Program mode vs Auto mode

Hey guys, is program mode the same as auto mode?  Am I wrong by thinking they are the same?  

No.

Program modes are aperture-priority and shutter priority. Sorta automatic. But you set one parameter, and the camera takes are of the rest.

You'll find lots of photographers (even pros) will use Ap mode.

Not really the question, Hook. No, "Auto" mode and "Program" mode are not the same. It varies by manufacturer but generally in Auto mode you don't have control over anything. In Program mode you can change shutter speed or aperture and the camera moves into "Program Shift". The camera will work out the other settings to make your choice work. Program shift is like having an "Aperture Priority" and "Shutter Priority" setting in one. Most people don't use it because it's "for people that don't know about photography" when in actuality it's the Auto mode that is for the beginners and turns the camera into a point and shoot. Not all cameras have both. If people understood how the Program mode actually worked, more people would use it.

Shadowfixer1 wrote: Not really the question, Hook.

Gah. I'd go back and edit or remove my answer if I could.

Mea culpa.

G'day Tim

SF has given you a good answer - may I add to it

Over the years I have played with many cameras (pentax-canon-nikon-panasonic) looking into their 'auto' and 'program' settings in similar / everyday settings and they all seem to be very similar with their choice of shutter speed and aperture - as I flick the mode dial between one to the other setting. So for all intents and purposes, camera on 'auto' will offer the same speed and apertures when set to 'program'. However when on 'auto' the camera maker blocks out many menu options from the user and the user cannot alter the exposure settings

As SF points out, "P" opens up the thing called 'program shift' whereby the user can rotate a dial on the camera to swap whatever the starting speed-aperture combo provided into something else that better suits the user. Once the shutter has 'clicked' the system returns to normal operation

An experienced user who knows what sort of shutter speed suits a general sort of subject &/or what sort of aperture will suit the subject before them can easily use "P" mode and the program shift mode to fine tune every image they create.

An experienced user who decides that "P" mode will do them for their everyday stuff will also know when to shoot in "S" mode for action -or- movement, and when to shoot in "A" mode for depth of field -or- selective focus

While the above talks about 'the mechanics' of exposure, you cannot replace 'creative vision' via whatever camera settings you use.  The creativeness of image making is probably more important in many situations, and this is where you will notice here and elsewhere that 'good' photos take more than a simple 'click' to create them

As with so much of our photography, there are many ways to shoot a 'good' image, and the important thing is to find what suits you and go for it - and enjoy your photography

Hope this helps
Phil from the great land Downunder
www.flickr.com/photos/ozzie_traveller/sets/

Shadowfixer1 wrote: Not really the question, Hook. No, "Auto" mode and "Program" mode are not the same. It varies by manufacturer but generally in Auto mode you don't have control over anything. In Program mode you can change shutter speed or aperture and the camera moves into "Program Shift". The camera will work out the other settings to make your choice work. Program shift is like having an "Aperture Priority" and "Shutter Priority" setting in one. Most people don't use it because it's "for people that don't know about photography" when in actuality it's the Auto mode that is for the beginners and turns the camera into a point and shoot. Not all cameras have both. If people understood how the Program mode actually worked, more people would use it.

True, and true.  In all fairness, I don't use Program mode hardly myself.  Not because of lack of understanding, just because I mainly use Aperture or Manual mode nearly 99% of the time.  That's just preference for how I like to shoot.   

ShutterPal wrote:

Shadowfixer1 wrote: Not really the question, Hook. No, "Auto" mode and "Program" mode are not the same. It varies by manufacturer but generally in Auto mode you don't have control over anything. In Program mode you can change shutter speed or aperture and the camera moves into "Program Shift". The camera will work out the other settings to make your choice work. Program shift is like having an "Aperture Priority" and "Shutter Priority" setting in one. Most people don't use it because it's "for people that don't know about photography" when in actuality it's the Auto mode that is for the beginners and turns the camera into a point and shoot. Not all cameras have both. If people understood how the Program mode actually worked, more people would use it.

True, and true.  In all fairness, I don't use Program mode hardly myself.  Not because of lack of understanding, just because I mainly use Aperture or Manual mode nearly 99% of the time.  That's just preference for how I like to shoot.   

I'm nearly the same.  I've used Program mode a number of times, but seem to always jump back into Aperture or Manual mode.  

Auto decides the shutter and aperture and sometimes the ISO with no input from you.  Program mode sets up the camera to provide a number of options, all of which provide the same exposure.  You can step through the combinations and decide on either an aperture or a shutter setting and stop at the combination that best applies to your vision of the final shot.  It can provide both AP and SP depending on which setting you vary to step through the options.  Program and manual are all I ever use.

No other way than manual for me.