# What modes do you usually use on your camera?



## JRS (May 7, 2012)

I see myself using, most of the time, the AV mode, auto ISO and sometimes I manually set the ISO, lower if I have a tripod or high ISO if I want faster shutter speed...

What about you?


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## 1982chris911 (May 7, 2012)

C1-C3 with individual settings one for brackets, one for fast action (1600 ISO - sharpness +5), one for portraits... All using Manual or AV mode as base


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## JerryKnight (May 7, 2012)

For weddings, I use full manual exclusively. I've been tempted to use aperture priority a few times outdoors, in wildly varying light, but my manual shooting is getting better as I learn to constantly monitor the meter and histograms.

I'm not saying the "semi-automatic" modes aren't good or that they shouldn't be used, but in most wedding photography (in my experience) you need absolute control over the camera - any guessing the camera has to do is an opportunity for the camera to get it wrong. If you're in a setting where you can trust the automatic settings, or at least you can check on the automatic settings and adjust them and take the shot again, then they are fantastic to use. If you're in a situation where the photo has to be as good as possible the first time with no time to retry, then learning to wield the camera in full manual is the way to go.

I haven't even used the Auto ISO feature on the 5D3 yet. I know I can restrict it to a specific range of values, but I think that I should be able to set the aperture, shutter speed, ISO, focus, framing, and composition at the same time. It's exhausting and sometimes daunting, but when it's done right, it's the best way to consistently get great photos.


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## wickidwombat (May 8, 2012)

pretty much Only Manual mode unless i'm using bulb off a tripod for really long exposures or things like fireworks
that sort of thing


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## PhilDrinkwater (May 8, 2012)

This isn't a smart arse answer, but whichever will get me the photo I want. In reality, manual in studio and 70% manual and 30% aperture priority. I rarely use shutter priority or the fully automatic modes. With the 5d3 will be using ap and auto iso a fair amount in the evening. 

Knowing how to confidently use all modes would benefit every photographer. Not knowing will mean there's always going to be a situation you don't get the best you could.


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## mdm041 (May 8, 2012)

Manual Mode most of the time. I will use AP occasionaly if the light is quickly changing and my subject is moving around alot. I'll still manualy adjust ISO. I just like to have to think about each setting before I shoot. Sometimes I have to think really quickly but I just feel it helps me develop my skills further. I find when you start shooting manual all the time you get alot more bad shots but then you start to get a few really good shots. As you start to figure out what you did right to get the shots you really liked then the bad shots start to fall off and the really good shots begin to increase. I feel if I always used AP I would never really develop a style I'd just flip around to get the right exposure.

Not to say there is anythign wrong with the semi-auto modes but I feel while you are growing as a photographer it is a good thing to stay away from when you can. Sometimes I find I need them and they serve me well.


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## PhilDrinkwater (May 8, 2012)

mdm041 said:


> Not to say there is anythign wrong with the semi-auto modes but I feel while you are growing as a photographer it is a good thing to stay away from when you can. Sometimes I find I need them and they serve me well.



I guess the point with this is that it's really useful to be able to use them all. But, when learning photography, if you only use AP you will never be fully in control of your exposure and not know how to correct issues... 

I would totally agree with that. Beginners should understand exposure properly.


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## jalbfb (May 8, 2012)

Manual mode the majority of the time and occasionally Av, like this weekend at a indoor (gym) college graduation with manually set higher ISO.


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## 96Brigadier (May 8, 2012)

Manual mode for everything but long exposures when I use bulb.

Haven't set up C1-C3 yet, but those will be based on manual mode too.


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## briansquibb (May 8, 2012)

I use Av and M

Av on the 1D4 can be used M with minimum shutter speed and autoiso and ec, Av on the 1DS3

M for flash work


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## Dylan777 (May 8, 2012)

JRS said:


> I see myself using, most of the time, the AV mode, auto ISO and sometimes I manually set the ISO, lower if I have a tripod or high ISO if I want faster shutter speed...
> 
> What about you?



M = 70% 
Av = 20% 
Tv = 10%


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## Chewy734 (May 8, 2012)

M - 85%
Av - 10%
Tv - 5%


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## psolberg (May 8, 2012)

Aperture priority all the time except when crafting a shot with strobes where I'll manual just for consistency of the light ratios in post. I'll use ttl and aperture priority when there is not time to setup. 

I use auto ISO all the time and leave it on except when working with manual strobes.


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## EYEONE (May 8, 2012)

M = 93%
C# = 5%
AV= 2%

AV is just too inconsistent for my likes. If I have to keep making EC adjustments I might as well shoot manual. Though, the 7D's meter might be to blame. I think it over exposes a bit.


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## PhilDrinkwater (May 8, 2012)

EYEONE said:


> M = 93%
> C# = 5%
> AV= 2%
> 
> AV is just too inconsistent for my likes. If I have to keep making EC adjustments I might as well shoot manual. Though, the 7D's meter might be to blame. I think it over exposes a bit.



I think AV makes most sense when connected with Auto ISO. You can wander around and not have to worry about two settings - ISO AND shutter speed. It's then replaced with one setting - EC


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## ecka (May 8, 2012)

7D - Av
5D2 - M


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## Act444 (May 8, 2012)

Depends...and it has varied over the years 

Now, I use mostly Av mode to have control over DOF (especially with fast lenses), or when shooting sports, Custom mode (which I configure for manual exposure, auto ISO, AI servo and * to focus). Occasionally I will use Tv mode when using the 70-200 indoors so I can take full advantage of the IS function to handhold slower shutter speeds.


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## pdirestajr (May 8, 2012)

I use M any time I'm working with lights.

Other than that I'm in AV. I find it faster to use AV and then adjust the exposure compensation dial to fit the scene.

I don't really see a difference in AV/ TV and adding exposure compensation compared to using M.


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## kbmelb (May 8, 2012)

M-70%
Av-20%
Tv-10%

I use manual for just about everything unless the lighting conditions are changing. In those situation I'll use Av except for outdoor sunny shots with fill flash. Then I'll use Tv set to highest sync so I don't get any overexposed shots.


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## RKang (May 8, 2012)

M - 85%
Av - 15%


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## Danielle (May 8, 2012)

M: 70%

Av and Tv respectively with exposure compensation if necessary.
Occasionally auto iso too, if needed.


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## cartaphoto (May 8, 2012)

M 100%


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## dstppy (May 8, 2012)

I dunno what it's called, but there's this green square that works better than the rest.

*ducks*

;D

Seriously though, Av for me most of the time these days.


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## bonedaddy.p7 (May 8, 2012)

It really depends upon the subject and the time constraints of the shot
if I have time to compose or if I really want to tweak the exposure: M
if I am just shooting normally: AV
if I need to prattle off a bunch of shots quickly and they are all different: P

I use M probably 60-70%, AV 30% and P maybe 10% of the time


oh yeah, I've never had a camera with auto ISO so I have no idea how often I would use it...it would probably replace all my P mode and some of my AV mode.


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## Actionpix (May 8, 2012)

ISO always as low as the camera goes, Av when I need depth of field, but limited to f/8, and Tv for action, set for the amount of motion I want to be visible in the shot, and M when I use TS lenses or shoot the moon or backlit objects


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## Cptn Rigo (May 8, 2012)

M - 98%
C1 - 2% (a custom mode with auto exposure and full auto focus for stealth shooting from the hip)


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## SPL (May 8, 2012)

I will primarily use Av most of the time,..with manual ISO settings. M with flash and HDR brackets


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## serendipidy (May 10, 2012)

Started out as a beginner using Program mode. Last year got a 7D and graduated to Av mode. Recently have tried M mode a bit. Still like Av the best and usually set ISO at 100-400 depending upon the focal length and available light to get enough shutter speed.


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## RuneL (May 10, 2012)

M, always M. I light a lot of my pictures too, which means M. I did shoot some portraits for a feature the other day on Tv, but I'm so used to M that the results are usually worse when using the automatic modes.


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## captainkanji (Jun 12, 2012)

I bought my first DSLR in March 2012 (Canon 7d). I'm still getting the hang of it. I spend 99% of my time in Av, but on the rare occasions when I shoot in low light indoors, I find that I have to switch to manual (and my 50 1.4). Seeing everyone of the forum who shoot M so much, I'm motivated to spend one day shooting only M mode. Here's an example of the shooting conditions I'm usually in:

Metropolis, IL
Superman Celebration 2012






I'm still a noob, so I'll keep practicing and reading the forum ;D


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## bdunbar79 (Jun 12, 2012)

EYEONE said:


> M = 93%
> C# = 5%
> AV= 2%
> 
> AV is just too inconsistent for my likes. If I have to keep making EC adjustments I might as well shoot manual. Though, the 7D's meter might be to blame. I think it over exposes a bit.



My 7D certainly overexposed a lot. I noticed this a lot. I mainly use M mode just because it's more fun. But like Brian mentioned, on the 1D Mark IV shooting in AV mode isn't necessarily semi-manual, because you can set TV and ISO ranges as well. It's really fun.


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## Jettatore (Jun 12, 2012)

Almost exclusively manual. If it's in nighttime I fix the ISO rather high and leave it. If it's daytime I often set it to auto-ISO. In both cases manually controlling aperture and shutter. I don't like aperture priority, it often sets shutter speeds that aren't hand-holdable in darker conditions. Shutter priority doesn't have such a dilemma but still leaves you without control over DOF. For the night-time shots where I fix the ISO high, unless I would be going for an effect, I just alter the shutter to control exposure, and only change the aperture if I want to change the DOF, it's fairly simple. Custom modes are quite useful if you are at an event, it lets you preset a few various styles or quickly account for stark differences in lighting you may find. I'm gradually getting used to manual focusing as when I don't completely miss, it leads to much better images than the tack sharp mechanical results which gets quite boring after a short while.


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## keithfullermusic (Jun 12, 2012)

Av for most shots. The 50d is pretty much spot on in terms of exposure. If I want it brighter/darker I tend to just use exposure compensation. 

If I'm shooting action I shots av (70%), tv (10%), and manual (20%), and I move the exposure compensation to gain speed (brighten it in post).

If I am using flashes or in controlled lighting i use manual 100% of the time. I also use manual when exposure compensation can't handle the difference I'm looking for (+/- 2).

If you're a pro at manual then god bless you, but why make it harder when the camera can usually do what you want it to do?


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## westr70 (Jun 12, 2012)

I'd say 80% manual and the balance Tv for bif. Got have that shutter speed consistent because those birds don't wait for you.


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## mb66energy (Jun 12, 2012)

ISO set manually according to general conditions
Metering is spot

Roughly
40% Manual if lighting conditions are more or less stable
60% Av with *-Button to select the right exposure with the right area in the frame by the spot metering field
under changing lighting conditions

Best, Michael


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## Dylan777 (Jun 12, 2012)

dstppy said:


> I dunno what it's called, but there's this green square that works better than the rest.
> 
> *ducks*
> 
> ...



I use "P" PROFESSIONAL mode ;D ;D ;D


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## briansquibb (Jun 12, 2012)

AV most of the time when not using flash (faux M on 1D4)
M most of the time when using flash


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## YellowJersey (Jun 12, 2012)

I'm usually in Av, sometimes Tv. Sometimes I only go into manual sometimes. 

Fortunately, being a landscape shooter, I usually have time to take a bunch of test shots. Sometimes, if I'm in a hurry, I'll go start with -1 in exposure compensation and take one image at each increment until I hit +1.


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## JEAraman (Jun 12, 2012)

Started out manual and have always used it.. except for the occasional switching of modes by mistake and I wonder why settings keep changing alone! :


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## revup67 (Jun 12, 2012)

I use them all except for P and the green icon Fully Automatic.

M - 30%
Av- 33%
Tv -33%
B - 4%

and equally important are the AF Sel settings, the Metering settings (Evaluative, Centered, Spot and Partial) and the One Shot and Ai Servo settings.


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## pwp (Jun 12, 2012)

One of the things I love about the 1D Mk4 is the ability to switch modes OFF. I know I only use Manual & Av. So when I switch modes, I know what I'm getting without even looking. Not for everyone I'm sure but it works for me.

Thanks goodness the 5D3 has the lock button on the mode dial. On the old model I was consistently inadvertently bumping the mode dial onto an unwanted setting such as Bulb. This happened mostly when the body was on the shoulder and I was shooting with the Mk4, being jostled in a crowd or just moving about. It reached the point where I gaffa taped the dial in position. Hah! It looked a bit trashy, especially with the 24-70 f/2.8 which needs tape to hold the hood in place.

PW


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## akiskev (Jun 12, 2012)

My favorite mode is *Av*.
Then *Tv* for sports,
and when I use my manual lenses, I stick to *M*. I wish Av worked properly with the manual lenses, but for some reason it doesn't. Any help here? Camera is Rebel XTi. On my dad's 5d2 there is not such a problem...


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## zim (Jun 12, 2012)

Av most of the time dialling in exposure compensation when required, M for when I need more control. Never use Auto Iso, don’t like how it works on Rebel. Oh yeh and occasionally 'P'arty Mode when I’m drunk in change of a camera  ;D ;D


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## Viggo (Jun 12, 2012)

Av always to control dof and I adjust ISO on the go, it's the fastest way for me by far. Them the shutter can vary quite a bit without resulting in an exposure difference, if I used M i would either over or underexposed.. but when I use my flashes I always shoot M. I can't anything else to work...


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## jm345 (Jun 12, 2012)

Manual with Auto ISO for action shots with wildlife (and kids - guess that's redundant).
Manual and set ISO for landscape.
P mode with flash so Auto ISO will go up to 1600.


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## Alumina (Jun 12, 2012)

I use manual 100% of the time when shooting macro's, and for my other lenses mostly AV, and sometimes TV, rest of the modes on my T3i remain untouched.


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## candyman (Jun 12, 2012)

For my 7D


*M*anual with Auto ISO for sports action
*AV* in most other situations
With external flash sometimes* P* mode and mostly *M*


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## bakker (Jun 12, 2012)

Usually *Av*.
*M *when using a tripod 
*Tv *when using a 300mm lens.


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## VASH1291 (Jun 12, 2012)

Av mode for most situations and M mode for when Av won't cut it.


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## Marsu42 (Jun 12, 2012)

JRS said:


> What about you?



I'm mostly shooting Av with auto iso and use exposure compensation a lot - I overexpose if I know my subject is darker than the scene, or I'm deliberately underexposing to gain speed.

Tv mode doesn't seem to be popular around here, but I use it for action shots with my 70-300L - the smaller aperture is good here, because it cannot go lower than f4 resulting in a too thin depth of field. With my setting and auto-iso, at least 1/500s is guaranteed, but if the ambient light is better the iq gets better without my intervention.


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## SteenerMe (Jun 12, 2012)

Manual 100% of the time. I control what the pictures look like. Be it good or bad. The camera doesnt know what i want the outcome to be. So i tell it. I think its a little lazy to let the camera do the work. But thats just me. Ill take a blank canvas over paint by number any day!


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## V8Beast (Jun 12, 2012)

Full Auto ;D With as much as I paid for my 5D3, I might as well get my money's worth by letting the camera do the thinking for me ;D


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## smithy (Jun 12, 2012)

V8Beast said:


> Full Auto ;D With as much as I paid for my 5D3, I might as well get my money's worth by letting the camera do the thinking for me ;D


I think my soul is slightly wounded... 

I have always been a huge fan of AV mode - with manual ISO. Auto ISO doesn't appeal to me on this type of camera, but I can see its uses in some situations. Since purchasing the 5D3 I've set up the C1-C3 modes like this:

C1 - standard single shot, ISO 100, AV mode (portraits in good light)
C2 - high speed burst, AI servo, ISO 400, AV mode (sports)
C3 - silent shutter, single shot, ISO 3200, AV mode (weddings or discrete indoor functions). I suppose this would be the best candidate for auto-ISO if I were to go that way.


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## Marsu42 (Jun 12, 2012)

SteenerMe said:


> The camera doesnt know what i want the outcome to be.



The camera doesn't know me, but after shooting for a while I know my camera. If I look at a scene, I am pretty much able to predict how the camera will measure and if Av needs exposure correction - so basically, it's assisted manual mode.


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## Razor2012 (Jun 12, 2012)

smithy said:


> V8Beast said:
> 
> 
> > Full Auto ;D With as much as I paid for my 5D3, I might as well get my money's worth by letting the camera do the thinking for me ;D
> ...



Actually I found auto ISO to work really well. AV @2.8 and I had really good shots from 100 to 12800. I was amazed at how well the photos looked at high ISO.


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## briansquibb (Jun 12, 2012)

Razor2012 said:


> smithy said:
> 
> 
> > V8Beast said:
> ...



I use Autoiso on the 1D4 and it is superb. My exposure problems are limited to EC adjustments


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## helpful (Jun 12, 2012)

JerryKnight said:


> For weddings, I use full manual exclusively. I've been tempted to use aperture priority a few times outdoors, in wildly varying light, but my manual shooting is getting better as I learn to constantly monitor the meter and histograms.
> 
> I'm not saying the "semi-automatic" modes aren't good or that they shouldn't be used, but in most wedding photography (in my experience) you need absolute control over the camera - any guessing the camera has to do is an opportunity for the camera to get it wrong. If you're in a setting where you can trust the automatic settings, or at least you can check on the automatic settings and adjust them and take the shot again, then they are fantastic to use. If you're in a situation where the photo has to be as good as possible the first time with no time to retry, then learning to wield the camera in full manual is the way to go.
> 
> I haven't even used the Auto ISO feature on the 5D3 yet. I know I can restrict it to a specific range of values, but I think that I should be able to set the aperture, shutter speed, ISO, focus, framing, and composition at the same time. It's exhausting and sometimes daunting, but when it's done right, it's the best way to consistently get great photos.



I'm with you. And I don't know why people complain about the auto ISO so much, because I don't want it at all, so I don't care how it works. It was terrible when one time a new camera (Nikon D90) kept changing the ISO in the manual mode. I hate that.

Like you said, using manual exposure can actually make me work faster. Imagine that I am taking promo photos of classes in a school (this morning's assignment). I set my exposure, and take a picture of the class, and then turn to take a picture of the teacher who is backed by a large window.

With any auto setting, I'd get blackness then and scurry for 15 seconds trying to fix things up with exposure compensation and all that.

With manual I get the perfect shot without changing anything, and the extra brightness behind the teacher just adds a natural backlit effect and hair halo that I couldn't have done better even with all my lights and flashes.

I only use auto modes once in a rare while in controlled lighting settings (ha, ha, this is the exact opposite of intuition) that vary distinctly from one another. Any wild or difficult lighting environment calls for manual exposure all the way, and definitely no auto ISO.


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## Razor2012 (Jun 13, 2012)

Or this one:


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## RLPhoto (Jun 13, 2012)

M=90%
AV=5%
TV=3
P=2%

[] = 1% 8)


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## smithy (Jun 13, 2012)

briansquibb said:


> Razor2012 said:
> 
> 
> > smithy said:
> ...


Alright - I've added auto ISO to C3. I'll blame you both if it doesn't work as described. ;D

Actually I just messed around with it a bit and noticed that it adjusts ISO in order to obtain the correct shutter speed for the focal length you're using... 1/60th - 1/80th for 70mm, and 1/200th at 200mm. Nice.


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## Razor2012 (Jun 13, 2012)

smithy said:


> briansquibb said:
> 
> 
> > Razor2012 said:
> ...



*Looks @Brian while trying not to laugh*


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## jhpeterson (Jun 13, 2012)

The short answer is it depends on the situation!

I use Manual exposure as much as possible when I'll have at least modest control over lighting conditions. This is now close to two-thirds of the time. I use a hand-held meter, almost always in incident mode to determine the ambient exposure, or in flash mode when I introduce lights.

In situations that happen too quickly for me to accurately respond, which includes much but not most of my action and sports work, I'll go into Shutter-Priority mode. I find the control dial very useful in adjusting exposure compensation quickly and many years of experience help me get it right - at least most of the time. Figure about 20-25% of my current exposures are taken this way, though this number was higher a few years back, before I returned to the habit of hand metering each situation.

For those times when I'm just walking around with my camera, when I'm playing tourist or have it with me for those "just in case" moments, I'm more likely to have it in Aperture-Priority mode. This probably happens about ten percent of the time.

I will almost never use any of the other modes, except Bulb for long exposures.

As for the other controls, I never use Auto ISO, while I'll almost always use Auto White Balance. My logic for this seeming contradiction is that I would rather chose how much degradation in IQ I'll find acceptable (and I can pretty quickly assess the general light level, hence ISO required for optimal results), but trust the camera more than my eyes for changes in color temperature. Amazing how quickly a cloud can pass in front of the sun. Since I shoot in RAW for (nearly) everything, I only need to be close. I can correct whatever errors in balance I've made in Lightroom and Photoshop.


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## bleedo (Jun 17, 2012)

Manual always with bulb occasionally...


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