Anyone still Shooting on auto?

[dibbly dobbler]

Was round at a mate's at the weekend trying to get some shots of his kiddies - I had my 60D with 50mm on, he had a 550D with kit lens. He's basically a beginner - not had the camera long. After firing away for a while I asked for a shot of his.

'Oh dearie me - still on manual ?! Let me show you what you *should* be doing!' Bit of leg-pulling going on.

Cue 5 minutes of me boffing on and fiddling around with settings (Av for max aperture, bump the iso up as it was dull and indoors etc etc) Took a shot - looked pretty good.

'Let's compare my shot to one of your auto ones!'

Ah... they actually looked very similar... fk me the settings were identical!

Cue several minutes of me being subjected to some well-deserved ridicule

So who still shoots on auto ?

[GetCarter]

My camera are always set to auto (just in case I see something I need to capture quick!), I guess 75% of the time I'll leave auto before shooting. Some of the time I find auto to be fine. Esp. at busy events/fetes with a long lens, which will give me the shallow DOF pretty much most of the time.

[Gad-Westy]

I never really use auto but I suppose there is quite a high chance of it picking more or less exactly the same setting as I would have done particularly in low light. Still, it's nice to know what your settings are before the shots taken rather than after.

[anonymous-user]

I leave my camera in 'Auto - No flash' mode most of the time in case I just want to snap something as 9/10 shots it genuinely gives decent results.

Second to that I use Aperture mode the most for getting the DOF and style of photo I want. I like it as I get 'artistic control' and yet the camera sorts the rest out.

I also use Shutter priority occationally as if I'm trying to take a shot of a waterfall or something where I want motion blur.

I only use manual when I'm shooting with off camera remote speedlights and suchlike.

With all the above I still set the maximum allowable Auto-ISO myself to regain some control in stopping the camera just defaulting to 1600 all the time in lower light.

So yes and no!

[K12beano]

Yup. Auto for exposure (Aperture priority 90% + ) 99% of the time. Auto, sometimes for WB. Auto for focus, switched between AF-C and AF-S as necessary, 80% of the time. Auto for aperture 100% of the time.

Over-ride or bracket on top of these various auto settings. What are modern cameras for if they don't do some of the things for you? They've got computers in them, after all.

[dxbtiger]

I flip between A, S, the landscape one and very occasionally no flash one in the main.

Have dipped into full M very occasionally when trying random stuff.

As above, mess with bracketing for HDR and the like.

I need all the help I can get

[chrisj_abz]

must admit im now shooting in manual most of the time, usually its because im trying to get a certain look or using filters so that i need to be able to adjust the exposure accordingly.

[paul911]

60:40 aperture priority and manual, and 60:40 auto and manual focus. Cant remember the last time I used fully auto (green square). The majority of my landscape shots are bracketed too.

[MartinP]

More than 95% of my shots are in aperture priority, the rest split between shutter priority and full manual. Haven't used full auto mode in years, I just like to be in control of what the camera is doing and don't like it making decisions for me.

[y2blade]

70% are shot with shutter priority (mainly birds of Prey, Deer and other wildlife)
30% are shot with Aperture priority.


I do leave it on Auto while not in use, so if it is needed for a "quick grab the camera" moment it will take a shot that is acceptable 9 times out of 10 regardless of who's using it.

[JJM]

Mainly use Av except for long exposure shots where I use Tv, only time I really use full Manual is when doing studio portrait shots.

Also I love the freedom you get with RAW files and my 450d does not allow you to select RAW on Auto mode.

[Nick Grant]

dibbly dobbler said:

Ah... they actually looked very similar... fk me the settings were identical!

[y2blade]

Nick Grant said:

dibbly dobbler said:

Ah... they actually looked very similar... fk me the settings were identical!

Is the tactical "woooosh parrot" required?

[andy-xr]

Don't have an Auto as such, P for Professional is the closest and I've got no problem in using that mode

[itsnotarace]

I use whatever mode is required to get the result I want. Most of the time that means full manual as the camera is often fooled if left to it's own devices

andy-xr said:

Don't have an Auto as such, P for Professional is the closest and I've got no problem in using that mode

Do you mean P for Program Mode

[GetCarter]

andy-xr said:

Don't have an Auto as such, P for Professional is the closest and I've got no problem in using that mode

I should add that I call 'P' auto... in that it STARTS as auto, but via the control wheel immediately becomes (in effect) 'A' or 'S'

[Pints]

P for myself for most day-to-day shots.
Auto for Mrs Pints... permanently.

[deeen]

y2blade said:

Nick Grant said:

dibbly dobbler said:

Ah... they actually looked very similar... fk me the settings were identical!

Is the tactical "woooosh parrot" required?

With a long shutter opening, to blur the "wooooooosh"?

[dibbly dobbler]

deeen said:

y2blade said:

Nick Grant said:

dibbly dobbler said:

Ah... they actually looked very similar... fk me the settings were identical!

Is the tactical "woooosh parrot" required?

With a long shutter opening, to blur the "wooooooosh"?

What what what ?! I *know* I was a tool so no whooshing required surely

[andy-xr]

itsnotarace said:

I use whatever mode is required to get the result I want. Most of the time that means full manual as the camera is often fooled if left to it's own devices

andy-xr said:

Don't have an Auto as such, P for Professional is the closest and I've got no problem in using that mode

Do you mean P for Program Mode

No, it's definitely for Professionals