DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

I do a lot of event photography so autoexposure modes are important to me in the interest of speed in getting the shot.

My normal mode is AP. I suspect I could count on two hands the number of times I have used any other mode (remember that, using binary notation, you can count up to 1023 on two hands with some a lot of manual dexterity).

I occasionally do landscapes, but being addicted to autoexposure modes I think AP would be the best one. It allows you to set the DOF or the sweet spot of the lens. I consider landscapes a static subject, so I wouldn't see any reason to select a shutter speed (assuming a tripod is in use)(although if it's windy, there could be motion of the landscape). ISO is a variable that I would set as low as possible to select a minimum shutter speed appropriate to a scene.

Of course, manual mode would allow you to choose all the appropriate values.



I am not saying that autoexposure is always the best way to do things, but at least in my experience it's good enough. Maybe that says it all about my work. But I would look forward to reading your revised article to find out just what problems are introduced and why AP is not the way to solve them.

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

Absolute fact right there...

Best,
Todd Ferguson

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Now that is a nice observation since it clarifies part of the challenge we all face.

al lehman Loc: San jose, ca.

I'm new to the world of photography but from what I've learned, there are optimum aperature settings to achieve the best resolution or DOF opportunities based on the science of lenses. I can't imagine not using aperature mode for those applications. Although I generally use shutter priority for most wildlife shots, I have recorded some awesome wildlife shots in aperature mode because of light conditions. I guess I need to re-read the photo triangle theory again.

John Gerlach Loc: Island Park, Idaho

I haven't found the problem of light passing into the viewfinder and influencing the auto exposure to be no longer a problem. My current camera still has the built-in curtain to close off the viewfinder, so obviously Canon knows it is a problem. And I think my Canon 1DX Mark II would be considered a modern camera. I have not jumped for mirrorless because weight is not an issue for me, but they do have potential, so never say never. I think my 1DX II isn't especially big, since I once used larger 4 x 5 film cameras.

gessman Loc: Colorado

LOL! The Bell Curve is alive and well.

John Gerlach Loc: Island Park, Idaho

I will let you know when don who does my web site gets it posted.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

My thumb works pretty well too!

HeatherM

Thanks for asking this. I've been wondering about it lately, and now I have 10 pages of information on this very subject. Good luck with your book!

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

My T90 has one also, from 1986. My AE-1 (from 1976) has the plastic cover. My Canon EOS camera came with a similar gizmo. Talking about the problems is a good thing, discussing what the implications are is an even better publishing opportunity.

P.Beau Loc: EG.RI

I like working in Aperture mode. Call me old fashioned or a Dinosaur but I do MISS the "aperture needle" in my old F1 canon and other bodies. a change or speed or aperture showed what was happening, not to mention DOF viewer on many dslrs. So using Aperture to me is all about composition in the camera. The better the composition in the shot the easier or more flexible the PP can be.

HeatherM

I'm reluctant to use manual because I'm afraid that I won't have time to think about and adjust all three parameters. Lack of experience. I use aperture priority for DOF if I don't have to worry about motion blur that I don't want.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

The important point is that you are thinking about the result and your instrument. You play in sessions, which are very dynamic situations.

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After hours
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(Download)

Bad moon
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JoeLadendorf

John, I am almost entirely a landscape photographer. I use AP mode almost exclusively. I shoot at the edges of the day most of the time. Thus, I bracket a lot. In doing so, you must keep aperture the same and allow the camera to choose shutter speed if you hope to blend images. Also, I love to create panoramas, which, again, require all images to have the same aperture as different depths of field will not render correctly. Being an author of a book on photography, I am surprised at your question

John Gerlach Loc: Island Park, Idaho

I do pans and HDR and focus stacking/in-camera HDR combos, and HDR alone. I just select the aperture I want and to keep the same, and manually adjust the shutter to get to the same result as using aperture-priority. I don't have much luck with in-camera autobracketing because the camera shoots the series of images too fast, causing less sharp images due to shutter bounce.