What mode do you mostly shoot in?

Bill16

Senior Member
I've been shooting in manual mode since day one, since I started this journey in photography! I think it was my effort of trying to be a "real" photographer! But lately I'm thinking a lot of the photographers that I look up to don't see restricting themselves to manual mode all the time! So am I doing things the hard way for nothing? Should I start using S,A,or P modes now and then? What mode do you shoot most of the time in?
 

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
Full Manual with Auto ISO enabled accounts for about 90% of my shooting I'd say. The remaining 10% would be split between Aperture Priority (8-9%) and, once in a while, maybe Professional Mode. I can't remember the last time I used full Auto or Shutter Priority but if I felt the situation would best be served by one of those exposure modes, I would not hesitate to use either one.
....
 

Scott Murray

Senior Member
It all depends on what I am shooting.

Night time and macro is 100% manual

Landscape Aperture priority - if it has a waterfall then Manual

Birds/Animals sometimes Shutter priority Auto ISO especially in flight. Static normally Aperture priority.
 

Moab Man

Senior Member
M for most photos 90%.
S for diminishing light or constant lighting changes 10%.
A never used it.
Auto 1% if I ever find myself where I'm just picking up the camera because Bigfoot jumped in front of me and I have no idea what the camera is set to.
 
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Woodyg3

Senior Member
Contributor
Shutter priority all the time. If I want to get to a certain aperture, I change the shutter speed. It's just the way I think. Also, much of what I shoot most often, wildlife and sports, requires that I stop the action.
 

Rick M

Senior Member
Aperture 99% of the time, Manual for portraits/flash photography. DoF is always my first approach to a shot, while being cognisant of shutter speed and the lowest ISO possible to achieve the goal.
 

RocketCowboy

Senior Member
I shoot Aperture priority the majority of the time, because typically I'm trying to control DOF more so than motion.

I've noticed though, shooting indoors and working with flash, I've started shooting more full manual while still having the flash units do iTTL for now.
 

WayneF

Senior Member
Manual for flash (which might be manual or TTL). I do keep an eye on shutter speed, but Aperture for about everything except flash.
 

dennybeall

Senior Member
The camera sits in the bag in Auto just in case I need to shoot quickly. I started on a Nikon "F" so tend to go to Manual when there is time, which is usually. In Manual mode I have both Aperture fixed and Shutter speed fixed, just depending on which control I choose to change.
 

cwgrizz

Senior Member
Challenge Team
99% of the time I shoot M. When I got the DSLR, I started shooting either A or S priority depending on which I needed more control for depth of field or freezing action. I then read where for BIF shots the option of M with Auto ISO. That is what I use most of the time now. With the 70-300 I set the S-speed to about 800 and the Aperture to F9-11. Most of my walks are around my property which mostly provides BIF opportunities. If the situation changes, I may slow the shutter down or change the aperture setting. I have only shot P for Moon shots a couple of times.

Of course, I am still learning and exploring.
 

mikew_RIP

Senior Member
The last month or so its been auto ISO and manual,tried it with the D7000 and didnt like the results so it took a long time to try it with the D7100,wish i had done it months ago.
 

jay_dean

Senior Member
Manual 100% of the time. I find it hard to trust the camera, probably burned from my D60 days when i used to put it into the 'running man' setting on the dial to freeze fast action and getting awful images, cos the camera had been booted the ISO into the stratosphere
 

Blacktop

Senior Member
For flash I shoot manual 100% of the time.
For non flash I shoot Aperture priority 100% of the time. Including night shots and waterfalls.
Never ever in auto ISO. (but that's just me.) You shoot however works for you and not because it makes you look like a "real" photographer.
 

Bill16

Senior Member
In part I shoot in manual because I enjoy it and I've become use to it, and also other setting seem harder to me to get a good shot other than P mode that is!lol :)
I started out shooting manual to try to become a true photographer! But now I know that I am a photographer regardless what mode I shoot, so I'm checking to see if I'm missing out on something to improve my shots in other modes! But after reading most of my photography mentors shoot Manual a lot, maybe I'm not missing very much! :)

For flash I shoot manual 100% of the time.
For non flash I shoot Aperture priority 100% of the time. Including night shots and waterfalls.
Never ever in auto ISO. (but that's just me.) You shoot however works for you and not because it makes you look like a "real" photographer.
 
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