BigDaddy Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

I pretty much explained why not in the post you quoted, but left out my thoughts on why. I'll repeat the post for you:


Basically, I'm saying if you, like Roy Underhill prefer to do everything at all times by hand, have at it. The facts are, it's certainly not required with todays camera's, other than in special circumstances.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

Or we can just let AI do all the work and take the photographer out of the equation altogether. There is now software to do exactly that. Perhaps your post was intended as a sarcastic joke. I hope so.

Blenheim Orange Loc: Michigan

Of course manual mode is not required. I asked why not use manual mode? Is there something to be gained by not using manual mode? What is it that should be done automatically? Shutter speed? Aperture? ISO? All of them? Using manual mode does not slow me down, does not cause me to miss shots, and produces exactly the results I am after. So, why not use manual mode?

dustie Loc: Nose to the grindstone

There are probably a couple dollops of sarcasm dribbled on that comment, but it's not all in that frivolous manner.

In some of the first replies to my first posts right after I signed up to UHH, the commenters advised me on studying, practicing, practicing, practicing, working....oh, and working....at learning and learning and, hopefully, advancing to some extent in the photography hobby. None of those commenters even mentioned getting some late model gear and running it in any auto modes. I do not believe they even thought that was the necessary action to take. I believe they sincerely believe putting in the work is what is the necessary ingredient to learning and hopefully advancing a little ways in the photography pursuit.

There are still repeated comments in UHH from certain members who stress the learning, the practice, the practice, the practice, the disappointments in shortcomings, the practice, the practice, the practice, and not certain recipes nor oft parroted claims and get-good-quick programs and easy-peasy camera settings.
Some commenters even draw parallels to work in other professions in which they learned the old pencil-and-paper methods, because that's what they had. Modernization and computer programs in their line of work has led to a crop of newcomers who do not know the whys and wherefores and workarounds to get them through special needs situations and computer failures.
I find those kinds of advice more meaningful than the emphasis on newest, latest, snazziest, one-touch approach to doing pictures.

Probably, I'm more inclined to "do it the hard way", if that's what it takes, to get some understanding of why and how the process works, rather than pursue getting something of the latest model gear with the latest advance in just grabbing onto a one-touch solution without some knowledge and understanding of foundations.

Life and work get in the way of permitting me as much unfettered time to devote to photography practice as I need,....but that's life. I don't believe I want AI to take away the possibility I may have time for more photography in the future.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

If you look at images posted here, most opportunities for improvement have nothing to do with camera capability or technique. Instead, those opportunities are centered around vision and heart. Most exposure misses can easily be corrected during the post processing steps that the vast majority here consider so mandatory. Come on...12-14 stops of capture to get 7 or 8 stops displayable (maybe a little less with Auto ISO). So this interminable argument over what mode to use literally makes me laugh. Usually out loud.

Thanks, though. The extra endorphins have undoubtedly added at least a few minutes to my life.

I came late to amateur radio. There are some old cranks who are still irritated that I was not required to demonstrate proficiency receiving international morse code at 20 words per minute to receive the highest level of license. They certainly had to do so when they were licensed a hundred or so years ago, and it's just not fair that I didn't. Never mind that the test hasn't even been offered for many years.

There is nothing wrong with doing manual exposure control. There's really not even anything wrong with doing so because you are too lazy to take a minute to learn how to make more modern capabilities work for you. But camera capabilities expand as technology advances. We are free to choose how we move forward. I don't currently have more than a passing interest in the current AI fad. (That may change someday.) But I guarantee that using Program mode to help me avoid extreme choices of aperture or shutter speed is a great option to have available.

bikinkawboy Loc: north central Missouri

Larryepage, you said something very insightful that we all need to do, “learning to make more modern capabilities work for you”.

After having used a D40 and D5100 for years, I thought I had them pretty well figured out. When I first got the D7000, of course I went to snapping photos. Only later when I had time to read, (winter) and after I smartened up, I seriously read the manual. I was surprised at how many more features the 7000 had, ones I didn’t know existed until I actually thoroughly read the manual. And here I had been shooting all that time, treating the 7000 like it was a D40. That’s like still using hand signals when driving because you never took the time to actually see what features your new car has, such as self canceling blinkers.

It’s one thing to know what your camera is capable of and choosing to not use those features but something else to not use those features because like me, you hadn’t taken the time to really learn your camera. I would hope that the manual setting users out there aren’t doing so just because they always have. My suggestion is to thoroughly read the manual even if it is like the D800 manual with 447 pages.

gwilliams6

gwilliams6

BigDaddy Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

I never said not to use manual mode. You can use it all the time if that floats your boat. I said it's not required all the time.

The reasons all the other modes are fine is because they don't slow you down, don't cause you to miss shots, and produce exactly the results you are after other than in special circumstances. Seems your reasons are about the same as those that don't choose to shoot manual all the time.

I'll add that imo, your statement is not all that accurate. Shooting all the time in manual WILL cause one to miss shots. No matter how "good" you are, you can't make all the settings manually when lighting and subjects are rapidly changing. Often, you can't even get your camera turned on quick enough. My Iphone will open the camera app w/o even signing in to turn the phone on. It takes about a second to snap a fleeting image. Not always needed but when time is of the essence, you will miss the shot setting up all those manual settings, or even signing in to your phone to open the camera app.

I learned years ago to try to remember to set my camera to auto mode when done shooting because It's easy to miss fleeting shots if you have to manually set things up. If you never shoot anything spur of the moment, then that's not needed, but when it is, it is.

There is no catch all manual setting that covers all the exposure/focusing settings that auto does. So, if you could determine all that and manually make the changes in a second or two (you can't), you will miss shots. May not get an ideal picture with the DOF you want, but you will stand a much better chance of capturing the moment.

scubadoc Loc: Sarasota, FL

I’m not sure I want a well exposed photo that is blurry because of too low a shutter speed, or a well exposed photo that only has the near field in focus. That is what happens if you depend on “auto” for all your shots. Shooting manual, esp with auto ISO, obviates those issues, and if you know your camera knobology, it should only take a second to get the exact exposure settings you want. For the casual shooter, P or Auto lets you capture instantly, as soon as the camera wakes up, but to tweak the settings in Auto or P mode takes longer than manually setting the correct exposure in the first place.

gwilliams6

Exactly,

Blenheim Orange Loc: Michigan

OK, thanks for the reply. I am curious about why people think manual mode holds them back in some way. I don't know what settings people would be fiddling with constantly if they couldn't rely on auto. I often go all day without changing settings at all. If people want to use the various automatic settings, more power to them. I just can't see an advantage for what I do. Yes, I know the manual inside and out and have played with all of the settings. So it is not a matter of being lazy nor being intimidated by the latest fancy tech, as some have suggested.

Auto focus is useful for shooting sports activities, of course, and also wildlife. I don't find it useful for macro, close up or landscapes. For close up ad macro images I set the aperture, shutter speed and ISO to the optimum settings and then control the lighting myself.

BigDaddy Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

I don't recall anyone claiming shooting "auto" for all your shots. A few think shooting in manual for all shots should work all the time, it doesn't.

Furthermore, todays camera's with matrix metering and such make the variety of auto modes great for most circumstances. You will miss shots if you never use auto modes or never use manual. Both are part of photography today and Kelby got it exactly right when he said some circumstances require manual, but generally nothing at all wrong with using the various auto modes offered today. I agree though that you're not much of a photographer if you don't understand manual mode. It doesn't take a rocket scientist though. Once you get the basics, you can take full advantage of the auto modes like AP,SP and auto ISO settings your fancy camera might offer, and shoot manual when required. 95% of the time when I shoot manual, I do it for the fun of it, not because it's required.

Blenheim Orange Loc: Michigan

Yes, it most certainly does work all the time for everything that I do. Always.

scubadoc Loc: Sarasota, FL

Can you provide examples of what scenarios will not work with manual settings? I’m trying to learn from someone who has more experience than I do about the various auto settings in modern cameras. I am familiar with all the various auto settings on my R5, but have not yet come across a scenario where manual settings will not work. By manual, I mean manually setting shutter speed, f/stop, and ISO. I do use auto focus most of the time, but set the focus mode to suit the subject, i.e. spot, eye tracking, etc.