Manual vs. Program Mode... When...?

[ChrisAdval]

If anyone is claiming to be a professional photographer... in my opinion shouldn’t ever use program mode in unnecessary situations i.e.

When not to use program mode if you're a self-proclaimed "pro" photographer...

When in a studio

Still Subject
Controlled Lighting (in the studio) situations
No environmental interference


If I am incorrect please correct me. To me if a "pro" photographer uses program mode on unnecessary situations that to me is lazy behavior and have zero interest in doing the actual work in photography and thats knowing and mastering your camera.

[IABoomer]

Since I know what this is about, I'm just going to sit back and wait for responses.

[Doug Sundseth]

Well, I don't know what this is about, so I'll bite*:

I nearly always use Manual in that sort of situation, because it reduces the variables and simplifies my work flow. I get better consistency with less work that way.

That said, as an image consumer, I have precisely zero interest in what mode your camera was set when you pushed the shutter. If you can get consistent results in P, go for it. (If you ask my advice, I'd say that I can't get consistent results with the limited control of P mode and I'd recommend manual, but I'd not offer that as some sort of immutable rule of nature.)

"Lazy" is a pure ad hominem that detracts from your argument, by the way. There's no virtue to working harder to get the same results. If I can do a job with less work, I can do more jobs in the same time (or take a vacation, if that's what I'd prefer).

* Lack of impulse control might be a fault of mine, it must be said.

[RichardTaylor]

I mostly just shoot images as and very rarely "create" them.

If I have total control over your subject, shooting position, and lighting then I shoot manual.

If I shoot subjects in tricky lighting ( exampe: night 'scapes etc) then I shoot manual

If I am shooting subjects, which by there very nature, will cause an incorrect exposure then I will shoot manual

(1) Shooting around dawn - those headlights play havoc with the camera's exposure "suggestions". It was shot in manual exposure mode.


If I am "capturing the moment" I do not want to be twidling dials whilst action like this is going on. However I may have some exposure compensation dialed in.



In this case I was using a program mode, specifically - shutter priority - However I did select an ISO they would give me a relatively decent DOF .

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At the end of the day, in photography, it really doesn't matter how you achieve the results - it is the image that counts....

[OsmosisStudios]

I use manual mode for the vast vast majority of my stuff simply because its reliable. If I take a shot and it's overexposed, I know I can just go in and adjust a few things to get it down. If Im shooting in AV or TV, there's no guarantee that when I point my camera at the same spot it will see the same amount of light.

[ElCapitan]

I shoot manual because I don't like to trust the in camera metering. If I am shooting action I don't have time to meter then focus then shoot. Now there are situations where I can both focus and meter off my subject, but if I can shoot manual, then I will do that.