Why don't people like program mode?

[Battou]

It doesn't do it all for you, though. It only offers a suggested setting which you can either use, or program shift to your preference. Although you can only choose settings at the appropriate light level, it isn't restricting as much as its helpful in weeding out what might possibly be a mistake on the user's part.

You will have to forgive me, I had a slight misunderstanding of program mode. Never the less, I am a person who believes that mistakes can not be corrected untill after they have been made. I do not shoot regularly with modern cameras by choice, so it seems absolutely forign to me that people would allow their camera to tell them how to set up a shot and then change somethings to better suit their goals to avoid a mistake.

 

[Alex_B]

I admit your first reasoning is something I hadn't thought about. I would be a bit freaked using manual all day without checking my light.

Done it at horse races and rugby matches ... works like a charm. If you still have natural light, you should of course check exposure from time to time if the weather changes

its that program mode is good, and isn't limiting like so many think it is.

It is not limiting, true, I said so in an earlier post

But Horses for Courses ... there is a time for manual and there are times for P, Av and Tv

 

[Senor Hound]

Done it at horse races and rugby matches ... works like a charm. If you still have natural light, you should of course check exposure from time to time if the weather changes

It is not limiting, true, I said so in an earlier post

But Horses for Courses ... there is a time for manual and there are times for P, Av and Tv

Yes, there is! [/point]

 

[Alex_B]

so it seems absolutely forign to me that people would allow their camera to tell them how to set up a shot and then change somethings to better suit their goals to avoid a mistake.

But it is not that the camera makes any decision. The camera only meters , but you decide where in the scene it meters. This is much like with a handheld light meter! And then, in P mode you can select an aperture or shutter speed and the camera will calculate the corresponding shutter speed of aperture respectively. Just the same as you do in your brain or with a calculator. That is just a formal value. and then you decide, if it would be wise to deviate from the given exposure. it is not about compensating an error the camera would make.

 

[Battou]

Like I said, I am naive in modern cameras and program mode shooting. The closest I have that seems comparable to a dSLRs program mode is a POS digital p-shooter and my experience with SLRs. Naturally I assume that I use the point and shoot at it's most manual abilities it would be similar with the exception being it's lack of some SLR capabilities. So my ideology is based on turn the camera on, switch from auto ISO to 400, adjust WEB, set 2 sec exposure, look at screen make sure it's right adjust again if needed and push the button.

What all am I missing here, fill me in.

If you are curious I remember exactly what shot that was too.

I also must admit I am a little spoiled by the constant metering of my primary SLR, I assumed it beacme common, but now I am beginning to wonder.

 

[Miaow]

Like I said, I am naive in modern cameras and program mode shooting. The closest I have that seems comparable to a dSLRs program mode is a POS digital p-shooter and my experience with SLRs. Naturally I assume that I use the point and shoot at it's most manual abilities it would be similar with the exception being it's lack of some SLR capabilities. So my ideology is based on turn the camera on, switch from auto ISO to 400, adjust WEB, set 2 sec exposure, look at screen make sure it's right adjust again if needed and push the button.

Being someone that uses P quite a bit - If I knew I wanted a long exposure ie 2 seconds I myself would use Manual so I could alter the Appeture to what ever I wanted easily. (I don't have an ND filter so I tend to use appeture &i so a bit to control light)

 

[Battou]

Being someone that uses P quite a bit - If I knew I wanted a long exposure ie 2 seconds I mayself would use Manual so I could alter the Appeture to what ever I wanted easily. (I don't have an ND filter so I tend to use appeture&iso a bit to control light)

Apriture is one of those SLR abilities that particular camera does not have manual control over, and actually now that I think about it, that one was only 0.5 sec shutter speed, it was a more reasent shot that was 2 sec....but anywho, I am just trying to figure out how comperable what I do have is to the program mode being being discussed here.

 

[Miaow]

Apriture is one of those SLR abilities that particular camera does not have manual control over, and actually now that I think about it, that one was only 0.5 sec shutter speed, it was a more reasent shot that was 2 sec....but anywho, I am just trying to figure out how comperable what I do have is to the program mode being being discussed here.

I have a kodak C743 as well - Its sorta comparable I spose in a way as in you are able to change the exposure comp, ISO, WB and shutter speed manually when you want true though appeture changing, true, isnt an option on that lol

Though with P on an SLR you sorta know the shot will work a lot better than a P&S would do it. There's is ALOT more control over a picture in P than you would get using a P&S

 

[Battou]

I have a kodak C743 as well - Its sorta comparable I spose in a way as in you are able to change the exposure comp, ISO, WB and shutter speed manually when you want true though appeture changing, true, isnt an option on that lol

Though with P you sorta know the shot will work a lot better than a P&S would do it

Ah, that helps considerably, thank you.

I've squeezed a couple shots out fo that C-743 that I would consider comperable to what I can do with an SLR...that was the only way to do it really...

Ironically enough, no mater how many times I do it, I keep forgetting that LT resets most settings on that camera...

 

[Mav]

All of these "you're stupid if you do it this way" threads show is that people have a fundamental lack of tolerance for the zillions of types of photographic styles out there, and the multitude of different ways in which people can enjoy this hobby, or use their cameras. If you don't do it MY way, YOU're stupid. Yeah ok, whatever. I'll have to dig out some of the great photos I've taken with my camera on "P" mode, and then just laugh silently when they call me stupid for having used "P" mode while ignoring the great photo.

I'm on board with frowning upon someone who buys a modern DSLR and never leaves the Green dummy Auto mode setting, but "P" mode? Come on... :thumbdown:

 

[Alex_B]

All of these "you're stupid if you do it this way" threads show is that people have a fundamental lack of tolerance for the zillions of types of photographic styles out there, and the multitude of different ways in which people can enjoy this hobby, or use their cameras. If you don't do it MY way, YOU're stupid. Yeah ok, whatever. I'll have to dig out some of the great photos I've taken with my camera on "P" mode, and then just laugh silently when they call me stupid for having used "P" mode while ignoring the great photo.

I'm on board with frowning upon someone who buys a modern DSLR and never leaves the Green dummy Auto mode setting, but "P" mode? Come on... :thumbdown:

Hey, we have settled this dispute anyway and reached some agreement

 

[Battou]

Hey, we have settled this dispute anyway and reached some agreement

yeah, it's still my fault though....I kinda blew this one up

 

[Mav]

Hey, we have settled this dispute anyway and reached some agreement

Figured!

My response was only towards the OP though, not anything anybody else might have said.

 

[Miaow]

Ironically enough, no mater how many times I do it, I keep forgetting that LT resets most settings on that camera...

Yes it does :/ I also hated the fact you can't use ISO or exposure compensation with it.

 

[Mav]

"P" mode FTW!

Took this just a month after getting my D80 when I was still pretty clueless and learning. I knew enough about shutter speeds and how to compensate for exposure, but that's it. I set the camera to "P" mode, and then used AUTO ISO (another dummy mode ) to maintain a minimum shutter speed of 1/60s. Point it at something bright and it'll ramp up the shutter speed and stop down the lens a bit to whatever it needs to be. Point it at something dark and it'll open the lens aperture fully and bottom out at 1/60s, and then start ramping up the ISO from 100 to 1600. Only once it bottoms out at your specified minimum SS (in this case 1/60s) will it start dropping the shutter speed. You could literally walk around all day with those settings from dawn till dusk and get a ton of great photos and concentrate mostly on the scenes and composition, and not worry about how your camera is set. Being a clueless newb, in fact I did just that!

BTW, that photo was from a moving open top tour bus going over bumpy roads. I saw the scene rounding a corner, pointed the camera and fired. A second later the bus had made the turn and the view was gone. WOOT!


Another "P" mode shot.

In this case I saw 1/8s in the viewfinder and it was already topped out at iso1600, so I knew to hold the camera as steady as possible and take 3 or 4 shots to ensure that I got a sharp one. I took 3, and sure enough one of them (this one) was sharp.

Most of the photos from this Paris trip back in 2006 were in P mode, I really didn't have a clue, but knew the basics, and still got outstanding photos. Hey if it works it works! :lmao: :hail:

Oh, those were all with the 18-55 kit lens too, so while I'm at it, KIT LENS FTW! lol