Do you manual all the time?

ltcricket · Oct 13, 2012

Do most of you shoot manual all the time or AV priority / TV priorty. I try to use manual all the time but miss alot of candid shots of the kids trying to get everything set.Just curious what every body else does. thanks!

gsgary · Oct 13, 2012

Manual, only way with a Leica

Austin Greene · Oct 13, 2012

Manual all the time. Not because I think its "cool" but because I find it better suits my shooting style. Even if I catch a great shot, if I wasn't responsible for each factor that went into it (WB, Focus, DOF, SS, etc) then I simply don't feel nearly as good about it. If I could afford film, I would do it, but digital is much more cost friendly to a starving college student. Until then, I barely let the camera get away with processing the image at all. As for speed, I've rarely missed a shot from taking too long to change settings.

Not to mention that I'm not shooting with an insanely high end camera (T3i). Left to its automatic settings every image comes out bland and tasteless. However, its got much of the same hardware as a 7D, so why not harness that by shooting manual and reap the benefits?

Your camera can never be as creative as your mind, so decide early on who's going to wear the pants in that relationship.

As for me, I'm a control freak, and manual is the only mode for me

Solarflare · Oct 13, 2012

Newer Leica can do aperture priority. Just set the shutter speed dial to the "A" position.

I usually use Aperture priority with Auto ISO, Max ISO to HI.2 (highest my camera can go) and shutter speed to whatever minimum I think its appropiate.

When I have a portrait (single person), I use maximum aperture.

When I have a group or other larger subject, I raise the aperture.

When I try to photograph a landscape or shoot with my weaker lenses (*), I use f/8 or f/11.

THis technique means, though, that I have to do a lot of menu surfing whenever I want to use different minimum shutter speeds.

When I want time effects, I use shutter priority. I am thinking of getting a variable ND filter for that.

Oh, and I have no qualms to simply set the mode to "Auto" whenever I feel that this will give me the shot.

(*) This refers to my kit lens and to my telezoom in the longer focal lengths.

prodigy2k7 · Oct 13, 2012

Only shoot manual when I need to. Otherwise I use aperture/shutter priority.

Light Guru · Oct 13, 2012

ltcricket said:
Do most of you shoot manual all the time or AV priority / TV priorty. I try to use manual all the time but miss alot of candid shots of the kids trying to get everything set.Just curious what every body else does. thanks!

It all depends on what I'm shooting.

To shoot the same way "all the time" will not always work.

MLeeK · Oct 13, 2012

I shoot full manual all of the time, but I am a rare bird. The priority modes are there for a reason and if you know your 'stuff' they are probably better tools to use than full manual much of the time.
I am just inept in the priority modes. This is how I learned and this is how I shoot. HOWEVER, I teach the priority modes often.

So the answer is:
Learn full manual, but shoot using the proper tools and that knowledge.

Mach0 · Oct 13, 2012

Yes. Only time my camera is in one of the programmed modes is when I ask someone to take a pic for me.

ann · Oct 13, 2012

My background and training was always manual (as that was basically all there was). I still use it most of the time; however, i will do what ever it takes to get the shot and there have been on occasion a need to use a priority mode. My d700 doesn't even have auto or i might have considered that if necessary.

If i took a guess i would say 99.99% of the time it is manual but again i have been doing it that way for 64 years and my brain just kicks in on it's own.

Derrel · Oct 13, 2012

Flash: ALWAYS manual. Always.
Panning when a SPECIFIC shutter speed is critical: Shutter Speed priority
Many times I will shoot in Aperture Priority auto. It's faster at setting the speed than I am, and I can swing the metering circle to any area I want, and then lock the exposure with the AE lock thumb button.

DorkSterr · Oct 13, 2012

Manual when I'm shooting none action photography (80% of the time), A/P/S when I'm doing fast action and have no time to keep switching settings.

Judobreaker · Oct 13, 2012

No. I both use aperture priority and manual.
Aperture works very well in a lot of cases cases. Whenever it doesn't I switch to manual.

Overread · Oct 13, 2012

The best advice I can give you is to:

1) Learn how to use all the modes on the camera. Or at the very least learn how to use aperture priority, shutter priority and manual mode. (auto needs no learning

and program is optional to learn, some like it and some don't - if you have scene modes ignore them and bulb mode is really just manual but with a longer custom shutter speed).

2) Use all the key modes a good few times. Don't just learn the theory, practice it until you can easily shoot using those various modes.

Once you've used and practised with them you'll find that its not really a question of "what mode should I shoot" but rather "What mode will give me the best shot possible with the conditions I'm in." Sometimes its going to be full manual; other times one of the priority modes will suit. In the end this is about giving you the option to choose hot to operate since each person and each situation is different and its best to approach it knowing how to use the tool and making the right choices; than always trying to follow someone elses "ideal" way to shoot.

panblue · Oct 13, 2012

ltcricket said:
Do most of you shoot manual all the time or AV priority / TV priorty. I try to use manual all the time but miss alot of candid shots of the kids trying to get everything set.Just curious what every body else does. thanks!

I use aperture priority quite often, sometimes full manual. Shutter priority with flash sync. Program occasionally for quick snaps.