Why shouldn't I use auto-mode?

[bribrius]

honestly i have trouble using anything but auto or manual. consider it lack of experience, ignorance. Don't know. But usually when i attempt to use anything but auto or manual it doesn't work out and i end up deciding i need full control of the camera anyway and switch to manual.
I have had some luck with shutter priority in cases but when everything else goes amiss with any mode (quite often) my natural inclination is to go back to manual. iso bumps up , put a limit on it, forget that and go to manual iso, aperture goes off, whatever. seems more a headache and i end up going back to manual. took a bunch of shots in aperature a couple weeks ago trying to push myself to get out of using just manual or auto and tossed out most of them. Granted i get some luck in shutter priority but generally if i am at the point i am not using auto i end up in manual. which sucks because it means i am always friggn with the settings trying to keep up.

 

[Derrel]

Despite recommending the standard use of Manual, Patterson is effectively using either Aperture Priority or Shutter Priority, and occasionally tweaking the 'recommended' settings if this does not give him the result he needs. This seems to cover the criticisms you are making.

You have shown that you are actually using your brain on the issue, and can understand the actual logic of the situation. You have correctly seen through the B.S. that the "I Shoot in M-Mode" T-shirt wearers cannot seem to grasp. The badge of honor of shooting in manual mode is a load of crap, yet on the internet, there's a vocal group that thumps and chest-pounds about how they "shoot in manual, always". Some of them even write books for noobs.

The "I Shoot in M-mode" T-shirt crowd acts as if driving to the supermarket using a 5-speed manual transmission somehow makes their 10-block drive somehow more noble, more worthy of praise than the drive of a mom who throws the kids into the minivan and puts the Chrysler in "D" and drives her 10 blocks with a vehicle that uses an automatic transmission. Sure, sure, they BOTH got to the same,exact friggin' parking lot, at the same time, from the same distance, to shop at the same store, but the manual transmission dude had to shift 37 times, so he's you know, got a bigger..."list"...

 

[bribrius]

Despite recommending the standard use of Manual, Patterson is effectively using either Aperture Priority or Shutter Priority, and occasionally tweaking the 'recommended' settings if this does not give him the result he needs. This seems to cover the criticisms you are making.

You have shown that you are actually using your brain on the issue, and can understand the actual logic of the situation. You have correctly seen through the B.S. that the "I Shoot in M-Mode" T-shirt wearers cannot seem to grasp. The badge of honor of shooting in manual mode is a load of crap, yet on the internet, there's a vocal group that thumps and chest-pounds about how they "shoot in manual, always". Some of them even write books for noobs.

i wish the cameras were smarter and we could all just shoot auto. voice activated. tell the camera "here is what i want for a photo" and it does it.

 

[Actinia]

You have shown that you are actually using your brain on the issue, and can understand the actual logic of the situation.

Thanks for that. I was, not all that long ago, thinking like the OP here. I normally use Auto (Program) mode, switching to AP or SP as needed.

 

[wfooshee]

I almost never use Program, although I've found that it sometimes does a better job balancing fill flash with ambient light. I almost never shoot fully manual unless there's something specific about a "metered" exposure that I'm trying to override. I'm nearly always in one of the priority modes. Shooting people, probably aperture-priority. Shooting action (racing, air shows, sports) it'll be shutter priority. I NEVER use auto-ISO.

The "scene" modes don't do anything for me because I don't shoot JPG in the camera. Without letting the camera do the JPG, scene modes don't do anything except mysterious undocumented settings with shutter, aperture, AF, and flash.

So 99.9999365% of my shooting is Tv or Av, and most of that is probably Tv.

 

[AlanKlein82 21]

If you want to move your photography up a notch, forget manual controls and focus on content, composition, perspective, lighting, and interest.

Don't get so busy with the technical aspects that you miss what really makes a good photo.

 

[sashbar]

95% of the time I use A mode, because DoF is usually my main concern. Since I can put a limit on min shutter speed, it does not worry me much. I often use Auto ISO. I only use manual on rare occasions p.e. when expo comp us more than 3 stops, which is rare. Otherwise I just see no point. Sure I would have had a better shutter speed control in manual, but I would have missed half of my shots, because I usually have no time at all to adjust it. With street photography , to me personally, it is best to know exactly what DoF I have, that my shutter speed does not go lower that a set limit and ISO will be adjusted automatically. Then I just can point and shoot. Not always the best option, but works best most of the time.

 

[TJC]

my real question was a bit too long for the headline..! What I mean to ask, is if I'm not looking for DOF or need a long or short exposure time, is there a real reason for me not to use auto mode..?

The good news is you can use Automode all you want! The neat thing about DSLRs is that they give you the choice. It's like driving a powerful car. Just because your Ferrari will do 220mph doesn't mean you have to drive it that fast!
Still, there may be times to move to other modes. Some have been covered and I'll give you two more. First is something called lens sweet spot. Don't quote me on the actual term, but some lenses work better at certain aperture settings. For example, sitting at the end of a runway and snapping off 200 frames taught me that 6.3 thru 8.0 was the sweet spot for my telephoto lens. Anything else - soft! This is trial and error, but it's all about learning.
Second is about learning as well. In Manual you have full control. By using it you learn to control the variables. At first you'll be slow and clumsy, but as time goes on you'll get faster and faster at creating exactly the effect you are looking for. Doing this will help you decide when to switch to auto mode. Kinda like knowing when you need traction control in the fast car.

 

[Lucryster]

No not at all. There is a reason they put it on the camera. It's your camera, use it how you want to use it.

That depends on the camera. No auto mode on D810s.

 

[Gary A.]

The thing about shooting in Manual Mode is that it provides the opportunity to understand exposure and how the meter works. Once you understand/mastered exposure and metering your comprehension of what the camera is doing in Auto is much better than a person who only shoots in Auto.

Manual/Auto in good light ... doesn't make much of a dif exposure wise. It is those tricky-light/bad-light situations where understanding Manual comes to play. Often, the extra drama produced by tricky lighting will make for the exceptional image ... it is the photog that must be prepared to correctly see and capture that light and that image.

Modes don't matter, it is the photog's understanding of the modes so that they can easily and consistently capture the exceptional image that matters.

 

[Gary A.]

No not at all. There is a reason they put it on the camera. It's your camera, use it how you want to use it.

That depends on the camera. No auto mode on D810s.

That's not true. From Nikon's website:
Nikon D810 | Full-Frame DSLR | Digital SLR Camera w /Full-HD Recording from Nikon

• Exposure Modes
  
  Aperture-Priority (A)
  Manual (M)
  Programmed auto with flexible program (P)
  Shutter-Priority (S)

Three of the four modes are some type of Auto mode.

 

[JacaRanda]

No not at all. There is a reason they put it on the camera. It's your camera, use it how you want to use it.

That depends on the camera. No auto mode on D810s.

I wonder why he would pose the question if he had a D810. Hmmm????

 

[shefjr]

No not at all. There is a reason they put it on the camera. It's your camera, use it how you want to use it.

That depends on the camera. No auto mode on D810s.

That's not true. From Nikon's website:
Nikon D810 | Full-Frame DSLR | Digital SLR Camera w /Full-HD Recording from Nikon

• Exposure Modes
  
  Aperture-Priority (A)
  Manual (M)
  Programmed auto with flexible program (P)
  Shutter-Priority (S)

Three of the four modes are some type of Auto mode.

I think Cynaster was under the assumption that he meant more of an auto mode in the sense that you simply turn the dial to Auto and the camera does it all for you. Like what the D7000 does in auto mode or the scene mode where you can select from an array of different choices i.e., portrait, landscape, fireworks etc. There is no such thing for the D800 or D810.

 

[shefjr]

No not at all. There is a reason they put it on the camera. It's your camera, use it how you want to use it.

That depends on the camera. No auto mode on D810s.

I wonder why he would pose the question if he had a D810. Hmmm????

I missed where he mentioned he owned the D810 which probably goes to your point?

 

[hamlet]

These questions are not really important. More importantly: you should just try a bit everything to get a feel for what works for you in any given situation. Because what works for you, might not work for me.