Shooting DSLR in Auto Mode = wasted ?


Shizuma

Senior Member
Mar 19, 2012
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Hi sempais and seniors,

Sometimes, I see people shooting DSLR in auto mode. Do you think it's 'wasteful' to do so ?
(of course certainly everyone has the right to enjoy their camera no matter what format or type...)

Sometimes I see very expensive gear being shot in auto to commemorate events , kids at playground (shot by mummy/daddy, etc). I wonder if it's "overkill"? Convenience? or is photography about enjoying the moment and capturing, or just shooting nice artistic photos out of the green box ?

if there were a scratch head icon here I'd put it in. but there isn't so please use your imagination.
 

Hi sempais and seniors,

Sometimes, I see people shooting DSLR in auto mode. Do you think it's 'wasteful' to do so ?
(of course certainly everyone has the right to enjoy their camera no matter what format or type...)

Sometimes I see very expensive gear being shot in auto to commemorate events , kids at playground (shot by mummy/daddy, etc). I wonder if it's "overkill"? Convenience? or is photography about enjoying the moment and capturing, or just shooting nice artistic photos out of the green box ?

if there were a scratch head icon here I'd put it in. but there isn't so please use your imagination.

Well, if someone had the money to buy a 5D3 and shoot in Auto Mode, why not? Damn, I used to be someone who owns the EP-3 and 60D and shoot in auto mode :bsmilie:

There are people who thought that buying a DSLR guarantees great pictures. I used to think the same way but I've passed that phase. Also, note that these daddy and mummies, granddaddies or grandmummies are financially rich. I guess most of the time, they walk into the store, tells the salesman they need a camera that can do what and what for them, and the salesman recommend accordingly. Some unethical salesman does oversell, but a significant recommends accordingly. It's just that the end-user wasn't taught or learn how to maximize the tool sufficiently.

You can say it's being wasteful.. I do think so too. But you'd be surprised that some of these people know it's wasteful - but to them, as long as the machine delivers a better quality looking picture than their handphone cameras, they are ok with paying the price. Which most of the time, these expensive machines does deliver the better quality photo that these buyers wanted. These people just want to capture a high quality picture for memory without getting into the technicalities of photography and they could afford the price - fair and square.

Of course, if someday the passion ignites in them and they pursue photography related knowledge and shoot more artsy pictures, it's always a bonus. But if these people become silly people who thinks with that they can shoot amazing pictures and become uncle bobs in weddings (sorry, couldn't help it), then that's a disaster. :bsmilie:

My 2 cents.
 

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I never use the auto/P mode but I think if you know your gear really well and you know when it will give you exactly what you want, then auto mode so be it.
Afterall, nobody is gonna ask you what mode you are on as long as the pictures are what you expect to get.

Unfortunately, there's this thinking that the bigger the camera the better the picture so they never really bother to understand their gear and rely on their faith the green box works magic. :(

btw, no scratch head icon but you can always use the :think: or :confused: or the :dunno: icon... ;)
 

I'm just wondering when people will start shooting with Medium Format soon then :bsmilie:

I had a great PnS (it's a Nikon dunno what model). Literally a PnS with no M mode or semi-M mode ...every function must be selected from Menu. Menu Diving got tiring and frankly I was frustrated that photos I took always required additional color correction, PS retouching, etc ...hence I got a DSLR and now very puzzling to see people treat DSLR like PnS...
 

Hi sempais and seniors,

Sometimes, I see people shooting DSLR in auto mode. Do you think it's 'wasteful' to do so ?
(of course certainly everyone has the right to enjoy their camera no matter what format or type...)

Sometimes I see very expensive gear being shot in auto to commemorate events , kids at playground (shot by mummy/daddy, etc). I wonder if it's "overkill"? Convenience? or is photography about enjoying the moment and capturing, or just shooting nice artistic photos out of the green box ?

if there were a scratch head icon here I'd put it in. but there isn't so please use your imagination.
if some people like to drive a Porsche, travel only between home and shopping malls, don't know how to do parallel parking, what is this has anything to do with us? this is their own free will right?

I remember sometime ago, a teen has no driving license, but his father bought a Ferrari for him, the car will be park at his house till he got his driving license. So what? they happy can liao isn't it? none of our business right?
 

Some buys a dslr to solve their problem of taking nicer pictures. Some buys a dslr to improve on what their current system cannot achieve.
 

I remember sometime ago, a teen has no driving license, but his father bought a Ferrari for him, the car will be park at his house till he got his driving license. So what? they happy can liao isn't it? none of our business right?

that's what I meant by people enjoying their camera in their own way...
 

I'm just wondering when people will start shooting with Medium Format soon then :bsmilie:

I had a great PnS (it's a Nikon dunno what model). Literally a PnS with no M mode or semi-M mode ...every function must be selected from Menu. Menu Diving got tiring and frankly I was frustrated that photos I took always required additional color correction, PS retouching, etc ...hence I got a DSLR and now very puzzling to see people treat DSLR like PnS...

Well I do know people who can afford to shoot MF flim like a trigger-happy on a DSLR.. :bsmilie:
Anyways, even if you got a DSLR, do note that most people still process them in programs like Adobe Lightroom to further correct details.

I think it's all about technology advancement. 10 years ago when we have our first camera phone with 1.3MP, we all go WOW that's technological break through. Then those 2MP PnS was like pro camera and the Canon EOS 1D, a 4MP and 8FS camera was god-camera.

A few years later, your handphone camera upgraded to 2MP and 3MP. You thought it was great, damn sharp and clear. Then you start to think those 5MP PnS camera was very pro and very expensive, and those who bought the Canon 1D Mark II, an 8.2MP camera are real pros or damn rich.

A few years later again, your handphone camera upgraded to 5MP and even 8MP. There was a time where Sony Ericsson handphone was crazy popular with their 10.1MP cameras. You thought 10.1MP was freaking overkill and you'd never need another camera. Phone + MP3 player + 10.1MP camera = awesome. Why would you need to waste money for the 12MP PnS cameras or the 16.7MP Canon 1Ds Mark II?

And right now, you can easily find compact PnS offering 12-18MP, dunno how many times digital zoom. You have m4/3 solutions like Olympus PEN series which made your once-awesome 10.1MP and 12MP handphone cameras seemed like a joke. When you look at top end DSLRs like 1DX and 5D3 you may even think that compact and mirrorless solutions are a joke and Canon 1100D is like a bare minimum for quality.

I am just speaking based on consumer psychology. Now you know why everyone is holding a DSLR these days and a good majority of them (if they are Canon users, sorry I am a Canon users and not familiar with other systems) are 1100D, 550D and 600D users. Because these 3 models have became the new standard for PnS cameras in Singapore. Your m4/3 mirrorless solutions has relegated to become the once-awesome Sony Ericsson 10.1MP and 12MP handphone cameras.. And as for PnS, these people see it like your ancient 1.3MP to 8MP handphone cameras.

Sorry about all the talk on MP, because the general consumer will look at MP first to gauge whether this camera is good or not.

That's about it... That's probably one of the reason why Canon release new products in Singapore (like the 5D3) earlier than the rest of the world.. Because we have people who had the money and ready to buy the product when it's launched - whether they fully appreciate the product or just because they can afford it. The hard truth.
 

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There's nothing wrong shooting a DSLR in auto. If the user finds it convenient, the pictures turn out fine to their liking, all the power to them. Some people don't buy DSLRs to pursue photographic interests, they buy it simply because 1. Image quality is there, 2. Easy to use.

Can't really imagine anything easier; just press one button, and with the af speed and accuracy of DSLRs nowadays, a reasonably clear picture is obtained. They record memories which they are happy to keep, who are we to say that its a waste of their DSLR? :)

Besides, most people I know shoots in aperture priority + auto ISO anyway. They only want to control DOF (apparently the more bokehlicious the picture is, the more pro it is!), and let the camera do the rest. I am largely guilty of this at some time too. :bsmilie:

The other extreme is to go full manual - you set the aperture, iso, shutterspeed and focus manually for each picture. Sure, its deliberate, and maybe make one feels more artistic or more controlled, but I can assure you that there would be alot of missed shots while I am playing with all these settings. If the picture turns out the way the photographer wants it, whatever goes. Auto, manual, ap/sp doesn't really matter.

Turning point comes when the person feels that shooting in auto doesn't give him/her the output they desire, thus the need for more control, and start going towards the manual side of things to explore possiblities.
 

gear aside...

how about deciding between enjoying the moment and shooting it? (Most people other than seasoned pros or very experienced shooters would require some time to set the 'advanced' settings on AV, TV or *horror of horror* M mode. )

eg very thin line between enjoying time with children and capturing that precious moment (errm no discussion on hiring a pro to capture please?)
 

Look from another pov, using manual mode does not mean you are pro or utilising dslr to its max
 

If.....

suddenly there's something that appears in front of me(once in a lifetime and will not happen again) and I want to capture it immediately

and......

my camera is in manual mode, all the settings were from last night (high iso and long exposure)

and....

I take my camera out for a quick shot and check my screen, the photo is over exposed

knowing that the scene is going to disappear soon, I will switch to auto mode immediately and take another shot

if that shot is a once-in-a-lifet-ime moment, i will be glad that i got the perfect shot in Auto Mode instead of a lousy shot in Manual Mode
 

gear aside...

how about deciding between enjoying the moment and shooting it? (Most people other than seasoned pros or very experienced shooters would require some time to set the 'advanced' settings on AV, TV or *horror of horror* M mode. )

eg very thin line between enjoying time with children and capturing that precious moment (errm no discussion on hiring a pro to capture please?)

Again, it depends. Tv is most suitable when all you care is to get that kid snapped without motion blur. You don't care if the whole frame is in sharp focus - you just want the kid in focus and freeze the motion. Then, select a suitable shutter speed - 1/200s or 1/500s etc depending on how erratic the kid movement is, if you have AUTO ISO, use it, and just snap away. That's why it's call Shutter Priority.

Av is most suitable in bright or ample light and the DOF is important to you. That's why it's call Aperture priority - if you want only the subject in-focus, you can choose to shoot at f/1.2; if you want everything in, maybe a f/5.6 or f/8. However, ample light is required, that's why I mentioned it before hand. Because Av would almost be a failure in low light and indoor situations where light is dim. Your shutter speed may fall below 1/50 to even as low as 1/15 and resulting in blur images. You will need to pump up your ISO (assuming you want to shoot at a certain aperture) to compensate for that.

In situations where both shutter and aperture needs to be controlled - for example, shooting at 1/500s at f/2 indoors with dim light, you need to go to full manual. Dial your shutter speed and aperture and control your ISO accordingly. If your model is the newer ones with AUTO ISO, then good news for you, you can throw the problem of ISO to the AI and concentrate more on snapping if enjoying time is important to you. M mode with AUTO ISO is essentially Av and Tv combined - it gives you more control but at the same time, lets you enjoy the shoot and your time more rather than figuring out the setting to use if you are not familiar.
 

Hi sempais and seniors,

Sometimes, I see people shooting DSLR in auto mode. Do you think it's 'wasteful' to do so ?
(of course certainly everyone has the right to enjoy their camera no matter what format or type...)

Sometimes I see very expensive gear being shot in auto to commemorate events , kids at playground (shot by mummy/daddy, etc). I wonder if it's "overkill"? Convenience? or is photography about enjoying the moment and capturing, or just shooting nice artistic photos out of the green box ?

if there were a scratch head icon here I'd put it in. but there isn't so please use your imagination.


If i were to use an analogy. Its the same as a person choosing to drive an automatic car, for the convenience as well as the less stress it provides. But for some The Car has to be with manual gears as it offers them more control and more thrill.
The net effect is that they will both reach their destination but the journey will be kick ass for one ( i ain't telling which one ;) )
 

As long as they dont find limitations shooting with auto mode, they wont go to semi manual or even manual
 

When u buy a DSLR u pay for the auto features as much as the ability to customize settings. So there is this flexibility. Shoot if P is semi-auto unless auto ISO is on. Shoot in aperture or shutterspeed is also semi auto.

I shoot in manual mode only if it find the processor cant resolve the settings I want so I took over. Else i want as auto as possible.
 

Hi sempais and seniors,

Sometimes, I see people shooting DSLR in auto mode. Do you think it's 'wasteful' to do so ?

Most people do not know their gear inside out, nor know how to use it to its full potential.
 

If.....

suddenly there's something that appears in front of me(once in a lifetime and will not happen again) and I want to capture it immediately

and......

my camera is in manual mode, all the settings were from last night (high iso and long exposure)

and....

I take my camera out for a quick shot and check my screen, the photo is over exposed

knowing that the scene is going to disappear soon, I will switch to auto mode immediately and take another shot

if that shot is a once-in-a-lifet-ime moment, i will be glad that i got the perfect shot in Auto Mode instead of a lousy shot in Manual Mode
that is why I always say you need to familiar with your tools, always ready.

once you are so familiar with your camera, everything will became automatic.

before I pack my camera into my bag, I always check the camera setting first, check camera battery level, check CF cards, is all my flash batteris fully chearge etc.
 

Auto is a tool for convenience. and the more you rely on it to "get key shots", the more your skill is lost
 

Sometimes, I see people shooting DSLR in auto mode. Do you think it's 'wasteful' to do so ?

Nope. While I usually have the time to manually everything for landscapes, there are occasions where the automatic mode saved me a few shots shooting streets on the go.

Ryan