What shooting mode does everyone use?

[KenC]

Mostly Av, M for flash, occasionally Tv if on a moving boat or something. Using P means giving up all control over the photo - you might not like the ISO, aperture or shutter speed the camera selects, or possibly all three - better to pick at least two of them yourself.

 

[JMBriggs]

Hmmm in my P mode (they are probably all the same...) I can either set them myself or let the camera set them... I always set my iso, wb, and a lot of the time the shutter speed...

 

[table1349]

A question for those of you using M... Do any of you use metering tools besides your eye and your camera? I think I will start trying to master M mode. How come no one is using P?

Depending on the situation I use either the in camera meter or a Sekonic 358.

P = Picture Taker. All you are is the guy or gal holding the camera and pointing it at a subject. The camera decides what to expose and how to expose, at what shutter speed, aperture and ISO. These are all things I want to control, not let the camera control.

Shooting sports I need fast shutter speeds and just enough DOF to capture the action in focus and nothing else. P mode won't do that most of the time unless all the stars are aligned just right.

Landscapes don't always call for a general metering to try and get everything exposed properly, usually resulting in most things not exposed properly. I want to meter on the various contrasts and calculate the settings I need to get the look I want. If I have a great range of contrasts I may take several shots and put them together. Several shots of the same subject in P mode is going to give me the exposure the camera wants, not what I want.

Best way to get out of P mode is to read this book: Amazon.com: Understanding Exposure, 3rd Edition: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera (9780817439392): Bryan Peterson: Books
Once you understand light, aperture, shutter speed and ISO and how they all work together you will discover how to achieve your photographic vision, not take pictures.

 

[KenC]

Hmmm in my P mode (they are probably all the same...) I can either set them myself or let the camera set them... I always set my iso, wb, and a lot of the time the shutter speed...

I just put my camera in P mode for the first time and it sets both aperture and shutter speed, although it doesn't seem to be changing the ISO that was set. It's still better to be in the less automatic modes.

 

[TheBiles]

M almost always unless I am shooting a subject with a lot of movement then I go for Av or Tv depending on what's important.

Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G

 

[D-B-J]

If I am shooting with strobes or flash I use manual mode. Everything else (with few exceptions) are in aperture mode.

+1

 

[joealcantar]

If I am shooting with strobes or flash I use manual mode. Everything else (with few exceptions) are in aperture mode.

+1

+2

 

[c.cloudwalker]

A question for those of you using M... Do any of you use metering tools besides your eye and your camera? I think I will start trying to master M mode. How come no one is using P?

Your eye is not the best of tool for a correct exposure. I use a flash meter because most of my work is done with strobes, indoor or outdoor. Your camera meter is fine for most non-strobe work as long as you understand how it works.

I always shoot in Manual because of the strobe work. But even before when using available light I used to shoot in Manual for the simple reason that there was no other choice when I learned and I got so used to it that it was just faster for me. However, a correct exposure is a correct exposure no matter what metering mode you use.

One thing I didn't see mentioned is the fact that sometimes you will go against a technically good exposure setting because what you are trying to achieve requires something else.

 

[cnutco]

What ever the situation calls for. Either M, AV, or TV.

+1

 

[EmilRye]

I use M 90% of the time because I like to be in full control . If I'm shooting in the sun and have to move to shade (and haven't done tests beforehand) I'll put it in Av but that's all I use

 

[Sarge]

Always in Manual Mode myself

 

[Orrin]

A question for those of you using M... Do any of you use metering tools besides your eye and your camera? I think I will start trying to master M mode. How come no one is using P?

I use P most of the time except for landscapes, then I set the Canon Powershot to the 'Landscape' symbol.

 

[Scoody]

50% of the time in Av, 30% in TV and 20% (maybe) in M. I do not think that I have ever taken a photo with my Canon D60 in Auto.

 

[Derrel]

I shoot in A or Awesome mode, quite a bit. I also shoot a lot in M or Masochist mode a fair amount. Somebody a long time ago told me that those were the two best modes to use, so those are the modes I use 99.9% of the time.

 

[TwoTwoLeft]

I just turn it to the little green box... Hell, after dropping all that cash on a DSLR I'm gonna make it do all the hard work! Unless I shoot babies, then I turn it on the little head with the star. They come out all fuzzy, but babies look so darn cute when they're fuzzy!