Yeah — that one got shared!!!

Indeed. I always have to explicitly state in my classes that “P” is /NOT/ “Professional Mode” (though I do tell the patrolmen that they can think of it as “Patrol Mode”).

That is also going to depend on the type of photography as well as the specific image I am trying to achieve. Am I going for lots of depth of field (start @ f/8 or some other calculated value based on image depth), or am I trying to stop/blur motion (what motion, how fast, how slow)? Am I trying to pull absolutely maximum detail out of the image (low ISO!) or is this some moonless-night-in-the-forest shot and I need to gather as much light as possible (high ISO!).

If you’re asking for a walk-around “standard”, I keep my camera @ f/8 as my pick-it-up starting point. I also keep it in Aperture Priority mode @ ISO 400. I’m much more likely to reach for the exposure comp dial than I am to go manual shutter...

There is no single answer to this question, even for me, a single person... /Generally/, I shoot in Aperture Priority mode, selecting aperture & ISO, letting the camera pick the shutter speed. I use back-button focus, which gives me continuous mode focus as long as I hold the button, and focus lock when I let go. I also generally use TTL when I am shooting with a flash.

That said, based on the type of shooting I am doing, I use exposure comp a lot and flash comp a bit. I also use Shutter Priority /and/ full-manual some of the time. I /rarely/ use auto-ISO, but do occasionally.

Mostly, as a forensic photographer, I am most concerned in what will most efficiently allow me to capture the details of a scene in the least amount of time. Over years of experience, I know when I can use the automatic modes with success, and when I need to override what the camera thinks to get the image I need. While accuracy and detail is my primary concern, speed is often a concern, so anything that makes me more efficient is embraced. (For what it’s worth, I work primarily at night, and I push the limits of the gear at times.) Yes, I “chimp” pretty regularly - especially when I am pushing the equipment. I can’t afford not to... I also switch to full manual (including flash & even manual focus) when that’s what I need to do to get the image I need.

The main thing that I try to teach my techs is that they need to /learn/ their equipment, and then /trust/ it, but also to know how to compensate for when we need something different from what the camera expects.

I tell the average patrolman to store his camera in “P” (I teach them the visual cue that it means “Patrol Mode”.), so that when they have a fast breaking situation in front of them, a quick grab-and-snap will /probably/ result in a useable image...

Shooting recreationally is a totally different ball-game, however, I still capitalize on the ability of the camera to “automagically” adjust to get what I want. The way my mind works, and the way I have shot for so long, I automatically think in terms of AP mode + exposure comp, but I also know when it’s time to “switch gears” and do something different.

So: Automatic modes? Yes! Manual? Yes! Creative weirdness? Yes! Let’s go make some pictures!

I tried multiple times to fling him off into the woods away from the trail (using trekking poles, not my hands!). He simply would not leave the area and further than right there where I took his picture. He was out on the trail when I initially saw him - I would guess him to be at least 3 feet long, but I don't think he was more than 4 feet.

Last week I hiked a local “rails-to-trails” segment. I came across the young doe here and she happily watched me as I watched her. This image is a huge crop — I was about 60 feet away and the camera was sporting a 16mm lens. While she was content to stand and watch (even as I hiked on past), I don’t think me dropping the pack and digging out the 90mm would have resulted in her still being there.

The next guy was this week. I was hiking with a bunch of kids up in the Blue Ridge Mountains when we came across this feller. I was able to chase him off the trail, but that’s as far as he was willing to go. I kept several sets of eyes on him while I dug in the pack and swapped out to the 90mm. This shot is from about 10 feet away.

For both shots I was in aperature priority mode and pushed +2 EV to get decent exposure in the deep shadow. Other than the crop on the doe, both shots are straight off the camera.

The camera is the single heaviest piece of gear I carry (other than the water bladder, when it’s full), but when I get shots like this I am glad for the weight!

Doe in the brush.

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Rattler!

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I’m not quite there — I believe I have had 2 fail in a decade or so — out of hundreds (yes, really! a quick mental tally has me at about 140 and I am sure I am overlooking quite a few).

One of the problems with LiON is that if you try to charge them when they are too cold, you destroy them. You also MUST have voltage over/under charge circuitry (typically built in to the battery itself), or you will destroy them that way as well...

Looks like batteries have gotten a lot better since I switched (I’ve been using eneloops exclusively for pushing 10 years if not more), but the eneloops are still holding their own.

I use eneloops exclusively. They will hold a charge for a long time, where most others I have tried over the years will self-discharge over a week or two. To me that is well worth the additional cost.

I also have an SB800 (and an SB600, and an SB700, and an SB910) - they are indeed great flash units, but I think all of these are overkill for what the original poster is looking for. The SB400 will fit the bill perfectly.

Then you are on the hunt for an SB-400 — it will fit your bill perfectly. (No - you can’t have mine!!!) :)

If you are looking for something that will be about the same as your pop-up (a bit stronger, but equally simple - controlled fully via the camera) I would try to find an SB-400. Nice and small. Surprising performance out of such a small package. Pop it on and go...

Do you have a Manual/Auto focus switch on the lens? On the camera? Check both.

I have (knock on wood/my own hard head) never dropped a camera. However:

I had a Digital Elph (on a strap around my neck) swing in to the corner of a counter and break the display. A quick trip to Canon and my wallet took care of that.

When my D810 was brand new — like, yes, I had unboxed it that morning — I took it for a walk and *I* took a spill on a slick, muddy hillside... The camera never hit the ground, but a bit of mud splashed up on the top display. JUST wet enough to ooze in down the side and just barely under the edge of the display. To this day I’ve got a touch of dried mud there to remind me to watch my step...