anotherview Loc: California

As a rule, conditions and your intention for the image will determine your camera settings.

For example, these settings would likely work best for moving subjects such as football teams: "manual setup of shutter speed and apparture and using auto is." The shutter speed you set would go high enough to freeze the subject.

The aperture would blur the background as desired. Then the camera metering system would set the ISO for the proper exposure.

I hope this suggestion helps.

ecurb1105

No, use P mode.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

The answer is situation dependent. As does everything else in photography, it depends on what you’re doing. Want to stop action with shallow depth of field in rapidly changing light? That’s the formula, assuming you have *enough* light in the dimmest parts of the scene.

ggab Loc: ?

srt101fan

The OP asked what seemed like a straightforward (and good) question: Is shooting Manual + Auto ISO better than shooting Aperture or Shutter Speed Priority + Auto ISO. The use of Auto ISO is a given in his question.

Some respondents are ignoring the question and just expressing their dislike of Auto ISO because they don't want to lose control.

If you shoot "Manual mode + Auto ISO + Exposure Compensation" you have TOTAL control. The only variable the camera selects is ISO and it shows you the value; if you don't like it you change it. What's not to like? 😊

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

You will get numerous answers from many of us as to what works for us. But be aware that this doesn't mean it will work for you.

I have been into photography since probably 1960. I have shot full manual as well as aperture priority and shutter priority. I have never used auto ISO and cannot see me ever using auto ISO. The reason is I generally know what ISO I want to set depending on conditions and simply set the ISO for those conditions. If I am taking photos of landscape, flowers, fish and game pictures, grandkids in a slowed down situation (not running around the yard, playing, then I use aperture priority to control depth of field. When taking macro photos of flowers or insects I generally use manual exposure with a diffused flash. When taking photos of movement, vehicles, birds in flight, shotgun shooting of clay targets or the grandkids running, then I will use shutter speed priority to control stopping the movement.

This makes sense to me after years of taking photos. I doubt I have taken even 100 photos over the years using Program or Auto. For some it works well. For me it is easier to set the camera to where I know the photos will come out well.

We each have our own ways to get the best out of our cameras and equipment. With some practice you will be more able to choose what works best for you. Good luck with your photographic journey.

Dennis

brooklyn-camera I Loc: Brooklyn, NY

[quote=ggab]I shoot action sports and nature photography. In these situations lighting changes rapidly and auto ISO allows me to adapt to the changes, capture the action shots, while keeping shutter and aperture stable.
Manual with Auto ISO works for me.[/I agree with you 100%. What's good for me may not be right for you.

Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona

This may be a rant, if so I apologize.

Anyone can shoot Manual for any subject under any conditions and get good results--sometimes. In manual, success ratios are subject dependent. If I have time to set up a tripod, carefully compose the scene, carefully meter the light (can't use TTL meter) bracket by 1/2 stops, then I shoot manual and get a RAW image that I have to PP anyway. Of course I don't do that very often, maybe 3 or 4 times a year so I may not know what I am talking about.

I have always been a hunter. Birds, bugs, animals large and small, things that move. I started with a Nikon F, a Nikon 50 mm f2 and a Vivitor 400mm f5.6, and two rolls of Kodachrome and two mailers. [I[Everything[/I] was manual then. No viewfinder readouts, no TTL metering, settings were dials on top of the camera, to check them you had to take your eye away from the viewfinder. Success ratio: Ones I was willing to project on a screen 1:10-15, ones I would show to a real photographer 1:100, maybe.

I wish that people who make pronouncements on shooting manual would describe the type of image making they do i.e. Landscape, Portraiture, Wildlife, etc. and most important I would like to know what their success ratio is.

BobHartung Loc: Bettendorf, IA

A simple search on this site returned 30 "auto iso" topics. Did you look at any of those before posting?

srt101fan

If I understand it correctly, the OP is not asking for info on Auto ISO per se. He is asking, IF you use Auto ISO, what camera shooting mode is better: Manual (M setting), or Aperture or Shutter Priority. As far as I know, that subject has not been discussed much in earlier threads.

I shoot mostly Auto ISO with Manual, and have no experience with Auto ISO used with other modes. With M+Auto ISO it's easy to tell what the camera is doing: it's changing only one variable and you can see what value it chooses.

Using Auto ISO with other modes lets the camera adjust two variables: ISO and either aperture or shutter. That makes it a little more difficult to figure out what the camera is doing. That, in my opinion should be the topic of discussion in the responses to the OP.

My apologies to the OP if I have misinterpreted his question....

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

I thought I had covered that fairly well in my post.

Dennis

srt101fan

Sorry, if you did, I missed it. You say you never use Auto ISO, so whatever the pros and cons are of using Auto ISO with different shooting modes (M, aperture priority, etc) are not an issue for you.

The question of interest is what does the camera do when it is setting two of the three variables. For example, with Aperture Priority and Auto ISO on, does it change aperture or ISO first? Does it change one until it reaches limits and then switches to the other?

uhaas2009

Auto is auto, doesn’t matter if A,S,P auto iso......let’s say you want shoot on f2.8, 1/500, cloudy outside, then auto iso can beneficial......

BebuLamar

I only have one camera with auto ISO feature, the Nikon Df. I use it on A with Auto ISO very often and this is what it does.
I set the minimum ISO at 100 and the maximum ISO at 12800. I generally set the aperture of f/8 or f/5.6. The camera would adjust the shutter speed only in bright light. In bright light the shutter can go up to 1/1000 or 1/500 depending on the aperture selected. As the light get darker it would drop the shutter speed down. When the shutter speed needed for correct exposure is slower than 1/focal length it starts to increase the ISO and not slow the shutter speed any slower than 1/focal length. When the ISO reached the maximum of 12800 it would continue to slow the shutter speed down further.
I have never used it on P but I will find out and report back if you're interested.

Charlie C Loc: North Liberty, IA

YES. Because manual let's the f.stop and shutter to be set for any scenario yet allows rapid changes of either with the flick of the dials while letting the iso float for correct exposure. Just monitor the meter for any possible over/ under exposure. I use A mode for stills with Auto iso. These are the only modes I ever use. Just set the lowest shutter speed needed for the subject. Manual with Auto iso is really great for fast action especially with changing lighting conditions.