Manual Mode is making me lose shots.

[Manfred M]

I agree completely, Richard, as I seem to have control of all shooting parameters on my camera also. However, following Manfred's post (#18) I am prompted to repeat the question: "But does the P Mode work differently - in particular, giving less control - on other cameras?"

Cheers.
Philip

I'm not sure if anyone other than the engineers at Canon, Nikon, Sony, etc. can answer that question.

I usually describe digital cameras as computers that take pictures, because that is what they truely are. The way that this mode works is proprietary, as the various manufacturers have not shared how they have programed our cameras for us. This is "trust us - we know best" photography at its finest.

The background I have read regarding Nikon's approach is what I wrote previously. They have analysed many thousands of images and have crafted algorithms (computer programs) based on their work. I can definitely state that their algorithms do not recognize back-lit situations, have trouble with snowy scenes, etc. So, my view hasn't changed. I haven't seen any reports on Canon's, Sony's, Panasonic's, etc. etc. methodology, so how they set P mode is anyones guess.

My view is that this is really a snapshot mode, that works to give you a sharp and in focus image most of the time. It does not suit my style of photography; as I assume that shutter priority, aperture priority and manual modes really do work the way they always have. My camera behaves as expected, That being said I'm not quite the purist Donald is, and only shoot only on manual. I'll trust that my camera works the way I expect it to when I shoot,

[Inkanyezi]

Regarding "tweak", my defense is that I am not an English speaker, my mother tongue being Swedish. BTW my second language is Spanish and English comes third. I guess I don't have the same "feel" for some of the finer nuances in the language.

Anyway, program mode is about the same in all cameras, and you may change it in the same way, be it minor or major changes, which are mostly applied by two wheels or only one in conjunction with a button. Changing the program setting will not change exposure, while compensation will. I think that on Nikon's beginner models, only one wheel is used and it changes program settings cross-wise, opening aperture when decreasing time and vice versa, while pressing a +/- button close to the release at the same time as rotating the wheel will change exposure. Other cameras may have different controls for the same actions, but basically they are the same.

Auto-ISO may confuse a bit, as it may be different with different camera models, even from the same brand. In order to learn I think it should be switched off, even if it is a very nice feature if you wish to control both time and aperture and let the ISO become whatever will suit your settings. Most camera models cannot use compensation (+/-) when set to M, while some can, effectively making Auto-ISO a viable choice while shooting in M mode.

And I have been told that Nikon cameras default to Auto-ISO. I think it should be switched off when you are learning the essentials.

But there's nothing particularly esoteric about camera settings, they are the same as we have done for a century or more. The only new setting that came with digital cameras is that we can effectively change ISO whenever convenient, while we formerly had to change film to alter sensitivity.

In essence, apart from sharpness, there are in fact mostly two settings to bother about, exposure time and aperture. The third factor that has been added with digital cameras is ISO, equivalent to the film sensitivity.

Aperture is like when you open a water tap. You open it up a little, to a small aperture, and it takes long time to fill a bucket. But if you open it full, the bucket is filled in short time.

The shutter is rather evident. Think of it more like a door, that can be open or closed. It opens up a short time and then closes. The amount of light that reaches the sensor is governed by this time and the size of the aperture.

For our convenience, the camera has a light meter that gives us a hint, a starting point from which to evaluate what exposure might suit us best. Adjusting sensitivity, ISO, also changes the value we get from the light meter.

What often confuses a newbie is that both aperture and shutter are given as the denominator of a fraction, and moreover, the aperture is the denominator of a linear part of an area, hence its variation is the square root of 2 for each doubling of the size. It might help to learn the series of full stops, to see what changes of shutter time vs aperture size does nothing to exposure, other than shrinking the aperture at the same time as increasing time.

ISO is a lot simpler, as it is purely linear. A doubled ISO number is really twice as "fast". (Just as a doubled number for shutter time is twice as fast; i.e. 1/250 is "twice as fast" as 1/125. Maybe it's a bit confusing also that we refer to times as "fast" and "slow", a short time being "fast" and a long time being "slow", but that's photographer's lingo. Some even refer to lenses with a wide aperture as "fast".)

So there are basic properties connected to all of these settings, and we always make choices when we take pictures. If the subject moves fast, we might choose a "fast shutter speed" (f.ex. 1/4000 sec), forcing us to use a fast ISO and a large aperture (as maybe f/2.8). On the other hand, when we take a landscape and want much depth of field, we may first choose aperture to perhaps f/11 to get a good compromise between DOF and diffraction. Then a low ISO for optimum dynamic range and minimal noise may force us to use a longer shutter time. If the light is low, we might need a tripod to get a sharp shot. Particularly if we wish to convert running water or waves into something silky smooth, we might want exposure times of several seconds, in which case we also need a neutral density (gray) filter to decrease light intake.

So the M mode, full manual, comes in handy when we consciously make all those decisions. Then the knowledge behind is the properties that each one of them will accomplish in the image.

A large aperture will give short depth of field, maybe isolating our main subject from the background. A smaller aperture increases depth of field, but a very small aperture fuzzies up the entire image by diffraction. Most lenses have a "sweet spot" for maximum sharpness at f/5,6 to f/8.

A short (fast) shutter time (1/500 - 1/4000) may freeze movement, as falling water, waves, running horses and other things that move. A longer time on the other hand, between about 1/30 to 1/250 will need the subject to be slower, but can still be hand held.
Really long times, from 1/15 and below, should not be hand held, and need the subject to stand still to be sharp. Creatively long times may be used to blur out any movement.

Now those are actually only three balls to juggle, and most of us can do it almost without even thinking twice.

[rpcrowe]

Originally SLR cameras would use either Aperture Priority or Shutter Speed Priority for their automatic exposure calculations. Different brand cameras used the two different styles of auto exposure and, since these cameras did not have the capability of interchanging between Aperture Priority and Shutter Speed Priority, simply called their selection Automatic.

I am not sure which company first developed and introduced Programmed exposure modes wherein the camera would attempt to select the best combination between shutter speed and f/stop but, the first SLR's that I used which incorporated the Programmed method of exposure were the Canon A-1 and Canon AE-1P.

The advantage of this mode was that if your light increased or decreased, the camera could select an f/stop and shutter speed combination which should (hopefully) be fast enough for most hand holding. We of course did not have the opportunity to vary our ISO in the midst of shooting. We were basically stuck with the ISO of the film we had loaded into the camera.

Being able to modify our ISO on the fly is one of the greatest innovations of digital photography. I always select the lowest ISO I deem practical and never use Auto ISO. I monitor the shutter speeds and f/stops my camera has selected and will sometimes need to modify the ISO to provide the aperture/shutter speed combination which I will consider best for the shooting (or sometimes in very low light levels: the least worst combination).

Another advantage of most of today's DSLR cameras is the capability to use Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB). AEB was originally only used by pro photographers (due to the cost involved) and normally restricted to shooting with slide film. Kodachrome (the reversal film of choice for many photographers) began with an ASA (same numerical structure as ISO) of 16 or less. The film had a very little latitude (slightly more for under exposure than for over exposure) and shooting three shots bracketed by one stop intervals was a way to ensure that you nailed the exposure on at least one shot.

Now we have cameras which have three to five shot bracketing capabilities with intervals of from 1/3 to three stops between exposures. My 7D has a three shot capability and that is usually plenty to nail a questionable exposure. Using a DSLR, there is no extra cost in using AWB but, it can slow down shooting and PP a bit.

On the other hand, shooting in Programmed mode with a three shot burst separated with a single stop is IMO a good way for a newby photographer to learn the impact of different shuter speeds and f/stops on his or her imagery.

[MrB]

From this thread and other comments on the web, it seems to me (partly in answer to my own question) that P Mode might be disparaged by some photographers, either because it is misunderstood or because it is implemented differently on different camera models.

My camera is a Pentax DSLR, and the P Mode is described on this page:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/pentaxk10d/5

The really important point is that although the exposure value is initially set by the camera (so you can almost always grab a useable image), all shooting parameters are still controllable - focus mode, metering mode, white balance, ISO, exposure compensation, shutter speed, aperture, etc. It would seem that Richard's Canon 7D works in a similar way.

If Ife Martins' (the OP's) camera will also operate in a similar way, it would give the best of both worlds - the camera would not only always be ready for the quick grab shot, but also controllable without having to keep shifting the mode dial between Auto and M. Used like this, P Mode will also be a practical help with learning and understanding the effects of all the camera's adjustments described so clearly by Urban.

Philip

[Manfred M]

Used like this, P Mode will also be a practical help with learning and understanding the effects of all the camera's adjustments described so clearly by Urban.

In my experience, from a learning standpoint, shooting either totally manually or using either shutter or aperture priority woud be the best way to learn how a camera functions. Using P mode mashes all functionality together. In my experience, the only way to learn something like this is to isolate each variable and understand how that impacts your images. Once you understand that, you have a much better chance of being able to blend the variables and get good results.

That is the reason I tend to refer to P mode as "snapshot" mode; because that is what most beginners will get until they learn to use the other camera modes. I know and photography instructor at the local community college who refers to it as "professional" mode. His contention is that only people who really know their camera body and various lenses intimately, should use program mode.

[AB26]

Hi Ife,
The perception that Manual is for Pro’s might not be right. Shooting in Manual to feel like a Pro would be foolish.
Mainly cameras have different modes to make it possible for the Photographer to capture with different effects in mind.
Manual mode allows for most control of the effect you wish to achieve.
Unless you are not sure of exactly what effect you are looking for – WHY USE IT?

Aperture priority mode would be for controlling DOF –depth of field. You choose what you want to have in or out of focus (Mostly for portraiture).

Shutter speed priority would be to control movement. You decide if you want to have the background blurred or not (mostly for action Photography)

P – is for PROFESSIONAL! hie-hie! If you feel comfortable shooting in P mode and you get the shots – USE IT! Programmed Auto is what it says, you can program this mode to suit your style, depending on the camera. With a Nikon you can still change WB, ISO, Shutter Speed, Aperture, control exposure value etc.

Set up your camera the way you like it and use it. There is no reason for you to shoot in M- mode only.
Many a famed Professional use Programmed Auto in many instances, believe me.

A – AMATEUR: you only use this mode when you do not know the difference between ISO and WB or when you hand your camera to a stranger to take a shot of you and your family.

I am not saying – leave Manual alone- no, keep on learning how to use it but don’t use it to impress anyone. Keep on practicing with M, take a shot, make a change (ONE AT A TIME) and see the effect. Run your batteries flat doing this, recharge and run it flat again, ditto.
When you eventually master Manual mode you will need to do less and less PP, spending more time capturing the beauty of Africa.

[MrB]

Using P mode mashes all functionality together.

Sorry Manfred, but with my Pentax DSLR that is simply wrong, and it also seems to be wrong for Richard's Canon and for Andre's Nikon -

With a Nikon you can still change WB, ISO, Shutter Speed, Aperture, control exposure value etc.

In my experience, from a learning standpoint, shooting either totally manually or using either shutter or aperture priority would be the best way to learn how a camera functions...
...In my experience, the only way to learn something like this is to isolate each variable and understand how that impacts your images.

E.g. In P Mode, as soon as the Pentax rear dial is jogged, the camera prioritises the aperture - the control variable is isolated - I can see on the rear LCD, on the top LCD, and in the viewfinder, exactly how changing the aperture changes shutter speed and, by using the DoF preview button before shooting or by viewing on the rear LCD the image recorded after shooting, I can see how the changing aperture changes the depth of field - not only useful information but also clearly educational.

In other words, by jogging the rear dial, the camera instantly becomes just as if the Mode Dial had been set to Aperture Priority Mode. AND the same also goes for Shutter Priority (jog front dial), and Sensitivity Priority (ISO button and rear dial). Thus all shooting modes (except fully Manual) are instantly available in P Mode while looking through the viewfinder, if you wish, as is of course the override feature of Exposure Compensation (+/- button and rear dial).

Suppose I then want to take several shots, e.g. at a small aperture for great depth of field. I jog the rear dial to prioritise the aperture - the camera will then stay in that mode for as many shots as I wish, until either I prioritise shutter speed with the front dial, or reset to auto P Mode by pressing the green button (or switching off). Again, similar applies to a series of shots prioritising shutter speed.

I would contend that, certainly for some DSLRs, to write "Using P mode mashes all functionality together" is misleading to those who are trying to learn. On the contrary, P Mode can actually allow the user to have control of, and therefore experiment, learn and understand, almost all the shooting parameters individually. AND unlike Manual Mode*, the user also has available the safety net of a probably acceptable shot when circumstances do not permit thoughtful adjustments to be made.

Philip

(*Edit: Actually in M Mode on a Pentax, pressing the green button returns the settings to an exposure value that would give a usable image from a quick shot - do other DSLRs have a similar feature? The useful benefit of P Mode, as with Av or Tv, is that the camera is always ready to grab a shot, as it keeps the EV close to the appropriate setting.)

[cyracles]

So much insights on this thread and I am very grateful. Your inputs have been very helpful. In AV mode however, i never seem to get it right....Shutter speeds come out slow and my hands are not exactly what you will describe as steady. TV mode too, the aperture never seems satisfied with most speeds i want except it turn it real slow which further displays my unsteady hands.
Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelp!

[John Morton]

Ife, none of us can fight the laws of physics which govern photography and expect to win. We all make the choices we need to, given the parameters we are working within, and go from there to do the best we can.

If you are having trouble with camera shake because your shutter speed is too slow, you need to either put your camera on a tripod or other support and use a cable / remote release; or, you need to increase your shutter speed. You can increase your shutter speed by using a larger aperture, or by using a higher ISO.

[Colin Southern]

So much insights on this thread and I am very grateful. Your inputs have been very helpful. In AV mode however, i never seem to get it right....Shutter speeds come out slow and my hands are not exactly what you will describe as steady. TV mode too, the aperture never seems satisfied with most speeds i want except it turn it real slow which further displays my unsteady hands.
Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelp!

Hi Ife,

What you're describing isn't an "Av Mode Issue" per sec. What the camera will do in any of the automatic exposure modes is TRY to get you a good exposure. In reality what happens is YOU provide the camera with 2 of the 3 variables, and the camera selects the 3rd. In the case of Av mode, YOU have given it a particular aperture - YOU have given it a particular ISO - so all it can do is choose a shutterspeed to give you a good exposure taking into account those other two variables you've given it. Or to put that another way, if the shutterspeed is too low in Av mode resulting in camera shake, it's only because the Aperture is stopped down too much or the ISO is too low.

"Manual mode" isn't some "magic mode / cure all" - sure, you can stop the aperture down as far as you like for great depth-of-field - and you can crank up the shutterspeed to eliminate camera shake - and you can keep the ISO at it's base figure so that you won't get "high ISO noise" ... the only problem is, your image will probably be so under-exposed that you'll have nothing but a black frame. "Manual mode" doesn't change the laws of physics.

For the most part though, although increasing the ISO MAY increase noise, there are a few things you need to know ...

1. The noise is very small - so if you're looking at an entire image (either on screen or in a print) then you probably won't be able to see the noise; usually it's only visible when looking at portions of an image at high magnifications on screen.

2. What high ISO modes effectively do is discard ever increasing portions of the cameras dynamic range (range of brightnesses that it can capture in a single shot). In practical terms what this means is that at high ISO modes you CANNOT AFFORD TO UNDER-EXPOSE THE IMAGE.

Most photographers will use Av mode 90% of the time because it's the mode that gives you control over your aperture (and thus depth of field) whilst still letting the automation take care of the exposure; after that, all you have to do is use a high enough ISO so that you're getting an appropriate shutterspeed at your preferred aperture (if possible).

In photography, everything is a compromise; too big an aperture and you lose DoF - too low a shutterspeed and you get camera shake - too high an ISO and you get noise (generalising here). As a rule of thumb though (and it's a good one), between insufficient DoF, camera shake, and noise, it's the noise that "hands down" degrades the image the least.

In summary, use Av mode - crank up the ISO - forget about noise - and just go take some great shots

[AB26]

Hi Philip,

It is not very nice to suggest that Richard, Manfred and myself are misleading anyone.
In fact Manfred hit a hole in one with his analysis of Programmed Auto Mode – mashing all functionality together. I must assume Manfred is also using a Nikon.

Richard’s description of the functionality of a Canon is in line with what Manfred has said. It makes sense that the two big ones in camera manufacturing has more or less the same functionality.

What you describe as far as the Pentax functionality is concerned is very much what Richard, Manfred and myself have explained. As Manfred calls it: “Mashing together functionality” in P – Mode.
P – Mode still allows a lot of control in the hands of the skilful Photographer. A long shot off what is happening in full A – Mode.

Ken Rockwell describes it as follows:
P: Program
I use "P" for program auto exposure. In this mode the camera chooses the f/stop and shutter speed for you. If I want different apertures or shutter speeds I rotate the rear command dial, which selects alternate combinations of f/stops and shutter speeds which give the same exposure. Nikon calls this "Program Shift." An asterisk ( * ) shows up next to the P on the top LCD to let you know you've chosen a different combination for exposure. The asterisk doesn't appear in the finder, but you can see the apertures and shutter speeds. The asterisk goes away when you return to the standard combinations. The standard combinations are f/1.4 @ 1/8, f/2 @ 1/15, f/2.8 @ 1/30, f/4 at 1/60, f/5.6 @ 1/125, f/8 @ 1/250, f/11 @ 1/500, etc.
An easy way to return to these standard combinations is to flip to a different mode and back to P, or turn the D200 off and back on.

Personally I think a Sony SLT in P – Mode is the best camera (coming from a Nikonian ) to learn from, in the sense that you can see exactly what happens when you change any of the settings. Probably the only cameras where the viewfinder goes completely black if you select F 22 at 1/4000sec in low light.

Canon A1 was the first camera to be produced with P – Mode: Richard.

[MrB]

Hi Philip,

It is not very nice to suggest that Richard, Manfred and myself are misleading anyone.
In fact Manfred hit a hole in one with his analysis of Programmed Auto Mode – mashing all functionality together. I must assume Manfred is also using a Nikon.

Andre, nowhere do I suggest or even imply that Richard and yourself are misleading anyone. What I wrote was clearly directed at Manfred's comment, "Using P Mode mashes all functionality together".

To quote:
"Sorry Manfred, but with my Pentax DSLR that is simply wrong, and it also seems to be wrong for Richard's Canon and for Andre's Nikon." and:
"I would contend that, certainly for some DSLRs, to write "Using P Mode mashes all functionality together" is misleading to those who are trying to learn."

And I stand by both statements.

The phrase "mashes together" implies that everything in P Mode is mixed up (which might be the case for many compact cameras), and from a mash it is very difficult to separate out the components. But that is certainly not a true analogy for my Pentax DSLR, which is why I criticised this statement by Manfred.

The comment by Richard regarding a Canon camera (in Post #11) shows that he can control shutter, aperture and ISO in P Mode. Your comment regarding a Nikon camera (in Post #26) shows that you can change the shooting parameters in P Mode. As neither statement implies that the functionality is "mashed together" in P Mode, I understood these comments from both of you to be positively favourable to the P Mode. Therefore, in no way was my criticism directed at you or Richard - quite the contrary, I was grateful for your observations regarding Canon and Nikon, which seemed in line with mine regarding Pentax.

In your latest post (#31), your claim that "Using P Mode mashes all functionality together" is correct. This is in the face of all the evidence to the contrary submitted to this thread, including your own with regard to both a Nikon and now a Sony camera, and also now including the description of P Mode by Ken Rockwell.

In my Pentax camera (and probably in the other cameras named in these posts), there is NO mashing of functionality - P Mode is Manual on Steroids. All the functions of the camera can be individually controlled for creativity, and the programming keeps you somewhere close to the correct EV for the shot - AND, if you want it, you still have control of the EV by applying exposure compensation.

Philip

[Manfred M]

Philip – You may not like the fact that I use “mash up” to describe how program mode. I don’t quite know how else to describe how it works. But clearly Richard and Andre do understand where I am coming from. You put on a lens, turn on the camera take a reading and the camera sets a shutter speed, aperture setting and ISO setting. The camera has no idea as to what my subject matter is, yet has somehow determined the shooting parameters should be, without any input whatsoever from the photographer. I personally haven’t got a clue why the camera selected those particular parameters, and neither my manual nor anything on line gives me an understanding about it either. If I move my camera a few degrees one way or another, a whole different set of shooting parameters might (or might not) be selected. Nicely said, I can’t necessarily predict my camera’s behaviour, for any specific shooting situation.

I do shoot Nikon (I own two D90s and one D800) and have shot Canons. I fully admit that the only knowledge I have of Pentax and the other brands is what I have read about them. From what I read on line, at a high level, all of the cameras do more or less the same thing in Program mode; they set a starting point that based on the algorithms running in the unit will let you take a successful shot. And yes, you can override the suggested settings, but that is not something everyone does.

The reason I feel that this is not a good learning mode is that learning is a linear process. You learn something basic, understand how that works, and then go on to the next step. Complex issues are learned once the basics are understood. Learn how aperture and focal length affect depth of field, understand how shutter speed affects the look and feel of the image; understand how ISO settings impact the dynamic range and noise in an image, etc.

Program mode is “Manual on Steroids”? Sorry, I certainly don’t understand where you are coming from. When shooting in manual, the photographer has 100% control of the camera. He or she makes all of the decisions; regardless of what the camera’s on board instruments recommend. In Program mode, you have deferred that decision to the engineers at Pentax, Canon, Nikon, et al, based on their analysis and the algorithms that reside in your camera’s firmware. And of course, because that information is proprietary, they won’t tell us what it happening; I call that “trust me” photography…

And no, I am not dismissing Program mode. I do use it fairly regularly. My guess is that 70% of my shooting is aperture priority, another 15% is shutter priority, about 10% Program mode and the last 5% is totally manual.

[rpcrowe]

It was said above regarding the Programmed Mode...

"You put on a lens, turn on the camera take a reading and the camera sets a shutter speed, aperture setting and ISO setting."

I set the ISO value before I begin shooting but, I can vary that while I am shooting.

In the manual mode, you choose the ISO, focus on the subject, and then match up the "Exposure Level Mark" to get the proper exposure. (Canon 7D user manual pg. 102). If you reframe the subject, you may need to readjust the "Exposure Level Mark" or suffer from under or over exposure (unless you are using auto ISO). YOU STILL NEED TO ADJUST THE EXPOSURE DEPENDING ON THE BRIGHTNESS/DARKNESS OF YOUR SUBJECT.

In the Av (aperture priority) mode, you set the ISO and then choose the aperture. The camera will choose the a shutter speed in line with the exposure needed. YOU STILL NEED TO ADJUST THE EXPOSURE DEPENDING ON THE BRIGHTNESS/DARKNESS OF YOUR SUBJECT.

In the TV (shutter priority) mode, you select the shutter speed and the camera will select the aperture in line with the exposure needed. YOU STILL NEED TO ADJUST THE EXPOSURE DEPENDING ON THE BRIGHTNESS/DARKNESS OF YOUR SUBJECT.

In the P (programmed exposure) mode, the camera's logarithms will select a mid range hand-holdable shutter speed and a mid range aperture. It will adjust both the shutter speed and the aperture in the attempt to balance the shutter speed/aperture. YOU STILL NEED TO ADJUST THE EXPOSURE DEPENDING ON THE BRIGHTNESS/DARKNESS OF YOUR SUBJECT.

No exposure mode will guarantee excellent exposures in all types of scenes. The "between the ears" photographer's computer is necessary in any exposure mode in order to guarantee accurate exposure. However, shoot in P with AEB (auto exposure bracketing) and I will bet that you will get one close to perfect exposure out of the three attempted. This is the method that I would recommend a new photographer use if he or she needs to be sure to bring home usable imagery without a chance to practice with the camera.

In the Auto mode (not creative auto mode which is an oxy-moron - and which I have never used) the camera will select all the parameters of exposure and you do not have an easy way to adjust the shutter speed or aperture values. You do not have the capability of shooting in RAW and you do not have capability to use some other of the camera's bells and whistles.

There are many venues in which Manual Exposure Mode is the correct method to use: such as when you are shooting a pano beause the exposure will not vary. Using manual is also required when shooting with studio strobes. Using manual is a good way to balance out the incident light with the light from your hotshoe strobe when you have the flash in an auto mode..

The one thing that I have noticed in the years I have been reading postings on various digital photography forums is that many posters complain (or ask about) over and under exposure when shooting manual mode. However, I don't remember anyone complaining that the Programmed Mode did not get the exposure in the ball park.

[Manfred M]

Richard - I should have mentioned that I do exactly the same thing with ISO that you do; turn off auto-ISO. It's the one thing I refuse to have the camera mess around with. And like you, I do adjust ISO while shooting, as required.

When it comes to ISO, I tend to shoot at as low a setting as possible to maximimize the dynamic range and minimize noise. I often will add light (through on-camera or off-camera flash) before I move to a higher ISO setting. I often shoot with a tripod for existing light work, for exactly the same reason. Of course, there are situations where there are no alternatives, and I do have to crank up the ISO to what appear to be ludicrous levels, as seen from the viewpoint of an old film shooter.

[dubaiphil]

My a personal perspective, I reckon that 90% of my photography time is in Aperture Priority Mode, 8% in full Manual Mode and 2% in Shutter Priority Mode. That changes when I'm looking at shots taken because a lot of my 2% of Shutter Priority time is shooting sports and fast moving action in Continual High.

I have to say that I've never used Auto or Program modes.

However it really depends on what you're generally shooting.

My camera is set up the way I like it - I have 4 custom banks. One is set purely for flash photography (Manual Mode, Auto ISO off, WB manual, RAW), while the others are set up for shooting on the fly with different lenses (Aperture Priority, Auto ISO on, WB auto, RAW, min shutter speed differs in each bank depending on the focal length I'm using - D800 can vary according to the lens attached, I think, meaning I'd only have one bank setup like this in the future). I'm then just able to shoot quickly in varying light without having to worry about shutter speed or ISO, and concentrating on composition and subjects. Generally I have enough leeway in my RAW files without having to worry about clipped highlights and exposure comp to mitigate this. However I'm chimping where possible to make sure the exposure's OK (sometimes it's not possible in street photography as you make it obvious to the subjects that you've just been photographing them).

Night street photography in high contrast scenes if a little different - I'd generally be shooting handheld with high ISO, but always watching my histogram and for banding - I don't know if it's specific to the D3/D700 sensor, but when there is bright light close to dark night skies at high ISO I sometimes get horizontal bands across the sky. I'll generally be shooting in full Manual Mode or Aperture Priority with exposure compensation.

Anything more considered however, and I'll take full manual control - tripod shooting and I want to do everything manually. Flash and manual's the way to go for me.

[Scott Stephen]

I'm with you. I don't want to have to work too hard at it. This is supposed to be my relaxation/hobby!

I have just gotten into shooting M (Manual) most of the time. The darned camera wants to do stupid things in AUTO mode (or even in AV mode), like giving me a 1/4 second shutter, or raising the ISO to 6400 on my T31. I make up for any slight errors by shooting in RAW + .JPG at all times. If you need to, you can REALLY pull a screw-up out of the fire if you have the RAW file to work with. If you shoot JPG only, the camera has thrown away half the detail in all your shots, so you can never recover shadow, highlights, white balance, color casts, etc...
So if you are lazy like me, shoot in RAW! It does take a tiny little bit of extra processing, but it is well worth it.
If you don't have Adobe Lightroom, I strongly suggest you get it. Cheaper now than it used to be!

[oldgreygary]

My take on this is that essentially digital cameras are computers which in essence work in a logical way. They are programmed to think/work in a specific way. They don't think in a creative way, that is down to the photographer. My personal thought is that the more Auto mode that you work in then pictures will be more logical than creative. Out of the three elements that make up exposure ISO, shutter speed and aperture. I like to be in control of 2 of these. If I use the semi-auto modes of aperture/shutter priority I will also choose ISO as well. But, that still does not necessarily mean success. As on many occasion I have used these modes and checked the histogram. To find it all biased towards the shadows. So, in effect I then operate in manual mode. So, I guess my thoughts are if you want to be more creative then use less of the auto modes.

It is something that the manufacturers are very guilty of overselling. As they suggest that the more auto modes available then it becomes easier. In part that's true but easier does not necessarily mean better photographs.

Cheers for now

Gary

[dan marchant]

I am with Manfred et al.

While I mostly shoot in Av or Tv modes now, I know that (for me at least) I didn't really start to understand the camera properly until I started shooting in manual mode. For me the problem with all the auto/semi auto modes were that every picture I took was a combination of the decision I made and the decision the camera made. If I selected the aperture in Av mode the camera selected the shutter, so it was never obvious to me exactly what the result of my choice was. Worse still I would sometimes make a dumb choice and this wasn't obvious because the camera would work to correct. For me all the settings were effectively mashed into one, over which I only had partial control.

It was only when I switched to manual mode (and got some really bad images) that I could clearly see the results of the decisions I made. It didn't matter that I had read about aperture/depth of field and shutter speed/blur. It was only when I made individual changes (without the camera making a corresponding change) that it sunk in what I was doing. It also made me realise what additional decisions go along with that choice. Wide DoF? I need a slower shutter speed to get the exposure. But trying that causes too much blur as my subject is moving so I need to adjust iso instead. In short, manual mode allowed me to separate each of the controls and clearly see what each one does, which then allowed me to understand how they interact.

[AB26]

Ife,

When using a camera think of it as if you were driving a sophisticated super car. Something like a Ferrari or Lambo with all the bells and whistles to help the driver stay in control of the car.

Frikkie bought a new Ferrari and took his friend Don for a drive. Now Don was an experienced Nissan ZX driver and Frikkie wanted to impress Don. As they were about to leave a suburb Frikkie turned off the Traction Control and said to Don “Now see what this Ferrari can do”. They ended up smashing into a wall writing off the Ferrari. Fortunately they escaped without injury.

Programmed Auto is much like Traction Control. Anybody with a reasonable amount of driving experience will be able to handle a super car as long as Traction Control is engaged. Turn off Traction Control and the car turns into a beast with different characteristics. If you are not a very competent driver yet you are sure to loose control and end up in a mangled wreck.

“Drive “ your camera with “Traction Control” turned on for as long as you need, to make you feel comfortable “driving” it. Turn off “Traction Control” when you are not “driving” on a public road to get the feel of how handling changes when “driving” in a different mode. Then eventually you will become more and more knowledgeable “driving” your camera, in different modes, and end up not wanting to turn “Traction Control” back on again, unless you are driving in snow or on a very wet slippery road.

I hope you understand what I am trying to explain to you.
“Do not jump in the deep end unless you can swim”. Maybe others will laugh at you while learning to swim in shallow water, at least you are learning to swim and will soon be diving in the deep end. Don’t go drowning just because it “feels better” jumping in the deep end.