How much do you rely on Auto Settings?

[asfixiate]

I either use Manual or P mode. I use P mode most of the time.

I use histogram to make sure my exposure is ok and as long as I'm in focus I can edit afterwards.

 

[Senor Hound]

I like program mode. You can adjust any sort of adjustments to the brightness of the photo using Exposure compensation (EV +/-), and then it gives you just the options that fall under that level of brightness.

But that's a strange, new way of doing things. Old-school photographers didn't really use or have exposure compensation, so the only way to shoot in a way other than what the camera wanted you to was to go manual. I think that may be where some of the anti-program sentiment comes in.

 

[someguy5]

During the daytime I shoot strictly aperture priority.

During night time shots the auto modes never capture what I want correctly so I have to shoot in full manual.

 

[sultan]

Forget about M all the time, the pros will MAKE FUN OF YOU! It's ridiculous to do such a trivial and annoying thing yourself when the camera can do it far better than you. 95% of the time, I shoot in Av mode. I only use M when I have very crazy lighting conditions where the intended subject is MUCH darker or brighter than the rest of the scene. Usually, even for that I just adjust the exposure compensation.

Manual focus is really useful. Manual exposure is handy for that rare shot, but is generally useless and counterproductive.

 

[Speedy]

I've had my camera about 6 months now and I've been shooting in Manual for the last 3.

I figure if I can competently work Manual mode and get decent pictures most of the time, then I can use the other modes and switch between them as the situation calls for it.

I've learned a lot more about the Ins and Outs of the camera shooting in Manual, just because I'm forced to play with the settings and see how everything works.

That said, I've gotten some really really terrible pictures in the last 6 months, but I've been seeing a steady improvement and it makes me feel good.

 

[Normann Photo]

First their is no wrong mode to shoot in as long as the exposure is accurate. Some cameras are better at calculating exposures than others. Personally I shoot in all the modes, depending on what I want to control. I use M with strobe's in the studio, in dark receptions when I have flash on a stroboframe, and for any location where I know the lighting is constant and I will be shooting a number of shots of the subject. Learn how to accurately use your histogram and check it often. Also try this... use your camera in what ever auto mode you like to get a reading. Then switch to those settings in M. Take a shot and evaluate the histogram. Adjust settings if needed. Shoot the rest of the shots under that setting and keep an eye on the histogram-adjusting settings as needed. This method also makes post production much smoother since all of the shoots will (in theory) be equally off if you are off. Experience will help also.

 

[Mike30D]

Forget about M all the time, the pros will MAKE FUN OF YOU! It's ridiculous to do such a trivial and annoying thing yourself when the camera can do it far better than you. 95% of the time, I shoot in Av mode. I only use M when I have very crazy lighting conditions where the intended subject is MUCH darker or brighter than the rest of the scene. Usually, even for that I just adjust the exposure compensation.

Manual focus is really useful. Manual exposure is handy for that rare shot, but is generally useless and counterproductive.

Total control over your shot is counterproductive?

 

[Snyder]

The only thing I use that is auto is auto focus though sometimes I use manual focus in darker lighting conditions. Other than that I only use full manual settings. It makes me feel that im doing the work not the camera. I dont mind aperature or shutter proirity for certain photo shoots maybe fast action paced sports and other circumstance needed to get the shot fast. Other than that if notice another photog shooting in program mode I have no respect for that person.

 

[Stratman]

Probably 90% I'm in aperture priority mode, rarely do I use shutter priority, because I am usually doing landscape type shots where shutter speed isn't all that important, if I want a faster shutter, I'll open up the aperture a few stops. Unless I am using one of my fully manual lenses, then I'll use M mode, and a light meter.

 

[sultan]

Total control over your shot is counterproductive?

Control = good
Doing simple things that the camera does far better than you = bad

Nothing wrong with control but Exposure Compensation does what you do in manual in a much easier way that lets you go on shooting without worrying about the numbers and instead focusing on the art.

Note - I am just expressing my opinion, no offense intended. The mode also depends on the type of photography and for some types with extremely high contrast, manual is very useful. I usually use 0.5 stop underexposure and then brighten as necessary in the post-processing stage.

 

[Senor Hound]

Other than that if notice another photog shooting in program mode I have no respect for that person.

Why? A person can do anything and everything someone can in Manual with the use of program shift and exposure compensation. If it allows for the same control just in a different way, why does it matter? With technology nowadays there are so many ways to skin the same cat, we should respect everyone else regardless of how they shoot. If Anne Leibovitz shot in program mode, would you have no respect for her either?

 

[manaheim]

Manual mode when you have the time, program mode when you don't. I leave the camera in program mode when I "put it away" so if I have to quickly grab it and shoot, I have a chance of getting the shot.

Something else I generally tell people is to take pictures in Program mode until it fails you. Why? It's a good way to learn the limitations of that mode and a good way to get a sense of aspects of photography that you may not be that well versed in.

Good example: A buddy of mine took a very close-up picture of me holding my camera in program mode. He got annoyed that the word "Nikon" on my camera was fuzzy, when my face a mere 4" behind it, was in focus. He asked what happened, I said he had a shallow depth of field because his aperature was wide open. He went "OH! That's what that means! Ok!" and then put it to manual and got the shot right.

There's nothing "wrong" with Program mode... it's just going to leave some of the thinking to the camera, and the camera IS going to occasionally make a mistake.

 

[elemental]

The only thing I use that is auto is auto focus though sometimes I use manual focus in darker lighting conditions. Other than that I only use full manual settings. It makes me feel that im doing the work not the camera. I dont mind aperature or shutter proirity for certain photo shoots maybe fast action paced sports and other circumstance needed to get the shot fast. Other than that if notice another photog shooting in program mode I have no respect for that person.

This is quite interesting. Assuming the pronoun you left out in the last sentence is "I," you'll have to add me to the list of photographers you have "no respect for."

I have no problem with other photographers choosing to use full manual all of the time. I went through a phase where I used manual wherever possible and thought this made me a "better photographer" because "all the pros shoot full manual all of the time." Though I now know that this is completely incorrect, the time I spent learning the camera through manual mode has allowed me to understand the automatic modes and use them to their full potential.

Dismissing any photographer who chooses an automatic exposure, however, is ridiculous. The camera is simply a tool, and each of us uses it in his own way to attempt to replicate the image in our mind's eye. Condemning those who you use it differently than you is, in my opinion, astonishingly closed-minded.

A few days ago I was shooting an event for work that involved students moving into the dorm rooms they would be living in for the summer. The days was exceptionally bright, and moving from outside to inside meant going from extremely bright scenes to heavily-shadowed and often harshly backlit indoor exposures, and having Program mode to switch the aperture and exposure to usable ranges was very helpful- all I had left to do was fine tune using EV compensation. Using an automatic mode allowed me to spend more time taking pictures and less time turning dials. I am fully competent in fully manual photography (my "new" Ricoh KR-10 Super will be here later this week), but I often allow the camera to do the busywork that can get in the way of taking pictures.



If using "M" at all times is what makes you feel good about your photography, by all means keep doing it. To suggest that those who choose other methods to chase the images in their heads are somehow unworthy of respect is absurd.

 

[manaheim]

Other than that if notice another photog shooting in program mode I have no respect for that person.

This really is a bit silly. Unless you happen to be able to make shutter and aperature settings as fast as the computer on the camera, you're going to miss some shots that the guy in Program mode is going to catch. (fast situations, sudden changes, etc.)

I mean, if we're going to take this posture, let's try to be consistent, shall we? Do you have any power screwdrivers in the house? How about power drills? Do you happen to drive a car with an automatic transmission? Powered blender? Electric stove? Computer? If you have or use any of these things, then you're cheating, and I've lost all respect for you!

Please forgive the over-the-top examples, but I hope you see my point.

Frankly, I think there is an elitism about this whole M/P thing that this demonstrates very well. If the person's results are stellar, respect them for their capabilities to choose the right settings for the moment... don't base it on whether or not they're "man enough" to break out the manual mode.

 

[Senor Hound]

Manual mode when you have the time, program mode when you don't. I leave the camera in program mode when I "put it away" so if I have to quickly grab it and shoot, I have a chance of getting the shot.

Something else I generally tell people is to take pictures in Program mode until it fails you. Why? It's a good way to learn the limitations of that mode and a good way to get a sense of aspects of photography that you may not be that well versed in.

Good example: A buddy of mine took a very close-up picture of me holding my camera in program mode. He got annoyed that the word "Nikon" on my camera was fuzzy, when my face a mere 4" behind it, was in focus. He asked what happened, I said he had a shallow depth of field because his aperature was wide open. He went "OH! That's what that means! Ok!" and then put it to manual and got the shot right.

There's nothing "wrong" with Program mode... it's just going to leave some of the thinking to the camera, and the camera IS going to occasionally make a mistake.

If his camera supports program shift, he could roll the wheel to the correct aperture/shutter speed combo he was looking for without leaving program mode. Some people prefer this, but if he got the shot that's all that matters