JohnFrim wrote:
... a quick look at the image on the LCD would allow you to correct the situation with a second shot if the first is really bad...
No, it won't. For much of what I shoot.... sports/action... there are no "do overs". You either get the shot right and it's usable... or you don't and it's trash. There may never be an opportunity to correct mistakes and take a second shot.
JohnFrim wrote:
So my question is really directed at the "serious" (read RAW) photographers who swear by shooting FULL MANUAL -- why not just shoot in one of the AUTO modes and let the camera handle exposure?
Sure, shoot in a SEMI-AUTO mode like A or S if you want to control aperture or shutter speed specifically.
First of all, I would dispute that really "serious" photographers only shoot full Manual (or even that they only shoot RAW). In my opinion and experience, truly serious photographers know when and how to use Manual, Aperture Priority auto exposure, Shutter Priority AE and possibly even Program AE or Manual plus Auto ISO. They also may use fully Manual. To an extent, it depends upon what they're shooting. Someone who only shoots landscapes and is able to work at a more sedentary pace, has time to make corrections and take a second shot, might use Manual most of the time. A wedding photographer shooting formal, staged shots also might use Manual, but may need to switch to Aperture Priority for shots during the ceremony or Shutter Priority to make candid shots of the dancers at the reception. Manual plus Auto ISO is yet another form of auto exposure... which has it's uses too.
Also, IMO there's no such thing as "semi auto" exposure mode. It's either auto exposure or it's not. There is nothing "semi" about it.
JohnFrim wrote:
But why not shoot FULL "intelligent" AUTO in a lot of situations? In this mode the camera tries to optimize things like aperture and shutter speed for landscape, macro, night scene, etc, and it often does a good job of that. As far as image appearance goes, the only real "bonus" is that the JPEG will get special treatment when the camera applies SCENE adjustments to alter sharpness, saturation, etc, but the RAW file remains unchanged.
Full AUTO is far more than just auto exposure. It is a "point n shoot" mode that will only allow JPEGs to be recorded (no RAW), won't let you use Exposure Compensation adjustments (which are important and necessary), even forces you to use Auto White Balance, the most fully automated form of auto focus, and possibly more! In other words, it's like using a point n shoot camera or camera phone that has no adjustments at all. The "Scene" modes do much of the same and are nearly as bad... just slightly tweaked one way or another depending upon the type of scene....such as using a higher shutter speed for "sports" mode... or a smaller aperture for "scenic"... or a larger aperture and "faithful" white balance in "portrait" mode. NO THANKS! I never use FULL AUTO or any of the scene modes (in fact, my current primary cameras don't even have scene modes).
My cameras have "picture styles", which it will apply to JPEGs. But that's not "special attention" or a "bonus", IMO.
In fact, every shot done by every digital camera is a RAW, initially. When you save JPEGs, the camera is instantly doing the RAW conversion to make a JPEG... using the set Picture Style parameters as a guide... saving the JPEG and throwing away whatever is left over. I can do the exact same thing in my camera by opening the RAW in the camera maker's software and clicking on "As Shot". Or I can work with the RAW in other ways and develop a final image from it as I see fit. IMO,
that's giving and image "special attention".
JohnFrim wrote:
... leave the creative and challenging bits like focus and composition to the photographer might actually optimize the process of creating a good photo.
FULL AUTO doesn't leave focus to the photographer. It forces you to use the most highly automated of auto focus modes (which I virtually never use).
Plus a lot of the creative decisions in photography involve the photographer's deliberate choice of aperture and/or the shutter speed... possibly even the ISO. Your decisions about these factors dictate how the image "looks" in many ways, just as much as composition and other creative aspects.
Automation of exposure is necessary in some situations.... such as when shooting subjects that are moving in and out of shadows or other variable light conditions. Av/A, Tv/S and possibly P all work well at those times.... maybe even Manual with Auto ISO. Further automation than that is much more like using a smart phone to take snapshots, than using a DLSR or MILC to make photographs.