene (something that the cameras meter won't take into account and thus something that the more auto modes won't do for me)

I always shoot manual. I am surprised by the answers. Why wouldn't you want to control your photograph? Why wouldn't everything be manual? The only time my camera is on anything but manual is when I am asking someone else to take a picture, then I put it on program.

I'm guessing by your name that your a studio photographer?
In a studio - or any environment where your not against the clock with shooting speed and/or where the lighting is under full control or constant then full manual will work very well. But if your reacting to the scene infront of you and just following the cameras built in meter for a "proper exposure" (taking into account any compensation that you might need should the lighting be tricking the meter) then I don't see why one should use manual mode when the modes like aperture and shutter priority will do the very same thing - but a heck of a lot faster.

Yes, I am a studio photographer but I always shoot manual, no matter what. Weddings, portraits, sports. Wouldn't shoot anything else. Because I am the one with the brain and I know what I want in the photograph. If I need DOF or a fast or slow shutter speed, I don't have to switch between aperature or shutter priority, I just shoot it on the shutter speed I want with the aperature that I need. I know my camera as any good photographer should.

 

[Plato]

I shoot Manual almost exclusively, but that's the way I learned back in the day with film.

Unfortunately, full manual is (for me) much slower and harder to use today than it was when I had a physical meter needle on my "Honeywell Pentax" Spotmatic.

 

[Derrel]

When using flash,either indoors out out, with a speedlight or with Speedotron, I ALWAYS shoot in manual mode. You need to control the ambient light with the shutter speed, either a slow speed to pick up ambient background light, or the fastest sync speed to minimize ambient, or a moderate speed to get light sources to render properly. Flash is best shot on manual exposure modes,for consistency and reliability.

Manual is my preference for slow,deliberate shooting where conditions will not change rapidly or unexpectedly.

Action that moves rapidly I often shoot on Aperture Priority auto,especially with Nikons which have light metering I can trust. I use the AE/L thumb button quite often, to swing the meter to areas I want t meter off of, and then press the Auto Exposure Lock to hold the desired metering in a locked mode.

I only shoot shutter priority auto when I am doing panning of moving subjects and want a *specific* shutter speed, like 1/6 or 1/8 second, virtually all of the time with a VR lens.

 

[benlonghair]

I shoot Manual almost exclusively, but that's the way I learned back in the day with film.

Unfortunately, full manual is (for me) much slower and harder to use today than it was when I had a physical meter needle on my "Honeywell Pentax" Spotmatic.

The other thing to think about on the manual film camera that you learned on is the fact that your film camera had two controls, your shutter speed selector (however that worked) and, in my case, an aperture ring. I currently have only one way to adjust those two. That means that I can't be changing them at the same time. So I shoot in A for the most part. I shoot a lot of wild life, and I find DOF control on the command dial is more important than shutter speed.

So basically it's A for natural light shots and M for flash.

 

[Plato]

I shoot Manual almost exclusively, but that's the way I learned back in the day with film.

Unfortunately, full manual is (for me) much slower and harder to use today than it was when I had a physical meter needle on my "Honeywell Pentax" Spotmatic.

The other thing to think about on the manual film camera that you learned on is the fact that your film camera had two controls, your shutter speed selector (however that worked) and, in my case, an aperture ring. I currently have only one way to adjust those two. That means that I can't be changing them at the same time. So I shoot in A for the most part. I shoot a lot of wild life, and I find DOF control on the command dial is more important than shutter speed.

So basically it's A for natural light shots and M for flash.

Absolutely. I used my left hand to rotate the shutter speed dial and my right hand to rotate the lens aperture ring.

 

[Goontz]

I always shoot in U (uber manual). I even have to physically move the shutter myself.


Oh, and I'm better than all of you because of it.

 

[o_O]

I travelled around Asia for a year, camera in hand, and these were my everyday settings.

When just walking around I set Tv 1/60 to be ready to capture normal human movement and also get the maximum DOF when hand holding for the avalable light. I set Av to the widest setting which will give me the fastest shutter speed for the available light, just in case the action hots up and it also allows for maximum DOF isolation should a shot call for that. M is set for either shade or direct ambient light. I then have 3 quick go to settings that cover the 5 most likely situations I'm likely to see. It served me well from strolling through markets to visiting festivals. Anywhere you're not sure what you're likely to encounter.

 

[o_O]

I always shoot in U (uber manual). I even have to physically move the shutter myself.


Oh, and I'm better than all of you because of it.

Lol, I think uber manual is done with a paint brush.

 

[Plato]

I always shoot in U (uber manual). I even have to physically move the shutter myself.


Oh, and I'm better than all of you because of it.

:lmao:

 

[helloyo53]

I have my own plan of what to shoot with.

When I am birdwatching, which I do frequently, I use good ol' Auto mode. Why? Birds are annoying little creatures that take off when you don't want them too. So if I am on Auto mode, I can quickly focus in on them and take the picture without having to adjust shutter speed, aperture and stuff like that.

When I am taking pictures of my budgie, I use full manual mode. I can usually find the best combinations to really make his colours shine in the picture.

When I am taking a landscape scene, I also use manual mode, since most of the time, the landscape won't run away, and I have a lot of time to adjust things on my camera.

For sunsets, I use the sunset mode on my camera, and they do turn out really good.


So yes, that's my strategy.

 

[enufced904]

I shoot in manual 99% of the time regardless of what I'm trying to shoot. I haven't really ventured into Av or Tv yet.

 

[AUZambo]

I shoot in aperture the vast majority of the time. As I adjust the aperture I pay attention to the camera's choice of shutter speed to determine just how wide or close I can make it.

If I'm trying to either freeze motion or create motion (like this picture) I'll use shutter priority.

If after trying shutter or aperture I still can't get what I want then I'll either change metering modes or flip to manual and make minor adjustments 'til it comes out right.

 

[inTempus]

Action that moves rapidly I often shoot on Aperture Priority auto,especially with Nikons which have light metering I can trust.

You always have to get a cheap shot in on Canon in every single post you make.

Yes, we Canon shooters have crappy light metering too. I never know what I'm going to get, my shots always suck because of it... It's amazing Canon is even in business as they suck so bad.

Why do you keep buying Canon's by the way? Are you a masochist? Just curious.

 

[o_O]

Choosing aperture or shutter priority is a decision you make before you raise the camera to your eye You ought to consider, is this a motion related capture (intentional blur or freezing motion) or is DOF (short DOF isolation or deep DOF) the important thing. Then choose the settings on your camera.

What you expect to shoot will help make your general camera setting decisions. When travelling I mostly shot people or hand held so 1/60 Tv was important to me. If I'm hiking a greater DOF for landscapes is more useful so would likely use a smaller apperture in Av, especially if I have a pole to use as a monopod.

If I have the time to use manual I do.

 

[inTempus]

I shoot in manual 99% of the time regardless of what I'm trying to shoot. I haven't really ventured into Av or Tv yet.

I'll get you out of manual mode, I'll take you shooting on a cloudy yet partially sunny afternoon where the sun is constantly dipping in and out of the cloud cover. Then we'll shoot some moving subjects in the constantly changing light conditions.

That should do it.