TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

I generally prefer manual shutter and aperture with auto ISO, BUT mixing auto ISO with ETTL flash can yield strange and unpredictable results, so I alway shoot full manual with fixed ISO when using ETTL flash.

CamB Loc: Juneau, Alaska

I agree. I suffer from this some. I just can’t do AUTO ISO. Trying to set it makes my breathing heavy and my heart pound. A voice in my head shouts no, no, no. I quickly go back to my favorite ISOs and feel the relief wash over me.
... Cam

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

Why do you assume the answers referred to shooting outdoors? Control of the aperture is just as important indoors as out. While I primarily shoot in manual mode, I use aperture priority often indoors.

Weddingguy Loc: British Columbia - Canada

In working with a dozen or so camera groups, and literally hundreds of their members, I have found more "photographers" struggle with getting sharp "focus" more than any one other challenge. There is no question that proper use of auto focus is almost an art in itself, but in close inspection of their images that were "out of focus", the discovery was that most were in fact not "out of focus", but suffered from camera/subject movement,

Aperture priority is recommended by many people to novices that follow the recommendation, without understanding the ramifications of that setting. The reasoning given by those that praise AP include creating "great bokeh" and controlling depth of field, as a priority, in creating great images.

My personal feeling is that the first step in learning photography is to master getting a properly exposed image that is sharp. Any of the automatic settings will give excellent exposure under ideal conditions. Bracketing will cover many of the not so ideal situations. For those that understand why the automatic setting is not producing ideal exposure, exposure compensation is the better choice. But, what about the "sharp" part of the equation? . . .

Sharpness is a combination of "no movement" and having the "lens focused" on the area of the subject most important to the image. Being focused on the wrong area, or movement of camera or subject will cause "blur". Of the images I have inspected from group members (and my family members as well) 80% of the "out of focus" images were in fact NOT "out of focus", but blurred from camera or subject movement. Most were also shot in either full Automatic or aperture priority, where control of shutter speed was given to the camera to decide. I haven't found a camera yet that can decide if camera or subject movement is a possible threat to the resulting quality of my image.

So what is the answer???? In my opinion, aperture priority is the last thing to recommend to a novice. Are there times when aperture priority is an ideal setting . . . absolutely! . . . but NOT as a "go to" setting. Here is my reasoning . . .

1) Trying to create bokeh before you learn to get correct exposure and consistently sharp images without Photoshop is foolishness. Depth of field is NOT the most important part of every image.
2) The belief that a lens or camera with image stabilization will "eliminate" the need for fast shutter speeds, is a contributor to the misunderstanding of most amateur photographers. It reduces . . . not eliminates.
3) Full Manual is the only camera setting that will guarantee consistent results. There is no such thing as "manual priority" . . . think about it.
4) Full manual with "auto ISO" is not fully manual
5) No "auto" setting on a camera can control flash exposure. The camera judges the exposure based on the ambient light before the flash fires. Indoors that will mean very slow shutter speeds, higher ISO, and/or wider aperture settings. Since most flashes today are automatic exposure, like TTL, automatic camera settings are not only unnecessary, but detrimental to the end result. Flash "freezing" the subject only applies to the very short duration of the light from the flash, but the camera in an auto exposure setting, will allow a registration from the ambient light, often showing camera/subject movement blur. Often interpreted as being "out of focus".

Learning to drive a car is similar to learning photography. If you learned to drive with a manual transmission, the learning curve to switch to an auto transmission is small. Learning to drive in automatic can still prevent one from driving a manual transmission vehicle.

That is what I DO NOT do . . . so what DO I do?
I have a 16 year old grandson that just became very interested in photography. After about a 15 minute session explaining the proper sequence of using an auto focus lens . . . and an explanation of shutter and aperture settings . . . I set the ISO at 200 . . . the shutter at 1/200th to prevent most camera/subject movement . . . then how to adjust the aperture using the needle on the light meter in the view finder. Then a quick explanation of ETTR using the histogram. Sent him out for a walk around the neighborhood with his sister to shoot 100 images.
On his return there were 3 or 4 shots out of focus and maybe six that were not properly exposed. Now . . one month later he is teaching his sister all about exposure, shutter speeds and aperture settings. Generally I leave ISO out of the equation and get them to pretend they are shooting with film that they cannot adjust. I am real pleased with his progress.

If someone asks "what auto setting would I recommend?" I suggest Shutter Priority" because it is my personal belief that slow shutter ruins more images that a less than ideal aperture setting. I NEVER recommend Auto ISO !

Hope that helps.

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

When shooting with most flashes, full flash as opposed to flash fill, the camera sets the exposure with TTL (or ETTL), adjusting the length of the flash. For this I always use Manual so as to get some DOF (to keep the lens from going wide open) and to make sure ambient light doesn't pollute the photo by using a very slow shutter speed.

sirlensalot Loc: Arizona

Sometimes I use all of them, sometimes only one.

kb6kgx Loc: Simi Valley, CA

What is “Manual Priority”?

GENorkus Loc: Washington Twp, Michigan

👍👍👍

chasgroh Loc: Buena Park, CA

...exactly how I do it.

AMO Loc: Pennsburg, PA

Not to mention controlling the balance of natural light with the flash.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

I use either aperture priority or manual. I have no use for auto ISO.

When shooting with flash, I use manual flash, and all manual settings on the camera.

Heather Iles Loc: UK, Somerset

That is not fair. Not everyone is as clever as you.

Weddingguy Loc: British Columbia - Canada

I agree! . . . although the it is mostly the speedlight that is calculating the exposure and does not change any settings on the camera . . . only the duration of the flash. It is the speedlight that throws the pre-flash and the resulting flash to actually expose the image.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Doesn't matter whether indoors or out...

When my concern is controlling depth of field... either with a larger aperture for shallow DoF and stronger background blur or a smaller aperture for greater DoF and sharpness from my toes to the horizon... and I need to use an auto exposure mode... I use Aperture Priority.

When my main concern is freezing movement with a fast shutter speed or deliberately blur parts of the image with a slow one... and I need to use an auto exposure mode... I use Shutter Priority.

When I have concerns about both DoF and motion blur.... and need to use an auto exposure mode.... I use Auto ISO with Manual mode.

When I don't need an auto exposure mode... I use Manual (no Auto ISO). It's always nice to be able to really lock down the exposure settings. But Manual mode isn't always possible. Auto exposure modes are necessary at times. It's just a matter of picking the one that best meets the current situation.

I never use Aperture Priority AND Auto ISO... both at the same time. That would be an "auto-auto" mode, would make for less predictable results... And, I tried, but can't think of any purpose it would serve. The same with Auto ISO combined with any of the other auto exposure modes. I only use Auto ISO with Manual.

You mention flash, and with the cameras I use there are some additional exposure considerations. I don't know how all systems work, but with Canon cameras, when you use ETTL flash with any of the auto exposure modes it will automatically act as FILL. Unless you override it, the camera makes the exposure based upon ambient light and flash output is dialed back by approx. -1.66 stops, enough to open up shadows and supplement existing light. But if you want FULL flash, it's as easy as switching to Manual mode. With full flash the shutter speed is largely irrelevant when using flash, too. When flash is the dominant or only light source, it acts like a fast shutter speed, freezing movement. ISO and the aperture are what control flash exposure and the distance flash can reach.

PAR4DCR Loc: A Sunny Place

Yes

Don