What % of your phots are taken using "P" setting? C'mon, be honest

[walter_strong5]

<p>David Bell wrote: "For you to be in control, you need to be in Manual mode."</p>

<p>I agree, if "control" is what you crave.</p>

[michael_young3]

<p>Stephen, if your count is correct, it only means the minority of those writing in used P. The rest of them are out there, maybe taking lots of pictures, or just as likely not taking pictures at all. And why should anyone else care what they do or don't do with their cameras or how they use them when they do?</p>

<p>On the off chance the original question was deeper than it sounded, here are some reasons why you might *not* shoot P-mode. Actually, why don't I spare you the trouble of skipping over the list I'm sure everyone already knows. The simple answer is that I almost always have very specific ideas about how I want to shoot the shot. Camera settings are only part of it.</p>

<p>On a different level, or maybe it's still just the same thought, it's also a matter of eye habits and thought process. If you're in the habit of checking the metering and other settings on every shot, full manual is little different from shooting P or any other mode. I think that's your answer in a nutshell. The question that was asked was really if you often care or think about what effect the various combinations that give equivalent exposure have on the final picture.</p>

[kerry_grim]

<p>I once shot a few frames on P mode but that was becauseI had not noticed that I accidently had it set to P mode instead of manual. I want to be in control, not have the camera decide what is best for me.</p>

[raul_perez_demorizi]

<p>I don't even know what it really does...</p>

<p>PS: I read the manual people, I just always use M or Av.</p>

[john_ashby2]

<p>0% in P.</p>

<p>I use A or M for natual light shots, M for flash shots.</p>

[scott_nodine]

<p>Less than 1%.<br>

When I've sold stuff on ebay I sometimes use the P mode to take a quick .jpg of the item I'm selling since it does need to be a work of art... just to get the item sold.</p>

[jim_service]

<p>90% AV with evaluative metering<br>

10% M with spot for tricky lighting situations<br>

I cannot remember ever having taken a shot in P mode, even out of curiosity.<br>

My first SLR was a shiny new Spotmatic, with the Asahi scratched out. It did not have P. When P showed up on my next camera, I never felt the need to use it.<br>

In my opinion, getting what I want in an image is determined by whether my priority is either* the freezing/blurring of action or control over depth of field. It's just that straightforward a decision, then lighten or darken to taste.<br>

To me it seems that using the Program modes entails these same decisions, then re-interpreting that choice-set into which program mode (little icon of jagged mountain? girl with windblown hair?) would, or might, get that effect. It is a step removed from my control of the camera, and a very abstract step at that. Ymmv.<br>

*And now, with a shot by shot adjustment of the DIN, we can have both, or a continuum of choice of how much of either. It's a brave new world.</p>

[mike_gendimenico]

<p>The majority of the time I use Av mode on my 5D. When I absolutely must use a flash at events and such, I'll use a combination of Av, P and M, but mainly use P when the lighting conditions can vary quite a bit and there isn't time to fiddle with all the settings. </p>

[john_h.1]

<p>m = 65%<br>

sp = 25%<br>

ap = 7%<br>

a = 3%</p>

<p>If I mention using shutter priority much more than aperture people seem flummoxed. For action shooting when the amount of light will be essentially the same over various images, I would rather make a shutter setting to avoid camera shake and not have to keep looking to make sure. Fire and forget. If DOF matters, then aperture priority is selected.</p>

[alin_daju]

<p>Aperture,<br>

TV,<br>

Manual</p>

[StuartMoxham]

<p>Most of the time my cameras are in AV mode thats not because I think there is anything wrong with program mode but I am just used to using AV. Most of the time my apeture range is somewhere between F2 and F4. When I use flash inside I usually go to manual mode.</p>

[colin carron]

<p>90% Av (about 50% with exposure compensation)<br>

8% Tv<br>

2% M<br>

0% P</p>

 

[chris_clarke3]

<p>M, 100%.<br>

I started with P on my 20D but I wasn't happy with the decisions made for me by the camera. I tried Av and Tv but I found it easier and more obvious to use M.<br>

I have tried to use Av and Tv but I just find it easier to set everything myself. Manual is just the easiest to use.</p>

 

[bob_king2]

<p>P 0%<br>

Av 65%<br>

Tv 10%<br>

M 25%<br>

Cheers, Bob</p>

[starvy]

<p>my main camera, dslr sony a100 - aperture priority 99.9%<br>

second camera, olympus om4 - aperture priority 100%<br>

third camera bessa r - it only offers manual but i tend to find tweaking the aperture rather more once the shutter had been set at the start of a scene.</p>

[doug grosjean]

<p>I have my dSLR in Aperture Priority, usually. But I'm noting what the settings are, and if not appropriate (shutter too slow to stop sports, etc), I'll modify it.<br>

<br />For doing digitally stitched panos, I'm in M.</p>

<p>But... above is just dSLR. My film cameras tend to be manual only, just because they're 50 y/o and that's all there was.</p>

[www.philwinterphotography.]

<p>Never use it.</p>

[lesterphoto]

<p>0% for me. FWIW, I thought 'P' stood for "Professional" mode.<br>

I use Aperture or Manual mode depending on the lighting situation, though more and more I'm using Manual.</p>

 

[samoksner]

<p>0% of my shots are taken on P (that stands for professional right?)<br>

If anything, I would like to control the depth of field without having to second guess the camera every other shot where it's reverted back to f4.2 or something idiotic... And when using flashes on manual, which i do often, I'm in manual!</p>

[manuel barrera houston,]

<p>My G9 which died yesterday would some times go on P, my Canon 1V when using flash will some times go on P.</p>

[stinshoff]

<p>I mostly use a point and shoot and find there's virtually no difference between F2.8 and F8 in terms of depth of field, except on extreme close ups. As a result, I normally shoot in AV mode with the widest aperture and the lowest ISO set. However, I don't think my shots would look any different if I were to use program mode. AV is more or less a force of habit for me. However, I do use my exposure compensation button quite a bit to dial in the exposure I want.</p>

[Andy Collins]

<p>I have my camera set in "P" most of the time but that's usually a starting point for a meter reading. I'm often outside hoping to see a wide range of subjects from birds in flight, deer "in flight", or sky and landscapes, so I like to be ready for an immediate shot. Much of the time though, I shift the Av and Tv values to the settings that I feel are most appropriate for the particular shot, and if that doesn't give me what I want I may shift to either Av <em>or</em> Tv mode. I'm not one of those who thinks that shooting in "P" makes me a lesser photographer; I even like my pop-up flash for occasional use. Whatever setting or feature on my camera is going to allow me to capture the shot I want, I'll use it until it breaks. If I want to shoot fully manually I'll use my OM-1n or F-1, or a whole host of other older cameras.</p>

[nathangardner]

<blockquote>

<p>"I'm an automation engineer, so I believe machines can be better than humans sometimes."</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>But don't humans have to make those machines? I doubt the machine will ever be better than it's creator. I understand your stance on smart machines since you help create them, but you're kind of insulting yourself by saying that they're smarter than you. Kind of a double edged sword.</p>

[ken schwarz]

<p>I say that if you are going to use "P" you should go all the way and use the green rectangle.</p>

 

[nsibulo]

<p>I am used to manual mode setting on my Nikon 300D. It only takes seconds to make adjustments on shutter speed and others. </p>