lee74
newbie
Reged: 29/04/2007
Posts: 36
Loc: Yorkshire
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Have been reading various articles about which setting to use on the camera, and most of them state either aperture or shutter priority.
I sometimes use these but I also use P(program) or occasionally Auto.
Does this mean that the photos taken with these modes P or Auto, are 'bad' just because I am letting the camera do the work for me?, because looking at them they seem ok by my standards.
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Intermanaut
addict
Reged: 13/12/2007
Posts: 449
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No.
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Malcolm_Stewart
Carpal \'Tunnel
Reged: 11/07/2005
Posts: 2578
Loc: Milton Keynes, UK
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I think it depends on how the camera decides on which pair of settings (for aperture and shutter) it chooses when you're using P mode. Over the many years this has been available, as the light levels have varied some cameras have simply changed both values a step at a time. Others have taken lens focal length into account, and others frequently allow the offered settings to be adjusted whilst holding the exposure constant. I found the P mode on my Minolta X700 quite exasperating due to limitations at the time of what it displayed in the viewfinder, and instead I normally relied on Aperture priority mode.
Nowadays with my Canon 5D and other EOS bodies, I'm fairly happy to stay in P mode much of the time, selecting Av, Tv or M mode as required by what I'm shooting. P mode seems sensitive to the focal length of the lens in use, so camera/lens shake isn't much of a problem. However, shooting birds, I do adjust the exposure compensation quite a bit so as to keep detail in the white feathers of swans or little egrets. It's amazing just how much compensation is necessary to stop them burning out. (Like minus 1-2 stops, and I do check with Spot metering sometimes but that then needs compensation of +1 stop or more... Thank goodness for digital and I can learn on the job!)
HTH
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Malcolm Stewart
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Benchista
Wich Tyler
Reged: 11/08/2000
Posts: 37849
Loc: Everywhere and nowhere, baby
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Indeed. The choice of a combination of aperture and shutter speed is critical to ensure that the subject has sufficient depth of field and degree of (or absence of) motion blur. In aperture or shutter priority the photographer has direct control over this, but in reality in program the photographer generally has a similar level of control with (D)SLRs these days; the camera's chosen settings are displayed in the viewfinder, and can generally be modified by the photographer with a twirl of the input wheel if they're not optimal.
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Nick
www.nbrphoto.com
Light and Shade II - the new blog
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Roger_Provins
Made-it Man
Reged: 22/10/2005
Posts: 3059
Loc: Gloucester, UK
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Quote:
..... Does this mean that the photos taken with these modes P or Auto, are 'bad' just because I am letting the camera do the work for me?
No, not at all. Anyway, the camera's metering and computer are "doing the work for you" when you use any other mode except M ... if you either use a separate light meter or guess the exposure 
Use A mode to get the DoF you want and the camera chooses the shutter speed ... still the camera isn't it?
Use S mode to get the amount of movement you want and the camera chooses the aperture ... still the camera isn't it?
Use P mode and the camera chooses both shutter and aperture but the dial will change the combination as you prefer.
My camera also takes into account the lens type in use, macro, tele, wide etc. and chooses the most suitable range .. maximises DoF on macro and wide and shutter speed with tele ... we pay for all the computing power and facilties of modern cameras ... may as well use them
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Rog
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ermintrude
Hinkypuff
Reged: 30/06/2003
Posts: 12521
Loc: London, UK
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Quote:
Have been reading various articles about which setting to use on the camera, and most of them state either aperture or shutter priority.
I sometimes use these but I also use P(program) or occasionally Auto.
Does this mean that the photos taken with these modes P or Auto, are 'bad' just because I am letting the camera do the work for me?, because looking at them they seem ok by my standards.
Give us some examples and we can see !
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IvorETower
Little Buttercup
Reged: 15/11/2006
Posts: 1759
Loc: Camberley, Surrey
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I take plenty of "bad" photos; I like them and that's what matters to me. Refuse to believe that photos are "good" or "excellent" only if "experts" say so
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Too many cameras, too many lenses.......
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lee74
newbie
Reged: 29/04/2007
Posts: 36
Loc: Yorkshire
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Thanks for the answers guys, was having a bit of a lack of confidence experience, after reading different opinions on the matter.
Will try and find the articles in question and post it on here.
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