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"P" vs manual
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Jun 12, 2018 08:51:38   #
pappleg
 
There will be endless controversy on this topic. I teach a relatively informal class to seniors using everything from basic cell phones to dslrs and all in between and the way I approach this topic is: First and foremost-Get the Shot!! Photography is forever about fleeting moments; think of how many times you are presented with an absolute stable scene that will not change significantly over many minutes-fairly rare occurrence. I advise shoot 1st on Auto or Program handheld and then if the opportunity still exists move to tripod or other contemplative approaches to refine focus, exposure, depth of focus, viewpoint, etc. If one knows the history of Ansel Adams and his famous Moonrise, Hernandez New Mexico; he was traveling with a large station wagon with a platform on the roof to which he would mount his tripod and 8 X 10 view camera when he happened upon that scene. Without benefit of today's technology he scrambled to get everything set up and could not find his light meter. He knew the exposure of a rising moon, set for that, and hoped to get a chance to bracket. Facing east with the setting sun lighting the gravestones in the foreground he made an exposure and while turning the film holder to get a second the sun went below the horizon and the magic was gone. He processed the negative carefully and luckily he was only about one-stop underexposed which he supplemented by toning the negative to get a bit more density and you know the result. A split second delay and he would have missed it completely. The point is take what the scene gives you and go from there-embrace the technology and it may reward you when you least expect it.

Pat

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Jun 12, 2018 09:24:41   #
muphoto
 
BebuLamar wrote:
Besides pros want to work as little as possible. There is no joy in the work. Get it done and get paid.

That's a very insulting remark. I have worked as a professional photographer for over 40 years. I use a combination of manual and the various auto modes on my D4and D5 cameras, mostly using one or the other of the auto modes because I have taken the time to learn to use them. I have taken the time to learn about exposure and white balance and getting the image right in the camera, not the lazy route thinking it doesn't matter cause I can always fix it later on the computer. I get great joy and satisfaction in the work I do. I know many professionals that work very hard, often long hours in all kinds of conditions and they take great pride in the images they produce. If I wanted a job where i "get it done and get paid" it would not be in photography. To make the remarks you made shows you know little about the profession of photography.

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Jun 12, 2018 09:27:16   #
Dikdik Loc: Winnipeg, Canada
 
I'm not professional, but, I usually use aperture priority... over the years, it just seems to work better.

Dik

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Jun 12, 2018 09:32:50   #
muphoto
 
Dikdik wrote:
I'm not professional, but, I usually use aperture priority... over the years, it just seems to work better.

Dik


I know what you mean. I use aperture priority quite a bit to control the depth of field. I use shutter priority mostly for my sports photos. I set it to the fastest speed as I can and keep an eye on the aperture setting. This works well for sporting events in daylight when the light is changing a lot because of clouds rolling in.

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Jun 12, 2018 09:34:03   #
chfrus
 
It depends on the type of photography you do. Me I am a photojournalist I must use P. A split second can result in a great photo "The Moment" missed.And in my field there is no re-do.

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Jun 12, 2018 09:38:14   #
gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast
 
canadaboy wrote:
Having fiddled around for some time and missing out on way too many photo opportunities fiddling with manual settings, these days I simply set my camera on "P", ISO on Auto with a maximum value set to control the shutter speed, and rely on the number of focus points that I choose to set the depth of field by virtue of the camera selected aperture.

Who else actually trusts their camera and their ability to operate it similarly?


I'm an inveterate snapshooter and use Program mode on my D7000 all the time. I can dial the aperture or shutter speed up or down on the fly if needed. I programmed D1 with P mode and Auto ISO for indoor shooting like museums and aquariums. The only time I use Manual mode is with flash.

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Jun 12, 2018 09:39:02   #
muphoto
 
chfrus wrote:
It depends on the type of photography you do. Me I am a photojournalist I must use P. A split second can result in a great photo "The Moment" missed.And in my field there is no re-do.

Exactly what I was trying to convey.

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Jun 12, 2018 09:44:56   #
chfrus
 
Case in point. My wife and I were in a national park in Xishuangbana China. We were accosted by around 30 monkeys. They were trying to intimidate us. We were surrounded by males and females with a young ones clinging to their backs. If I had to fiddle with manual I would have never captured the episode. Again it depends on what you shoot. Keep it on P for the unexpected then go M for a more placid style shooting.

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Jun 12, 2018 09:54:26   #
DanielB Loc: San Diego, Ca
 
Not me. Manual about 40%, AV 50% and TV 10%. I shot a wedding last Friday that was 60% Manual & 40% AV. Lots of beautiful lite to work with so no sweat working in manual mode.
canadaboy wrote:
Having fiddled around for some time and missing out on way too many photo opportunities fiddling with manual settings, these days I simply set my camera on "P", ISO on Auto with a maximum value set to control the shutter speed, and rely on the number of focus points that I choose to set the depth of field by virtue of the camera selected aperture.

Who else actually trusts their camera and their ability to operate it similarly?

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Jun 12, 2018 10:00:18   #
amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA
 
canadaboy wrote:
Having fiddled around for some time and missing out on way too many photo opportunities fiddling with manual settings, these days I simply set my camera on "P", ISO on Auto with a maximum value set to control the shutter speed, and rely on the number of focus points that I choose to set the depth of field by virtue of the camera selected aperture.

Who else actually trusts their camera and their ability to operate it similarly?


I use "Program" occasionally. Mostly I'll switch to it when I've been shooting with another mode, but need to quickly switch to take a few shots in radically different light, don't have time to think about my settings or care much about the exact shutter speed or aperture that will be used, and want to return to my previous shooting mode after those few shots are taken.

I NEVER use Auto ISO in conjunction with any of the auto exposure modes... including Program (and Av/A, Tv/S). That makes for a double auto mode which serves no purpose I can think of and might even make for unpredictable results. Auto ISO is probably my least used mode... and I only use it with Manual (which makes M another auto exposure mode).

I control depth of field with the aperture... and most of the time I use single point AF (a lot of what I do is sports photography).

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Jun 12, 2018 10:04:47   #
JimKing Loc: Salisbury, Maryland USA
 
For much shooting P will do everything that M will do. I leave ISO on manual control and set it for each shooting situation. The main command dial will adjust both the aperture and the shutter speed simultaneously in opposite directions and maintain the calculated exposure. Exposure compensation will adjust the exposure if the camera's computer is not doing what you want. Note: I said for "much" shooting. Shooting a sports game in P mode will allow the camera to adjust the exposure based on changes in the included background which changes and not the uniforms which do not change except by team and that is a problem also. One team with a dark uniform and another with light uniforms will cause tight shots to show different skin tones for the different teams based on the uniforms and not the skin. So....manual is the way to go here. Wedding photographers also have a problem with men in black tuxes and women in white dresses so....manual is the way to go here also. Manual exposure allows me to create a series of images that look like they belong together, P mode frequently does not. Like some others above, Aperture mode is a favorite and like P mode it uses the camera's computer to determine exposure. I'm a computer guy and carrying around a sophisticated computer and not using it seems a waste.

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Jun 12, 2018 10:05:34   #
jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ
 
I suppose that if I were to just look for "snapshots" this would be a fine way to get pictures that are mostly in focus and mostly exposed correctly. But I like to use aperture priority or shutter priority or manual because I can be more creative that way. That is why they call those mode the "creative" modes.

canadaboy wrote:
Having fiddled around for some time and missing out on way too many photo opportunities fiddling with manual settings, these days I simply set my camera on "P", ISO on Auto with a maximum value set to control the shutter speed, and rely on the number of focus points that I choose to set the depth of field by virtue of the camera selected aperture.

Who else actually trusts their camera and their ability to operate it similarly?

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Jun 12, 2018 10:13:55   #
Idaho
 
One size doesn't fit all. There are casual snapshots where you have no time to play with the camera so P can be adequate. There are other situations where you want more control with A or M. And there is the matter of what the individual simply prefers to do whether it is necessary or not, or whether it makes sense or not. It's what they've always done, and that's how they're are going to do it. You can't teach an old dog new tricks.

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Jun 12, 2018 10:15:33   #
markngolf Loc: Bridgewater, NJ
 
I certainly do not have the skill level as others do on UHH, but I'm not locked into specific settings. Most of the time I shoot manual, but when necessary I use Aperture or Shutter priorities, at times auto ISO and I even revert to Auto mode. I have no ego invested in photography other than trying to capture the very best within my knowledge and capabilities. In all honesty, I'm lazy. I do it for pleasure and enjoyment. When I cease deriving pleasure from the hobby, I'll do something else. I'm not yet there. I'll keep shooting.
Mark
canadaboy wrote:
Having fiddled around for some time and missing out on way too many photo opportunities fiddling with manual settings, these days I simply set my camera on "P", ISO on Auto with a maximum value set to control the shutter speed, and rely on the number of focus points that I choose to set the depth of field by virtue of the camera selected aperture.

Who else actually trusts their camera and their ability to operate it similarly?

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Jun 12, 2018 10:19:13   #
throughrhettseyes Loc: Rowlett, TX
 
I shot in "P" for a long time up until I joined my local photo club. I have learned so much from my fellow members and YouTube. I haven't used "P" since. Get out and learn from others. My portfolio is 100 % better than 3 years ago. Check out my Flickr.com. https://www.facebook.com/throughrhettseyes/

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