usnret Loc: Woodhull Il

That the best ya got?? Pathetic! A rocket scientist such as yourself should be able to answer your own question.

Sltolivar

[quote=John Gerlach]Hi Hogs,

I am about to begin the second revision of my landscape photography book by Focal Press.? Exposure and metering are important skills to master. Over 40 years of photographing close-ups, wildlife. and countless landscapes for fun and to earn a living, I have never found a situation where aperture-priority works better than the other choices I prefer that include shutter-priority, manual, shutter-priority and Auto ISO, or just manually setting a known exposure for stuff too small to meter like stars. Can any one think of a situation where aperture-priority really works best in case it should be in the updated book. I never have found a reason to use aperture-priority, but that doesn't mean there aren't any! Thanks for considering this question.[/quote

You can't tell me in 40 years you cannot come up with a valid reason to use after priority. I don't see how you can call yourself a serious photographer.

Steve

User ID

Guru-esque craft advisor authors are generally not the brightest crayons in the box. They just rehash the obvious, and then illustrate it using sophomoronic examples. Drivel in, drivel out.

MadMikeOne Loc: So. NJ Shore - a bit west of Atlantic City

Never mind - just realized this topic is more than 6 years old!

Leinik Loc: Rochester NY

Hi John,
This seems to indicate you are/were a Canon user. Canon's first foray into automatic exposure was "S" ([Tv in Canon lingo, S for all others] shutter-speed priority) whereas Nikon was "A" (Aperture priority).
As a long-time Nikon user I have always used A (habit, good or bad learnt from FE and F3 models).

My reason now for sticking with it is that it allows me to control my depth of field (as well as make sure that I use my lens at their best resolving power) by always knowing which aperture I am using.

Harry02 Loc: Gardena, CA

[quote=Sltolivar][quote=John Gerlach]Hi Hogs,

I am about to begin the second revision of my landscape photography book by Focal Press.? Exposure and metering are important skills to master. Over 40 years of photographing close-ups, wildlife. and countless landscapes for fun and to earn a living, I have never found a situation where aperture-priority works better than the other choices I prefer that include shutter-priority, manual, shutter-priority and Auto ISO, or just manually setting a known exposure for stuff too small to meter like stars. Can any one think of a situation where aperture-priority really works best in case it should be in the updated book. I never have found a reason to use aperture-priority, but that doesn't mean there aren't any! Thanks for considering this question.[/quote

You can't tell me in 40 years you cannot come up with a valid reason to use after priority. I don't see how you can call yourself a serious photographer.

Steve[/quote]

I started with total manual 120film Zeiss folders. Sunny16 is on auto.
THAT said, for my DSLR I like a bit of DOF. That I can shift.
So, for me, 5.6 or 8, and Auto-ISO, works most of the time.
Snaps of kids at play, fam BBQs, pets, living rooms, dinners, etc-
Point, focus and shoot. I get a second or two to decide. No tripod.
Long ago I did them other things, too!
But I is olde and kinda sedentary these years.
Times Have Changed!

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

I used ‘A’ mode back in the days when my only choices were ‘A’ or ‘M’ modes - but not since then.

BebuLamar

A mode is the only auto mode I use. I either use M or A. I never use S or P.

CliffMcKenzie Loc: Lake Athens Texas

“Can any one think of a situation where aperture-priority really works best in case it should be in the updated book.”

John, I started my photography journey in 2019. Reading book after book, it became clear in landscape photography, that aperture was the go-to setting. As I have matured in the art, aperture still serves various needs (bracketing, focus stacking, etc,), but manual is almost always the default. Even on a tripod, watching the interaction of speed, aperture and ISO is critical. The answer is those that are beginning in photography may wish to start heavy in aperture to better understand the triangle. What is missing is “auto” or “P” mode, that is something I and I would guess almost everyone on this blog never use.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

I use ‘P’ all the time - whenever I don’t use what Pentax calls ‘TAv’ mode {equivalent to using ‘M’ mode with auto ISO}

JimH123 Loc: Morgan Hill, CA

It's hard to understand how this thread could go for 19 pages. And it's hard to understand how anyone could question the need for Aperture Priority Mode!

If I want to specify the aperture setting, I use 'A' Mode.

If I want to use an adapted manual lens, I use 'A' Mode.

Take it away, and I will no longer consider using such camera.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

It's hard to understand how a thread started in 2017 includes people not calling Professional Mode (P)rofessional Mode in 2023 ... If you don't know Professional Mode, you don't know anything about your camera, nor photography, in general.

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

Pano stitching and HDR.

99% of the time I use manual exposure settings and auto ISO. Software has gotten so good at denoising and detail recovery of images taken at ridiculously high ISOs that the ISO is hardly a factor in most cases.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Aperture Priority is my go-to setting.

fetzler Loc: North West PA

I use it 95% of the time. HDR, setting DOF, macro when using manual.