Most Used Shooting Mode for Weddings...

<p>I am curious as to what mode most of you use when shooting weddings...<br>

My guess would be Aperature Priority to control over Depth of Field but wanted to get a consensus from all of you wedding photographers.<br>

Also, how many of you utilize Auto ISO vs manual setting ISO? <br>

Thanks!<br>

Cole</p>

<p>Aperture Priority in a dark church = long exposure times.<br /> Manual mode, ISO set to where I want it (my camera defaults to ISO 400 in M mode anyways).</p>

<p>But if others do it differently that's fine.<br>

Dan</p>

<p>I'd go for aperture anytime, so I can open with wide open f values, to really put the focus on the most important people of the day. ISO on manual - you're not really changing light situations by the minute, are you?</p>

<p>Aperature priority outdoors and manual indoors!</p>

<p>Manual ! this comes from having shot manual film cameras for years. My biggest gripe is the newest breed of photographers who shoot auto only. They do not know how varying the f-stop, ISO, shutter speed will affect the image.</p>

<p>Sneaky.</p>

<p>That's the mode I am in most of the time :-)</p>

<p>I do use auto ISO when outdoors in changing light where I am not using flash and want manually set SS/Ap's.</p>

<p>Indoor or outdoor - Av and M.<br>

I guess , the key is to understand how your camera meters the exposer at any lighting situation and the result should meet your expectation (I mean - you have to know what should be exposed correctly before going to M).</p>

<p>Shooting ambient, I like aperture priority along with auto ISO in a 5DII. It makes the same choices I would. It tries to keep the ISO as low as possible while maintaining at least a 1/[focal length] shutter speed. It's faster at doing that than I am. I then just adjust the compensation as needed.</p>

<p>Things change in the dark, though... I can't compensate enough to get a short shutter speed in the dark when relying mostly on flash. Then I go manual everything.</p>

<p>Since I don't like to have to switch modes on the move, I tend to go back to the safety of manual most of the time. Everything can be done in full manual. No other mode offers that kind of simplicity.</p>

<p>With the 5D, I shot program, aperture priority, and manual, with manual ISO of course.</p>

<p>It's often hard to convince people, but Program mode gives almost as much control as any other mode. You just have to change your mind to use it in an aperture or shutter priority kind of way, and select a compensation based on what you know the meter is reading. It's sometimes refreshing to change how you think about controlling the camera. Just not in the middle of a job.</p>

<p>mostly manual, sometimes on my second camera I will use aperture priority, because it might be a long time between shots with it and when I want it, I want it quick, so I am willing to sacrifice a bit of control for speed in that circumstance.</p>

<p>Manual everything except White Balance. I can't remember the last time I shot on an auto mode.<br>

You are taking photos to achieve your visions, your camera does not know what you want the images to look like.</p>

<p>OK, to amend my first post, M in darker situations and Av outdoors in bright light.</p>

<p>You should do a search. This question gets asked about every 6 months. However, if you are taking a poll, I use manual mostly. AV or TV when I really and truly don't have the time to even set anything on the camera or don't want to interrupt my visual thinking or being able to follow action as it happens. As one would think, AV when I want to control aperture and TV when I want to control shutter speed. I don't use AV automatically outside.</p>

<p>As for auto ISO, I don't even have that on my cameras--not true auto ISO anyway. I would use it if I had it.</p>

<p>Manual everything and no auto iso.</p>

Manual mode and ISO 100 in sunlight, ISO 400 to 800 indoors, ISO 1600 for night and dance shots, thats my starting point. Sometimes, I also use Aperture Priority in rapidly changing light conditions, provided can i can maintain my shutter speed to safe level.

<p>As mentioned, this is a commonly asked question.<br>

ME, Digital:<br>

"M" > 90%<br>

"Av" "Tv" "P" the remainder.<br>

I do not have full auto ISO cameras</p>

<p>Film: "M" always.</p>

<p>FYI:<br>

<a href="../wedding-photography-forum/00R3KK">http://www.photo.net/wedding-photography-forum/00R3KK</a></p>

<p>WW </p>

<p>I shoot almost everything set M (manual) except for focus!:)</p>

<p>Manual exposure, usually spot metering<br>

Autofocus<br>

Auto white balance<br>

RAW format<br>

I'll generally keep my aperture locked in and adjust my shutter speed and ISO to achieve the look I want.</p>

<p>All manual for indoor. Manual ISO and usually aperture priority for outdoor. Manual flash for indoor formals and ETTL for exterior shots. RAW for everything.</p>

<p>Camera, M mode all the time. Dedicated flash TTL mode, non dedicated flash Auto thyristor mode. </p>

<p>People forget that you can still use your meter in M mode. It doesn't go away when you switch to M. I find ambient light changes are less disruptive than the framing changes, backgrounds and the havoc that a white gown or black tux can play on a metering mode.</p>

<p>manual. i don't trust anything else unless it is so fast i may switch to aperture priority. you can use p mode to meter or if you are good with manual setting then you can actually guestimate the setting.</p>

<p>manual. If you want to be creative and use your camera at the full potential, you should shoot manual as much as you can. </p>

For film: Manual mode, ISO 200 outdoors, ISO 400 indoors

<p>For digital: Manual mode, ISO 200 outdoors, ISO 400 indoors, 800-1600 for dance shots

<br>If I have to make a really quick/sudden/unexpected switch, I throw it into P, shoot, chimp and get back to M :)

<p>I shoot Av in 'normal' lighting, 'M' if the lighting is bad-- bright, dim, backlit, or flash. They hired me to 'think' about stuff like this.<br>

Auto ISO is an option on my eqp. But not one I've used. I still like the 'control'... maybe if auto only went to ISO 800, but it will go to 1600, which while still (surprisingly) good on my 50d, is not territory I enter into lightly, or on my cameras whim!</p>

<p>Manual Manual Manual. You can do everything that Av can do plus more. If you force yourself to use Manual 100% of the time, you won't even notice what you're doing after a while. It'll be like breathing. Take 1000 pictures a day in manual mode for a month. Trust me, you'll never go back. Av is just too finicky.</p>