A&S mode?

well I have been shooting in manual mode (to hopefully learn how to get the correct exposure) and never bothered with the shutter and aperture priority mode. I just used it and I was just wondering if its considered cheating (like putting it in auto mode). Also is there any downside with using these modes? thanks!

When you look at a photo hanging on the wall...do you ask what mode it was taken in? Well, maybe YOU do...but most people won't.

Really, it just doesn't matter. There is little difference between shooting in manual and shooting in other modes while adjusting the EC (exposure compensation). A shot taken at F8 & 1/125 with an ISO of 100 will be the same in any mode.

I am horrible at taking manual pictures.

If you are shooting under controlled lighting, these modes will let the exposure vary from shot to shot, which may be undesirable. Since "manual" mode is really "fixed exposure" mode. As a happy snapper, not a studio guy, I use A and S much more often than M.

Kelly Cook

The only "cheating" with using any of the auto modes is possibly cheating yourself out of a potentially better photograph. Full manual - M - may give you the most control over aperture and shutter settings but Av and Tv - (A & S) - still allow some control over these settings.

While shooting a scene, if you are most concerned with motion (freezing action, soft waterfalls, etc), choose Tv (S), set a shutter speed to give you the correct action and let the camera choose the appropriate aperture for the shutter speed. You can adjust the exposure further with EV+/- as desired.

On the other hand, if you are more concerned with depth of field, choose the Av (A) setting which will give what you want and let the shutter speed vary accordingly.

All of the camera mode settings have merit and value for different situations. Many older folks who came up from the old manual-only film days may still swear by full-manual but that's strictly a personal choice. Great images are possible no matter how you set your camera - if you understand what the settings mean and what they are capable of.

DestinDave wrote: The only "cheating" with using any of the auto modes is possibly cheating yourself out of a potentially better photograph. Full manual - M - may give you the most control over aperture and shutter settings but Av and Tv - (A & S) - still allow some control over these settings.

While shooting a scene, if you are most concerned with motion (freezing action, soft waterfalls, etc), choose Tv (S), set a shutter speed to give you the correct action and let the camera choose the appropriate aperture for the shutter speed. You can adjust the exposure further with EV+/- as desired.

On the other hand, if you are more concerned with depth of field, choose the Av (A) setting which will give what you want and let the shutter speed vary accordingly.

All of the camera mode settings have merit and value for different situations. Many older folks who came up from the old manual-only film days may still swear by full-manual but that's strictly a personal choice. Great images are possible no matter how you set your camera - if you understand what the settings mean and what they are capable of.

KCook wrote: If you are shooting under controlled lighting, these modes will let the exposure vary from shot to shot, which may be undesirable. Since "manual" mode is really "fixed exposure" mode. As a happy snapper, not a studio guy, I use A and S much more often than M.

Kelly Cook

with you on this one. By removing one element fro the equation, you can concentrate on getting the shot. Right now there are a mess of hummingbirds flocking to the feeders. Depending on how I want to capture them, I will use A or S (AV or TV on Canon) and increase my chances of getting a good shot.
I took a workshop last year where the instructors INSISTED all shots should be made in Manual mode. y opinion after the class and trying their methods was that they must miss THOUSANDS of great shots because they are dickering around with their "mechanical devises". In certain "static" scenes, manual is OK (I learned it on an 8x10 camera) but A and S have gotten so good, use it.

KCook wrote: If you are shooting under controlled lighting, these modes will let the exposure vary from shot to shot, which may be undesirable. Since "manual" mode is really "fixed exposure" mode. As a happy snapper, not a studio guy, I use A and S much more often than M.

Kelly Cook

How is manual mode a fixed exposure mode? Wouldn't Auto be a fixed exposure mode?

DestinDave wrote: The only "cheating" with using any of the auto modes is possibly cheating yourself out of a potentially better photograph. Full manual - M - may give you the most control over aperture and shutter settings but Av and Tv - (A & S) - still allow some control over these settings.

While shooting a scene, if you are most concerned with motion (freezing action, soft waterfalls, etc), choose Tv (S), set a shutter speed to give you the correct action and let the camera choose the appropriate aperture for the shutter speed. You can adjust the exposure further with EV+/- as desired.

On the other hand, if you are more concerned with depth of field, choose the Av (A) setting which will give what you want and let the shutter speed vary accordingly.

All of the camera mode settings have merit and value for different situations. Many older folks who came up from the old manual-only film days may still swear by full-manual but that's strictly a personal choice. Great images are possible no matter how you set your camera - if you understand what the settings mean and what they are capable of.

Wow, thank you for all that information. I wasn't expecting such an indepth answer. Thanks

Fallin Star wrote:

KCook wrote: If you are shooting under controlled lighting, these modes will let the exposure vary from shot to shot, which may be undesirable. Since "manual" mode is really "fixed exposure" mode. As a happy snapper, not a studio guy, I use A and S much more often than M.

Kelly Cook

How is manual mode a fixed exposure mode? Wouldn't Auto be a fixed exposure mode?

By "fixed", I meant that the exposure settings remain "stuck" on the last values. No matter how many shots you take, same settings. Until you adjust a setting yourself. At least until you change the camera battery. Assuming also in a fixed ISO setting, not Auto ISO.

Unless you have enabled AE Lock, the A or S mode will re-meter the scene, and adjust the exposure settings, each time you take another shot. So as long as anything in the scene is changing, there is a good chance an exposure setting will change as well.

Kelly

Fallin Star wrote: Also is there any downside with using these modes?

Yes. They will vary the exposure based on scene tonality. Even if the lighting does not change when the meter is pointed at a darker object it will tend to over-expose, and when pointed at a lighter object it will tend to under-expose. Unless exposure compensation is adjusted for each situation. They work great when scene tonality is fairly uniform.

As Henry (do you prefer Henry or Matt?) pointed out, there are times it makes things worse. Manual will give you a uniform exposure, until you manually change it. Like which format should you use, it depends on many factors, including what you have to work with.

Matthew

PS once an exposure is set, you needn't change it for EVERY shot. Only change it when the light changes.

MLKstudios wrote: As Henry (do you prefer Henry or Matt?) pointed out, there are times it makes things worse. Manual will give you a uniform exposure, until you manually change it. Like which format should you use, it depends on many factors, including what you have to work with.

Matthew

PS once an exposure is set, you needn't change it for EVERY shot. Only change it when the light changes.

Of course, there are times even when the light changes, that you may still not want to change your settings (low key/high key for instance) due to wanting a certain effect. Remember that the meter is only a dumb tool & can be fooled. Knowing how your metering mode is reading a scene will allow you to have more control over the outcome...I still know of a good number of photographers who spot meter on the brightest/darkest elements of a scene to determine what settings they want to use...(the Zone system, as I'm sure some of you are already familiar with)

I use the histogram as the modern day Zone System tool. But, it only helps AFTER you've made at least one exposure, so it's only good for certain types of photography.

Matthew

It's a shame some of the earlier DSLR's didn't have the 3 color histogram...Sure comes in handy...