Are you M, A or S shooter

<p>"M" for flash indoors or out I still don't own a TTL flash for digtal.<br /> "S" I rarely use, I work backwards with "A" when shutter speed is important.<br /> "A" I use most especialy outside. Even when shutter speed is most important I adjust apeture to get shutter I wanted.<br /> "P" is OK no problem to use but I usualy shift the program to get the apeture or shutter speed I wanted.<br /> I like AF rarely use manual focus with an AF body. I stick with center point most of the time my first AF bodies only had one center point so I just never started to use the extra focus point when they became available. My manual bodies had split prisms so it the center point makes sense to me.</p>

<p>"M" with the Nikons because their auto modes are terrible, "P" with the Panasonic GF1 because I can see the results before I shoot and adjust with the +/- dial. </p>

<p>Sanford: *gawp* - I was under the impression that Nikon were known for particularly good metering decisions.<br />

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I'm interested in the people who say they want M for speed - unless you're controlling everything and relying on auto-ISO, I can't imagine how keeping an eye on the meter and adjusting as necessary in M mode is faster than using A or S and adjusting one parameter if the other goes out of the desired range. Unless you're not using AE-lock, of course.<br />

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I'd use M if I either wanted specific aperture and shutter speed and to leave the camera to handle the ISO (as when I was recently shooting some CRTs and wanted to compensate for flicker) or if I wanted to lock the exposure between shots. I might use it if carefully balancing between multiple spot-metered points in the scene, and trying to compromise my zones - and for slow and methodical photography I'd not argue with manual settings. But not because it's faster than the other modes. (That said, it would do me good to use M more and shoot slower.)<br />

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Mike: You seem to be arguing that, in changing conditions, you'd rely on RAW to compensate for the exposure being wrong because it changed since your manual exposure settings were set. I shoot RAW as well, which lets me cope when the meter is confused, but it feels to me like the wrong approach to rely on it when automation is available. Just an opinion, though.<br />

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For what it's worth, on my Nikons, I tend to rely on the matrix meter most of the time, and spot if I think it's confused. Very rarely will I resort to centre-weighted.<br />

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Since people are talking about AF types: I almost always use single-point (and 3D tracking of 51 points) when I'm looking through the finder on my D700, and area if I'm shooting blind or lending the camera to someone else. The number of AF points means I can usually set the focus point where I want. On my Eos 300D, I tended to focus in the centre and recompose, because there was never a point where I wanted it. On my F5 I tend to mix and match (which is odd, because it has fewer focus points than the 300D). On my Nikkors, I miss the 300D's ability to light up individual focus points as they hit focus when in manual focus mode, though.<br />

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EB: Yellow? *Boggle*.</p>

<p>Noooo, when you shoot in "M" mode you are relying your many years of vast experience shooting slides with a meter-less Leica using the "Sunny 16" rule. Or, as it is sometimes called "guessing"! With digital it is relatively easy to shoot, view and adjust. The auto modes in my GF1 and worlds more advanced than my old D300.</p>

<p>Some of the confirmed A or S mode folks should try Nikon's P flexible program mode. And - assuming your camera has front and rear control wheels - assign exposure compensation to the front wheel. Try it for awhile. I'd be interested in hearing your impressions after giving it a fair shake. (If I'm recalling correctly, Shun uses flex P mode too for at least some action oriented photography.)</p>

<p>I mention this because I was an anti-Program mode elitist myself up 'til a few years ago. And I've never much cared for Aperture priority mode; if I wanted an auto mode at all I preferred Shutter priority. Mostly I used Manual because that's what I was accustomed to from decades of using manual cameras, including many meterless cameras with handheld meters for candid and street photography.</p>

<p>But after reading about the flexible Program mode when I got the D2H several years ago I gave it a fair shot for about a month - indoors, outdoors, with flash, without flash. Works so well, especially when combined with the single-finger exposure compensation dial, I wouldn't want to do without it now.</p>

<p>You may not care for flex program mode if you absolutely must have one specific aperture or one specific shutter speed, in which case, sure, A or S would suit you better. But I'm usually satisfied to be able to bias the exposure in a general way toward, for example, a faster shutter speed and/or shallower DOF, or vice versa. No big deal if I get f/4 rather than f/3.5, or a 1/3 variation on either side of a 1/250th shutter speed. As long as the exposure is correct for a given situation I'm not picky about the specific f/stop or shutter speed.</p>

<p>Only nit I'd pick is I'd like a one-touch, return to default button. Sometimes after dialing the thumb wheel several notches off center (to bias the exposure in favor of shutter speed or aperture), it's a minor inconvenience to have to spin it back to center.</p>

<p>Mostly "A" (85%). I do a lot of macro/flower photography, and DOF control is everything for that.<br>

Occasionally "S" (5%). If it's windy, stopping flower motion trumps DOF control.<br>

Occasionally "P" (5%). Sometimes you just want to take snapshots!<br>

Occasionally "M" (5%). When the lighting conditions make it impossible to get an accurate aperture priority photo, I switch to manual and tailor the settings to compensate for camera foibles.<br>

For me, it's almost always about DOF, so aperture priority is hard wired into my brain at this point.</p>

 

<p>A-75%<br>

M-15%<br>

P-10%</p>

<p>This poll has confirmed what I have always believed.</p>

<p>What have you always believed, Tim?</p>

<p>I shoot almost 100% in A.</p>

<p> "A" 99.9%</p>

<p>I shoot M anual (of course manual ISO) mostly because it is simple and easy<br>

I use P A S only when I feel lazy and don't want to turn the Mode dial much and M is farthest from OFF</p>

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<p>I can't imagine how keeping an eye on the meter and adjusting as necessary in M mode is faster than using A or S</p>

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<p>1. Many people, including me, never need to look at the meter</p>

<p>2. In any of the modes MAS, you still have to adjust two things, either Speed and aperture or just one of those plus EC</p>

<p>3. M mode is faster than either A or S because there is no need to switch mode. Also, it's not about which mode is faster but will you get exactly the exposure you want</p>

<p>4. Very often the brightness of the subject and background don't change much but as the composition changes, you need to adjust EC if you are in A or S modes</p>

<p>M 100%</p>

<p>Interesting how few people use (or admit to using!) P, or just dismiss it as a snapshot mode. I completely agree with Lex about how useful Flexible Program is, and it's my default mode if the camera supports it. This isn't your grandad's Fixed Program! If you trust the meter reading, spinning the command dial one way or the other gives you access to any valid aperture/shutter speed combination - you have complete control, and can instantly shift from shooting with 'aperture priority' or 'shutter priority' without a mode change. If you don't agree with the meter reading, A and S modes aren't going to do any better, though of course they are still useful when you absolutely must lock either aperture or shutter speed to a specific value in changing light.</p>

<p>Auto ISO on the recent cameras (which work well over a wide ISO range) is a bit of a game changer, though, and the 'hidden automatic' mode (Auto ISO with M) that Elliot mentions is well worth trying. Since Auto ISO lets you specify both a minimum shutter speed and a maximum ISO value in its menu there are also some interesting possibilities when combined with the auto modes - e.g. if you use Auto ISO in combination with A, the camera will maintain the minimum shutter speed you set by raising the ISO as light levels fall until the maximum ISO value is reached; only at this point is the shutter speed allowed to fall.</p>

<p>A All the time.</p>

<p>I am a A and M shooter, M especially in studio, or with difficult light situations</p>

<p>A or M ..rarely S Once in ahile P if I'm lazy.</p>

<p>A M P</p>

<p>First two months after buying my D700 i was shooting 95% of the time with A, now i shoot in M mode all the time. Lets just say that i dont feel confident using other modes on my camera :)</p>

<p>There's no sense in listing percentages without context. Shutter Priority mode would be a good choice for sports, action, or wildlife shooting, but it's probably not the best choice for portraits or landscapes. If someone claims to use S-mode 80 percent of the time, that doesn't tell us much unless we know what they spent that time shooting.</p>

<p>I use A and M modes, but I couldn't even venture guess as to how much I do of either. Sometimes I stay in one mode for a while, but in other circumstances I'll switch back and forth. A-mode helps me establish an exposure value quickly (albeit not always accurately), and M-mode lets me shoot consistently at an exposure value once it has been verified. I'll use S-mode on occasion with High FP flash. With studio strobes, I put the camera into M-mode and measure the exposure with a Sekonic flash meter.</p>

<p>I've found that (evaluative) P works remarkably well in the newer Canon's except in those instances of strong backlighting or when a predominately white or black subject that fills the frame. In such cases I just dial in the necessary amount of + or - compensation. Instances of using A or Tv would be when specific effects are desired, i.e. shallow depth of field or stop action. M works too with average subjects but usually just yields what P would accomplish.</p>

<p>On the tripod mostly A sometimes M (rarely S).<br>

Handheld a mixture of A and P.</p>

<p>Sometimes when out walking with the family I put the 18-105 zoom on; set the apperture to f/16 or f/18 in A mode; and then switch between A and P as I walk along. P for a snap of the family; A for a quick wideangle of the view. I find I get left behind if I take too long, and the tripod is a non-starter! </p>

<p>On tripop: A<br>

Weddings: P (for flash)<br>

Portrait: A<br>

Sports: A or P<br>

Landscape: A (f8)</p>

 

<p>I shoot the following:<br>

M - 90%<br>

P - 5%<br>

A & S 5%<br>

I just prefer controlling the image with M. I have started shooting night football with setting shutter and aperture, and setting the ISO on auto so it adjust to the light level on different parts of field. With D3s I am at 25k ISO max, but rarely does it go that high except for some shots in endzone corners. Still get very usable photos with this unique camera.</p>

<p>With D200:<br>

A: >99% (and more often than not used with some exposure compensation depending on lens).<br>

M: <1%, usually with spot metering under difficult light or long guessed exposures for night shots.<br>

With D40x:<br>

The same, except when I <em>have</em> to use M with non-cpu lenses. The latter is going to change soon as I am getting chips for them.<br>

Never use P or S with any body.</p>