LOL Willis, There's nothing like the smell of freshly mixed magnesium flash powder in the morning!!! And mind your manners you little hoodlum ;^)
Yes I'm enjoying my lawn Pete, that's why I keep telling Willis to stay off of it ;^)
Annoyed About People Who Use DSLRs in Auto Mode
(93 posts) (22 voices)-
Posted 3 years ago #
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"[I am not saying he does.
I just think that we have drifted a bit from the subject of this post.]"We have drifted (which isn't unusual). I think we were talking about people who no nothing about what they've bought and seem to care not to learn.
"[There's nothing wrong with leaving a DSLR in auto mode, the fact that he was trying to correct me and give me bad advice was really annoying.]"
Yep we've drifted because someone has already made the point that there's nothing wrong with auto mode.
"[I think the problem here is that people feel empowered by their cameras - the more expensive the camera is, the more powerful they feel. It's as if they think that having a good camera will mean that any photo they take will be a good photo.]"
Another good point that was lost in the last few responses. Let's try and get back on track here. I would not say that anyone in NikonRumors is stuck up. Trust me on this one. You want stuck up? Go to Birdforum.net and have a difference of opinion. You'll come running back here.
I think as Nikon enthusiasts who've come to appreciate the tools available to us, we're simply surprised at what we see. I also agree that full auto can have it's place ,like when I hand my camera to a non photographer.
Anyway, just wanted to clear up that confusion.
Posted 3 years ago # -
No, Willis, there's absolutely nothing wrong with the Full Auto on a D90. I couldn't find a better title, but I still wanted to discuss the topic.
What was the only thing annoying was that he uses full auto all the time, and he was trying to teach me something, or attempt to, condescendingly. That really really ticked me off. I don't spend all my time in these forums and learn about photography in other places, to have someone think they're going to teach me something about camera settings when they take shots all day long in auto only. Seriously- shooting at F1.8 for a group photo with about 10 people from one side of the frame to the other...?
That was what I was going for.
And yes, I use auto flash off a lot on the D40 plenty of times when I'm chasing after little kids, taking photos of them running from inside to outside of the house. I get great shots. Most of the time when I go semi-automatic in Aperture priority mode I usually forget to dial down my ISO anyway. It's much easier on me if I keep it on auto.
Sorry for the misleading title. If you can think of a better one, please put it in!
Posted 3 years ago # -
Sorry NSX... I'm grumpy because I've been working continuously for the past 17 days or so (half days for saturday). Rereading your post, it doesn't sound half as bad as it was when I read it the first time.
The better title would be "Nikon D90: An Excellent camera; Still can't make people like you" By "you" of course I mean the jerk in the restaurant, not NSX.
Posted 3 years ago # -
I'd agree, D90 is a great camera
Posted 3 years ago # -
I've continuously goofed off for 4 months straight now :^)
But that must be some major account deadline your wrestling with Willis!
Here, I just lifted my shot of Tequila in your honor.Posted 3 years ago # -
A number of years ago I was shooting birds in Florida with a 600mm F4. Somebody walked up and asked what that big lens was. I told him and then he said why didn't I buy a smaller 600mm F4 lens so I could carry it around better. I didn't know what to say , so I jusst stood there. Then he asked me how far away I could take a picture with it. I told him I have shot pictures of the moon with it. He said that was really great and wished he could do that with his camera. And this guy was driving a car too.
Posted 3 years ago # -
I fully agree. Whats really amazing are the people who don't want to learn and improve with their new camera purchase and only shoot in auto mode. Just a little curiosity and a little effort and these people would see the real benefits of manual mode. You could greatly improve your photographic skills if you simply fiddled with the shutter speed alone. Even trial and error changing aperatures? You paid all that money for a D90, D700 etc why not try to get the most out of it? Just some thoughts I guess. :)
Posted 3 years ago # -
:-) .. sigh ... tail end of another nice fun thread ... I need to move to the US to get in on these fun chats.. LOL
Posted 3 years ago # -
Or don't spend all your time sleeping. LOL
Pete
Posted 3 years ago # -
it's a testament to laziness really. . .
I used to go full auto. . .then when I jumped into the D200, was lost and got acquainted and comfortable with Aperture priority. . .
I consider A and S dummied version of auto mode (obviously P as well).
I shoot mainly in M now, despise using Auto ISO, and despise letting the camera figure it all out for me in LOW LIGHT settings. . .
Bright day, Aperture priority usually works. . .but I agree with ur rant (to OP). . .open up your horizons and get away from auto!!
Posted 3 years ago # -
I'm in Aperture mode most the time and only switch to Shutter mode when I care about motion-control. I leave auto-ISO mode on, but constrain it pretty hard depending on the body.
Then again, I'm still getting used to having 51 billion AF sensors, my brain is still wired to use only the center sensor and focus then compose, only turning on all the sensors when shooting action or handing the camera to someone else.
My AF / AE lock button is set to AE only and the half-point of the shutter release to AF only, so I can focus lock on one area, then exposure lock on a second, then frame then shoot. (When not using matrix)
Posted 3 years ago # -
Now shivaswrath what makes M better than A, S or P. Do you use the sunny role for metering and totally ignoring what your camera has picket up, maybe a light meter. For scenery it would be faster and more productive to bracket. I use M with studio lights, long exp, low light, panoramic stitching, most other times A or S
Pete
Posted 3 years ago # -
If I want to take photos in Automatic, who are you to tell me different?
These settings and scene modes are there to help get the results that YOU want, and if that means Auto with an occasional trip to Scenes, and shots that never get looked at once they've been downloaded, fine by me. I don't like heavy photoshopping, but I won't tell someone that it is wrong.
Do any of the critics drive an automatic car? Ever use a setting other than D?Posted 3 years ago # -
I ASSume you use Manual in low-light, bmxdad, so that matrix doesn't mess up the contrast you want?
If so, that's when I use spot or center-weighted and the AE lock button.
If not I'm curious.I think I also grok why you would use manual on panoramas, I don't do many but have always stayed on A. I have found the matrix metering works well to counteract the varying effects of a polarizer as you pan across the sky, and that Emblend seems to cure the rest of the exposure differences.
Manual in that situation is something I think I will try next time.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Playing catch-up with this very interesting thread.
To the point Willis made "I've never met any that will admit it, but I've seen numerous highly paid Wedding Photographers that shoot receptions in full auto. I can't say I blame them. Shooting an event around sun-down, moving between indoors and outdoors... It can be a real pain to try have your settings keep up."
Willis, I actually have met a wedding photographer (ex-wedding photographer now anyway) who did admit exactly that. When I was at PhotoPlus East in NYC last year, I was listening to Gary Fong pitch his Lightshpere, and he admitted he shot every wedding in Program Auto mode with the exception of the posed photos, and he stated the same reasons you mentioned for doing so. There were about 50 to 75 people gathered around his booth when he said that, and all were surprised. But who is to criticize him, he made an incredible living doing it.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Back on the other page, we were discussing how uninterested most people are in learning manual control. Doesn't that make the new Guide mode on the D3000 useless? I mean, if somebody is really committed to learning, wouldn't they go and buy a much more informative book? The Guide Mode will probably never be switched to by most people. They'll just switch to Auto as soon as they get it and then leave it there.
But what annoys me is when people don't even use the scene modes (portrait, landscape, etc.). Isn't switching the camera to portrait mode the same as us switching the to aperture priority and dialing in ƒ/2.8? Isn't sports mode the same as us dialing 1/500 of a second in shutter speed priority? The scene modes are saved versions of what WE do all the time—they're just stupid (they won't adjust when necessary). My point is, these have been provided for that average user, how come they don't use them? They could at least help the camera a tiny bit—give it a hint at the scene they're shooting?
Posted 3 years ago # -
Soap: When shooting a panoramic picture I meter for the center are of the picture that reading is then locked in M setting. If is a difficult scene to set the exposure I will bracket each shot. Anyway I am not a panoramic expert and just trying to learn a new skill
Pete
Posted 3 years ago # -
I've not seen the D3000 Guide mode, but if it is well presented and available all the time (by being on-camera), not in the box with the bodycap, warranty form and cardboard packaging, then I think it will get used. With a paper manual, the vast majority of new owners DO read manuals when they first get the camera, but do not have the time to practice and use the information. So they forget, and it is not because they are stupid. Most of us do not fall over a bag of cash and decide to buy a camera.
A Sunday newspaper supplement in the UK had an ad for the D3000, and it looked suspiciously as though it was being marketed as a lady's SLR.
There certainly seems to be a spread of opinion here though. Full auto on a DSLR is going to be accurate enough for 99% of candid shots. People with specialist requirements will work it out themselves, either by reading up first, or getting crap results and wondering why. I bought my first SLR because a P&S gave me green backgrounds with a grey strip and coloured blobs when it was meant to be two superbikes tipped into a hairpin. Sports mode? Set it as fast as it would go. Focus too slow? Set it on manual and focus where the bikes would be. Nice building on holiday - Auto. Kids - Auto. Stationary kids - maybe portrait.
The huge advantage of digital over film is that practice and experimentation are free and instant. THAT would be a better mantra than Auto is sh*t, camera owners are lazy and stupid,...Posted 3 years ago # -
["I fully agree. Whats really amazing are the people who don't want to learn and improve with their new camera purchase and only shoot in auto mode. Just a little curiosity and a little effort and these people would see the real benefits of manual mode. You could greatly improve your photographic skills if you simply fiddled with the shutter speed alone. Even trial and error changing aperatures? You paid all that money for a D90, D700 etc why not try to get the most out of it? Just some thoughts I guess. :)"]
I agree completely
Posted 3 years ago # -
["I'm in Aperture mode most the time and only switch to Shutter mode when I care about motion-control. I leave auto-ISO mode on, but constrain it pretty hard depending on the body.
Then again, I'm still getting used to having 51 billion AF sensors, my brain is still wired to use only the center sensor and focus then compose, only turning on all the sensors when shooting action or handing the camera to someone else."]
Soap I'm a lot like you in this regard. Generally I shoot in A mode. It the best for wildlife usually. I quit using auto ISO however once I stopped using the consumer lenses. I like to select ISO specifically now for each shot. I do so in 3rd stops too as full stops are sometimes too cumbersome.
As far as the 51 focal points; I have the other 50 as assist points (sometimes I may only use 21 FP). This still allows us to use that center point with actually seeing the others.
I shoot in M mode in low light or at night. For those shots full manual control is really the only way to go.
Posted 3 years ago # -
I hope I wasn't to negative but those were just my 2 cents worth. At least there are shooting, and most Nikon cameras today are excellent in Auto mode luckily anyways like the D700. I have heard its ISO mode is so good with noice you can almost leave it on Auto as well as auto programming although I wouldn't. White balances are always much more tricky of course though. Is it true the D700 is best at ISO 200 as far as color rendition and sharpness as well as noise? Noise is great all the way up to 1600 right? Love that D700 haha
Posted 3 years ago # -
How is full manual the only way to go in low light or at night? I don't get this at all.
What is the issue with metering your subject and shooting in A or S?Posted 3 years ago # -
My problem is I don't know how to use those different modes and was scared of how things would come out. My pre SLR camera was a SLR-like P&S; the Sony DSC-H1. It had a dial like an SLR. With that I always shot in S mode. When I got the D40, I shot in S mode then switched to A mode. I've never used P mode. Never understood it as there's also a flexible P mode. Flexible P mode?
After reading this thread I've just learned a few new things. Mainly, sometimes it is best to let the camera do most of the work in certain situations (I've missed my share of shots screwing around with A mode when I only had a second to get the shot). When you shoot wildlife most of the time it can be hard to switch techniques.
Posted 3 years ago # -
alphanikonrex, regarding your comments about the scene modes, I have helped quite a few individuals make DSLR camera choices, and many have comeback to me wondering why certain photos did not come out as they intended. When I ask them what they wanted to accomplish, without fail, they all were at their child's sporting event taking pictures, and they all came-out blurry and were angry as to why. They went on to say the camera was in full auto mode so that should not have been so. After a deep sigh I was left explaining that full auto does not mean camera ESP with them gazing at me in total bewilderment. Then when I went on to discuss constant auto focus, they were lost completely. Now when someone asks me for camera advice, I tell them to buy the DVD tutorial for their camera, if not, buy a point and shoot and keep quiet. At least the tutorial DVDs I have seen will explain the basic camera settings such as those.
The way I see it, many people are so used to technology automatically doing so many tasks for them, heck, we have computers that can automatically parallel park your car, so they can't understand why their camera does not know they just arrived at their sons baseball game, and they want stop action photos. It was not too long ago when I knew absolutely nothing about photography, and far less about camera settings. It was only knowing so many photographers that shared with me their tips, and knowledge that I came to a real understanding of a camera, and photography. There is a huge communication gap between the pros who teach, and the beginners who want to learn.
Posted 3 years ago #
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