I can't speak for others, but when I'm using priority mode, I often use exposure compensation when I feel it's called for, such as a snow scene or inside a dark forest. And the aperture/shutter settings the camera selects are always displayed in the viewfinder, so it's not like I don't know what's going on. Sometimes I don't understand the point of shooting manual only if all one is doing is dialing in EXACTLY what the camera would be selecting in priority mode. I have and use film cameras that don't have a priority mode feauture (the oldest ones don't even have built-in meter), so it's not like I lack experience with manual mode, or am intimidated by it. For me, priority mode is often a welcome feature, as it allows me to spend less time dialing and more time concentrating on the subject and capturing that often fleeting moment.

If you purchase a dishwasher, you may as well use it once in a while. That's how I feel about priority mode too.

Different modes for different folks! Lazy is when you never bother to figure out what the A or S stand for, and use your ILC/DSLR like a phone camera.

I shoot in Manual the majority of the time but I use all the other modes except P.

Full Manual is my preferred mode for planned, unhurried shooting with fairly predictable conditions. I sometimes use A priority for landscapes or people with changing conditions, S priority for birds and sports, Auto when I'm being herded along such as on a tour or something, and don't have any time to pull aside and make changes. I never let ISO run wild, always put limits on it. But I don't think the mode I shoot in makes me any better or worse photographer, it just helps me adapt to the situation better. It's all personal though, everyone should pick what works best for them.

There's not a big benifit, but in some situations you can set the compensation once and leave it - for the duration of however long those light circumstances persist. Of course if the light situation is drastically changing from one shot to the next (for example, indoors vs. outdoors), you may just as well be in manual mode; no benifit in that case. I use priority mode primarily to save time. And only then when I think it will save me time.

Let's say you're doing street photography, and something interesting could happen at any moment. The more you're fiddling with the camera, the less you are paying attention to what's going around you and the more likely you will miss capturing that magic moment. Perhaps it only takes 2-3 seconds to adjust for exposure in manual mode. But those few seconds could be difference between capturing and missing the shot.

My old Blazer finally died and I drive a Jeep now. It won't let me lock my keys in my car ... well I haven't locked my keys in the car for over 25 years ... but in the last week I've almost locked them in three times. My Jeep reminds me when I need gas, when I need an oil change ... it's a smart Jeep. While I like these features, I wonder if it is making me less disciplined ... I think so. I found myself creating an analogy of this to photography. Does relying on your camera to pick your shutter speed or your aperture .. or letting it automatically bracket your shots make you less aware of how you are shooting something and less likely to think about how you want the photograph to look when you are done? Do you just mindlessly let the camera give you the right exposure without thinking about if that is the exposure you want? There are several correct exposures for every situation .. the camera picks one.

Because I shoot in manual, I check my settings before I go anywhere with my camera. I am keenly aware of where they are at. I know what I am going to shoot. Yes, there are times when an opportunity arises and I have to change the settings that I had when I left home, but I know where they are at and I can do it quickly. I know where I want them for different situations most of the time. If I don't, it's a day that I learn something.

I wonder if the attitude that the camera will just do it for you permeates into other areas of photography. Does the photographer get more lax about framing. Does he go out with no idea what he would like to shoot that day? Does he forget to use shutter speed and aperture creatively?

Many people say working in aperture priority, shutter priority, or even in program or auto makes them a better photographer. They say that not having to think about the exposure settings so much frees up their thoughts so they can concentrate on framing. I'm not so sure about this. I think the way you expose for a subject is part of the framing.