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nickl360

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Is it ok to use auto mode?

I've had my canon 30d and 70-200mm canon f/4 L lens a few weeks and I've started on manual mode.

I have a very basic understanding of ISO, shutter speed and aperture but I don't seem to get stand out results. However when I stick it in auto the results are far better. I've got a friend who has a sony a200 and always uses auto and his pictures are pretty good.

I just think that using auto mode is cheating?
 
use what youre comfortable with.

using manual for a newbie may be a little jumping in the deep end. try the AV and TV modes first to get an understanding (rough rule of thumb while youre learning is AV for static and TV for moving)
 
As he said use what you feel comfortable, i tend to stick with Av mode at the moment and occasionally Tv. Its helped see the difference between settings as well.
 
nickl360 said:
Is it ok to use auto mode?

I've had my canon 30d and 70-200mm canon f/4 L lens a few weeks and I've started on manual mode.

I have a very basic understanding of ISO, shutter speed and aperture but I don't seem to get stand out results. However when I stick it in auto the results are far better. I've got a friend who has a sony a200 and always uses auto and his pictures are pretty good.

I just think that using auto mode is cheating?
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I used to feel the same way,but now i always use manual settings,just go slow with it until you get comfortable with it,there is no rush.:):thumbs:
 
nickl360 said:
I have a very basic understanding of ISO, shutter speed and aperture but I don't seem to get stand out results. However when I stick it in auto the results are far better. I've got a friend who has a sony a200 and always uses auto and his pictures are pretty good.

I just think that using auto mode is cheating?
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There is auto and there is auto!!!

Your dSLR will have a fully automatic point and shoot setting, on canon it is the green square, and numerous semi automatic modes such as (on canon) "P"; Av; Tv etc...

It is great to use these modes, enough automation to keep you out of trouble, not enough to stiffle creativity and learning.
 
nickl360 said:
Is it ok to use auto mode?
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Simply put - no.

nickl360 said:
I have a very basic understanding of ISO, shutter speed and aperture but I don't seem to get stand out results.
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Auto mode forces you to shoot jpg, so your photos will be doctored straight out of the camera (sharpened, increased saturation etc).

Experiment with the semi automatic modes until you get more comfortable but most importantly get out and shoot as much as possible.

You only learn from experience, and no amount of green box mode will give you that unfortunately
 
Harsh but true. You have to take the training wheels off at some point and be prepared to fall off a few times but you will improve.:thumbs:
 
foggy4ever said:
Harsh but true. You have to take the training wheels off at some point and be prepared to fall off a few times but you will improve.:thumbs:
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Especially as you have already made some inroads into manual use.

It would be foolish I think to go back to full auto from there. Either stick with manual and learn it slowly and fully, then what ever you choose to use after that you will at least understand WHY.... or try it on AV or TV modes now.
 
I used Manual mode for 15 years until any auto was invented

Ok - that's a lie but it got your attention!

I did use manual only for my first 5 years though as I couldn't afford anything as fancy as a camera with an 'auto' setting

Now I use auto (Aperture Priority) pretty much ALL the time and dial in expo comp when needed

Manual is great too - for control freaks and sados (oh dear, fight started! :lol:) but for people who can use their cameras in any fast changing condition, AP is best WHEN you know how to use it - being old-school manual, I do know how & when to use it and when to drop back to manual mode too. Learning on a digi camera is sooooooooo much easier and cheaper than in my film days

Don't expect fab photos from day 1, but shoot everything you see and examine the results closely and learn from them

Then you'll learn which auto setting suits your needs best, how to manipulate it and when manual is best too

:)

DD
 
I think I might go to Av and Tv modes and see how I fair.

Thanks for the helpful replies :)
 
Take a pic in auto then the same pic using manual

get them both printed

see what you think?
 
Anyone driven an auto car?????

Seriously???????

They are FAB 99% of the time, and when they aren't a bit of 'driver thought' goes a long way

If 'driver thought' isn't enough, many auto cars have a manual option for those awkward times - cameras today are no different

It's a tool, not a toy or something to be snobbish about - auto is a FAB tool - use it lots, learn when it's wrong, learn how to compensate and if necessary learn when & how to use manual after that

DD
 
Do you choose an auto for a car as you choose to use auto on your camera?

Auto is just another word for lazy IMHO but thats me. Each to their own there is no right or wrong use what works best for you.
 
Lazy ??? :eek::eek::eek:

To use a perfectly good & fantastically accurate function that allows you to capture more images more easily and more often perfectly in rapidly changing light

You're nuts m8 :nuts::nuts::nuts:

But said in the nicest possible way :)

DD
 
:lol::lol: I started on Auto and progressed as I improved. I agree its a great tool but I now use P mode instead(as a back up) as it's almost the same as auto but you have a little more control. I mostly use A and S but like to use M and compare results.
 
Using Auto mode is not cheating, if it is convenient and gives you good results then use it.
You will soon find that things like depth of field (dof) are important so you will want to use Av.
You may want to introduce motion blur, running water looks good blurred, so you will want to use Tv.
Then if you are a real masochist you can go to full manual.

This is from someone who had an SLR for many, many years with a broken meter. I had to use an external meter, then decide what aperture/speed combination to use, then fiddle with the aperture ring and speed dial.
Excellent exposure but not good for quick shots. :D
 
DiddyDave said:
Now I use auto (Aperture Priority) pretty much ALL the time and dial in expo comp when needed
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Aren't they two different things though? :thinking:

Auto - pretty much point and shoot mode

Aperture Priority - surely more 'semi-auto'

:)

I started out using Auto, then progressed onto Aperture priority mode. I now shoot in Manual - just feels more intuitive to me.
 
sdb123 said:
Aren't they two different things though? :thinking:

Auto - pretty much point and shoot mode

Aperture Priority - surely more 'semi-auto'

:)

I started out using Auto, then progressed onto Aperture priority mode. I now shoot in Manual - just feels more intuitive to me.
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I take 'auto' to mean the camera decides the exposure :)

Av & Tv are Canon's lettering for aperture priority and shutter priority, as opposed to Nikon's strikingly obvious A & S

DD
 
Av - Aperture Priority - You can set the camera's aperture and the camera will select the shutter speed for you (and on some cameras the ISO)

Tv - Shutter Priority - You select the shutter speed you require and the camera will select the aperture for you (and on some cameras the ISO)
 
Av = Aperture Value
Tv = Time Value

I'm with Diddy Dave. If you understand what the camera is doing, why not let it do things for you? The end result is the same. And if you don't like what it is doing, then there are plenty of override controls.

But beware of the green square setting, as it locks you out of most override options. Otherwise I use P and Av all the time, sometimes Tv, and Manual only for studio flash.

The key is knowing what you want, and making sure the camera sets it. Some people enjoy doing things manually, like changing gear in a car manually. That's fine, but it doesn't make it go any better. And if you're not sure what you want, there is a danger that you'll stick it in the wrong gear.
 
Maybe it's only me and maybe I've missed something, but I've heard some people bang on about using manual mode as it's more 'accurate' in terms of exposure, whereas aperture priority is sloppy and amateurish (not on this forum, I hasten to add. There have been some excellent and informative posts on the subject recently) and I have to laugh to myself. After all, using manual is using the camera's metering just the same as in any semi-auto mode.
 
surely when shooting sports or action even pro togs flick to auto?

i dont use auto because i have a manual lens but if i were into the above i think i prob would
 
Uneducated_Rick said:
Auto mode forces you to shoot jpg, so your photos will be doctored straight out of the camera (sharpened, increased saturation etc).
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Shoot with a Sony, it lets you use Raw with Auto. ;) :p

fontmoss said:
surely when shooting sports or action even pro togs flick to auto?

i dont use auto because i have a manual lens but if i were into the above i think i prob would
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I think you'll find that most sports togs use either Manual or Shutter Priority, sometimes even Aperture priority (Use it myself sometimes) but I don't recall seeing any using Auto.
 
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