Should I love my cameras auto settings or go manual only?

[SpeesAce]

Hi,

I'm a proud owner of the new canon eos 600D/rebel 3ti which I received after sending the pannasonic fz100 back. Sow I'm definitely a newbie and I would like to know if it is worth my time to learn about all the auto/preset modes on my camera or should I learn to get a similar maybe more personal result using manual mode only?

Seems to me that cameras could be a lot cheaper if they didn't have all these auto/presets since in my humble opinion they only set aperture/shutters peed/iso to an expected object such as portret or landscape to get decent result. And I could have a lot more fun with it creating a more unique result playing around in manual mode.

So basically what I'd like to know is how much of the time all you great photographers on this site actually use any of these auto settings and what there value is in your opinions?

Ciao,

Mich

[RichardTaylor]

Now days I never use any of the auto presets like "portrait" or landscape mode.
However I do put the camera in P mode when I give it to my wife, who is not a fanatical photographer, to use.

I use mostly shutter priority or aperture priority, sometimes with some exposure compensation, and only use manual under lighting conditions that may fool the meter, and sometimes when using flash.

[NgaiHill]

One of the benefits of using the presets, if you're a beginner, is to allow the camera to make the decisions about speed, aperture, iso etc and then have a look at the settings used to see what effect they had on the picture. Why did the camera use such a high ISO? What was the effect of that high ISO? How can I change that effect by controlling the ISO myself? Use them as a learning tool to better understand how you can control your camera manually.
FWIW I almost never use the presets either, I prefer to use shutter or aperture priority.

[jdepould]

None of my bodies have scene modes any more, but they do have automated exposure, which I use fairly regularly. Learning how to read the meter (and histogram) will be really helpful.

[LeeR]

Think of scene modes as training wheels for beginners. They may be a big help to someone just getting started, but the time will come when you will find they are more of a hindrance than a help.

[inkista]

I use Av a lot. The AE/metering in my Canons are there for a reason. A lot of the time, they get it right. And EC can cover a lot. Sometimes I've got time to fiddle around and play with everything in full Manual until it's perfect. Sometimes I gotta run'n'gun and trust the auto systems to grab things for me quickly. Right tool for the right job.

I do admit, I never use the "scene" modes, because I have no freaking clue what they're doing a lot of the time (aside from generalities) and I just find setting iso/aperture/shutter speed/white balance to what I want to be simpler than using a scene mode and then doing a guesstimate tweak to get what I want.

But there are reasons to use and rely on the auto systems. They're just another tool. And P and the green-box auto still come in incredibly handy when you have to hand your camera to a non-photographer.

The only auto mode I've ever thought was utterly useless, though, is the A-DEP mode. It needs to be deep-sixed.

[djohnfot]

I, too, use mainly Av mode with my Canons. I have custom settings for P mode and use that occasionally. I use M mode for much of my plant and insect photography. Scene modes get little use and I detest the GREEN (easy mode). On balance I use Av probably 70% of the time.

[Cream Pictures]

I mainly use Nikon. ha. Aperture or Manual mode for me mostly.

[SpeesAce]

Great! Just the information I was looking for, thanks for sharing!

Ciao,

Mich

[ElCapitan]

Use what you need. Don't feel like you have to shoot full manual. It all depends on the situation.

I started out shooting in Program mode and got some great photos with it. Now I tend to shoot almost exclusively full manual. I like it because it helps me make sure I get almost the exact same exposure for most of my shots once I have found that right exposure. This is very helpful for sports or portraiture and makes batch editing a breeze.

With a great deal of practice, I have become better adjusting the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO on the fly to get what I need when situations change, but sometimes things are changing too fast and I have to switch to Av or Tv.

So start where you have to and work your way up to manual, but remember there are times where those auto/semi-auto modes will be better.