Is It Best To Leave The Camera On Auto Setting?

Question

Is it best to leave your camera on the auto setting, thus saving time if needing to take a hurried shot, and only go into manual for any effects you may desire?
Is that what most pros would do?
Many thanks.

Answer 1

If you know nothing about photography and don't care to learn then you're better of in auto mode, for some people the camera knows more about photography than they do. Pros don't keep their cameras on auto mode because they know what the different adjustments mean such as shutter speed and f-stop, they don't need the camera telling them how to take a picture.

Answer 2

I always leave my camera on Program, ISO 400 when I finish a shoot no matter what settings I was using at the time. That way, if Elvis, Bigfoot or aliens happen by, I can pick up the camera, turn the power on and start snapping away without any fiddling or thinking and still get exposures that will probably be in the ballpark. Or if my husband were to need to take a snap of something, it would be ready for him to use. One time he went to a fire at our local sawmill and shot a bunch without any film. So I also always leave a clean memory card in the camera, too!



For some things, Program is fine and will get the job done. Kids playing in and out of different lighting like bright sun and deep shade is one example, or for snapshooting. For others, one of the semi-auto modes (shutter or aperture priority) with compensation if necessary. And sometimes, only manual exposure will do what I need. Also important is what metering mode you use. I use center weighted or spot almost all the time, and very rarely use matrix.

Answer 3

Most pros use the appropriate setting for the type of pictures they want to take. That could be A for aperture control, S for shutter control, P for quick grab shots or M for full manual control. It depends on what they are doing and how they want to do it. I would expect a professional to know how to use their camera to best effect in any situation that they are likely to use it in.



A lot of cameras have 2 auto settings - a "green" completely auto and a "P" for Program setting.

If you have both options, try using the "P" for program setting rather than fully auto.



There are a few small but important differences between the 2 settings.



First of all, the "P" setting doesn't usually automatically pop the flash up, whereas the full auto setting does. That means you regain control of when to use flash - and don't look a complete muppet when trying to take pictures of scenery in low light with the flash popped up!



Secondly, the "P" setting usually allows you to adjust the aperture and shutter settings by turning a dial or wheel. That allows you to over-ride the default shutter/aperture combination easily when you want to. You can pick a faster shutter for a fast moving object or a slower one for a ghostly stream. Or you can pick a wide aperture for an out-of-focus background or a small one for maximum depth-of-field.



Third, the "P" setting often turns off auto-ISO, so you learn to set appropriate ISO settings before you go out for the day and update the settings as needed. Letting the camera bump up ISO automatically is not always a good thing!



So using "P" means you can still have the hurried "grab" shot when you need it, but you can also quickly override the settings when you want to. It lets you experiment with the settings without messing up the exposure. It's better than letting the camera go fully-auto because it gives you more flexibility and encourages you to learn how to get more out of your equipment.



If you learn to use the +/- exposure compensation as well as the "P" setting, you will also be able to over-ride when necessary for unusual situations like strong backlighting or excessive reflection. Be careful though - many cameras don't automatically reset the +/- setting when switched off, so you can easily end up compensating when you don't want to!



I use "P", "A" or "S" settings a lot. It's rare that I switch to "M", except when I'm taking pictures for birds in flight, when I don't want the sky to overwhelm the meter and I don't want exposure settings to keep changing.

Answer 4

Mine's on manual 95% of the time. The rest of the time it's aperture priority (which is a semi-auto mode).



I don't tend to take 'hurried' shots. I go out to do photography with a purpose (& often a pre-visualisation of the lighting, etc I want).



Even when I do street photography (when the unexpected can happen), I've already set up my exposure (manually) for the lighting. If it's a bit variable, I can change shutter speed rapidly with the thumbwheel without looking at the controls. In fact, it's a good habit to get into - being able to change settings rapidly without having to take the camera away from your eye & look - practice in the dark!



Incidentally, not only do I not want the camera deciding my exposure, I also do not want it deciding on processing, so I always shoot in raw.

Answer 5

Not only no, but hell no.



Stay on manual at all times. And if you're feeling lazy use aperture or shutter priority. Professional level cameras don't even have an auto mode. Every photo you take should have a desired effect. Adjusting settings is just a few turns of a wheel, it doesn't take much time. That's part of photography. You have to be prepared. Your camera should be ready to go when you see a shot, especially if it's changing fast.



Auto mode sucks. You need control over your camera.

Answer 6

Experienced pros would not leave their cameras on auto because they are trained and experienced enough to get the setting they want within seconds, if not a minute or two depending on how fast they are.



My DSLR is always set to manual (though I will likely be experimenting with aperture priority and shutter priority more often in the near future) and my point & shoot is always on auto. What would be the point of owning a DSLR if it's always on auto?

Answer 7

"Is that what most pros would do?"



My camera has an auto setting? Where? OH! Hell, I don't remember ever using the auto settings ... ever. Period.



No, pro's don't use the auto-settings. We might use the semi-auto settings like Aperture Priority or shutter Priority but full auto is horrible. It takes me a couple of seconds to set my settings on my camera because I know it and I understand light.

Answer 8

Use Program mode instead, never auto. Most professional DSLRs don't even have an Auto mode, just the standard PASM modes. I use Manual mode most of the time when shooting professionally for specific results, but do switch to Aperture or Sensitivity-priority (Pentax-exclusive) when conditions change suddenly and I don't have time to adapt... I suggest you forget Auto and go to Aperture and Shutter modes first, they will teach you to "see" in terms of the final exposure...



So in a quick summary: Leave Auto mode... Go to the semi-manual modes of Aperture- and Shutter-Priority.

Answer 9

On my Powershot I usually leave it on program mode. A slider will switch between full auto and the last of the other modes used.



With my Lumix I usually have it on shutter or aperture mode, and I can switch between that and auto quickly.

Answer 10

It is not "amateurish" to leave the camera on Auto. In fact, Canon advise users to do this in one of their tutorials.

I tend to leave my DSLR on P which is an auto setting that can be quickly changed if required. I find that the majority of my shots come out well. I'll change to Av, Tv or M if I'm shooting something a bit different such as a motor race or children running about.

Answer 11

I'm not a pro but I use my camera in exactly the way you describe and I'm usually happy with the results. Any minor glitches can be edited out with software on the PC.

Answer 12

My camera can drive? I did not know that!