Should I learn the "Auto" modes?

[Free]

So I've noticed that I can't get the shots I want with most of the auto modes (Shutter Speed Priority is OK). I think most of the time it's a metering issue and I just need to change the settings there and learn how to make the lens focus where I want, but this takes more time than switching to manual and making the adjustments myself.

I don't mind doing this, but the question is - Should I learn to shoot in auto?

Example - Will I get more quality shots from using aperture priority in a portrait shoot than I will from doing everything manually

My biggest problem is the camera tends to focus on the wrong thing. Perhaps using the auto modes, but focusing manually?

Cheers
Free

[kencaleno]

My advice? Forget Auto- A/AV ( Aperture priority) is best for portraiture, because you get to choose depth of field for each shot you make-F4 and wider gives that background blur to a portrait - S/TV good for fast moving images,eg: Sports. As for focusing,check your dioptre setting, like this: Detach lens, point camera at a white or light colored surface, and adjust dioptre(at side of viewfinder) until focus points are at greatest visibility.Concentrate on using just the centre focusing point, and recompose image to suit, until you get the hang of things. Ken

[Free]

Thanks Ken,

I mustn't have explained myself well enough, the "auto" mode I try to use the most is the aperture priority. I just seem to get much better shots doing it manually than using AV.

I think you're right about the using the centre focusing point and then moving the camera after focusing, I'll change the settings and see how that goes for a while...

[dcclark]

I'm very surprised that a full manual mode works better for you than aperture priority. What sort of problems are you having with Aperture-priority mode? What is happening? What sorts of aperture settings are you using, and in what situations?

Basically -- if you would choose a given aperture in your manual mode, and if you choose that same aperture in Aperture-priority mode, what is the difference in the chosen shutter speed and ISO?

[Car2n]

I'm going to hazard a guess here that the OP is using AV mode and the camera is asigning a slow shutter speed resulting in blured images (re: focus issues)

[Free]

So the biggest problem is/was the camera would usually focus on something other than what I was trying to shoot. Example trying to get a close up of a face and it will focus on the wall behind the face. After Kens reply I had another look through my settings and eventually found the right setting to focus on the one spot that I select. I've only had a few quick snaps, but it appears to have fixed that issue.

Sometimes I also have an idea of what I want to happen with the light and dark but it over or under exposes. I generally have an idea of how to make it happen in manual and usually get the desired result after a few tries.

I'll try the av mode with auto focus for a while now and see how it goes. I'd rather work it out so I can get a higher percentage of quality shots.

Hopefully that explained it a bit better?

Cheers
Free

[kencaleno]

Originally Posted by dcclark

I'm very surprised that a full manual mode works better for you than aperture priority. What sort of problems are you having with Aperture-priority mode? What is happening? What sorts of aperture settings are you using, and in what situations?

Basically -- if you would choose a given aperture in your manual mode, and if you choose that same aperture in Aperture-priority mode, what is the difference in the chosen shutter speed and ISO?

Full manual mode will always work better than any preset mode-you are making decisions instead of letting a silicon chip think for you. Ken

[LoveDSLR]

Originally Posted by Free

I'll try the av mode with auto focus for a while now and see how it goes. I'd rather work it out so I can get a higher percentage of quality shots.

Since you can use the manual mode, you should be able to adjust the exposure with the Exposure Compensation (+/-) in A or S modes. Try out various metering modes as well to see which one works best for that situation.

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by LoveDSLR

Since you can use the manual mode, you should be able to adjust the exposure with the Exposure Compensation (+/-) in A or S modes. Try out various metering modes as well to see which one works best for that situation.

This is a bit ambiguous. Manual mode locks out the Expo. Comp controls (on all Nikons) because youre essentially setting the exposure yourself.

[dcclark]

Originally Posted by kencaleno

Full manual mode will always work better than any preset mode-you are making decisions instead of letting a silicon chip think for you. Ken

Not really. Any auto mode makes the big choices for you, and lets you fine-tune it yourself. Going full-manual makes it far more likely that you screwed up something big and won't notice it until later. Unless you've got a great sense of the perfect settings for every lighting situation (which is possible with experience, but certainly not as anything near a beginner), I'd put far more faith in semi-auto + exposure compensation.

Anyhow, autofocus has nothing to do with Av/Tv/etc. mode -- that's manual focus you're talking about, and it can be set independently from your exposure mode.