Why You Don't Need to Shoot in Manual Mode

Do you need so shoot in manual mode to take good photos? Are there better camera modes you should use? In this video we discuss why you don't need to use manual mode to take good photos, and how other camera modes can lead to better results!

[seandalt]

Do you shoot in manual mode most of the time? Or, are you using a different camera mode? Let's talk about it!

[by.adam.b]

Awesome explanation!
I have been using AP for about a year now and what was a real game changer was discovering (on Sony body) the Min. Shutter Speed / Auto ISO function. This allows you to set the absolute minimum you want your shutter speed to go to before it starts to bump the Auto ISO.
I have it set up as a custom key/button so whenever I change lenses I can quickly adjust the setting to be roughly 2x focal length. For example, a 50mm lens, set it to 1/100 and then the lowest your shutter speed will go is 1/100 before it starts to auto-boost the ISO past 100. This eliminates the risk of the shutter speed going too low and guarantees sharp images every time!

[bobt]

I shoot manual 98% of the time, but sometimes I'll use Auto-ISO with a max high limit set. Works out great giving me control over both shutter speed and depth of field to my liking.

[shaneliffin]

Great advice. I still shoot in manual quite a bit because I shoot many sunset portraits with off camera flash. Thus, the manual setting gives me the full control I need in this situation. Otherwise, I shoot more in aperture priority.

[chocolate-]

Honestly, as somebody who does wildlife photography, being able to control both shutter speed and aperture at the same moment is crucial. So I'll just keep on working with the manual mode

[adaptableamy]

I just started shooting in Aperture priority mode from auto mode. It’s been a huge revelation and I now want to try the shutter priory mode for covering action. Thank you so much for this concise and easy to understand video.

[Nightmaredeathdealer]

My favorite mode to shoot is manual with auto ISO. I literally never leave that lol

[OkelloDunkleyDSLRWorkshops]

If you shoot in aperture mode all of your images will have different exposures so when you edit in Lightroom every exposure will be slightly off as the shutter speed changes. When you shoot in M it locks in your settings and when you look at them in editing software they will be consistent and you can actually sync your settings and all of the exposures will be THE SAME or at least every group of photos will be the same until you change the exposure yourself. Manual mode gives you stability.

[joshtimbas]

Me, I always took my photos in manual mode and it really eats up my time by adjusting the settings everytime. Actually, I just realized this after watching your video. Lol! Your video is very educational and thank you for this. You rock 🤟

[heyoBRAVO]

I'm new to more advanced photography and kind of stumbled upon a love for aperture priority early on. For learning, it's great to be able to think about my composition in terms of just depth of field, and then let the camera handle the exposure side of things.

That said, the more I play around, the more I find myself shooting in manual mode with auto ISO. I find this really great because I can control shutter speed depending on the movement in the frame and control aperture for depth of field, then let auto ISO handle exposure (and I often set exposure comp to -.3 or -.7 depending on what I am doing).

Honestly, for my use (I am mostly just doing run and gun street photography and urban exploration), those two setups are good enough for me. That said, I can definitely see utility in going "full" manual so that each shot looks uniform, such as if I was shooting portraits or a series of photos that were going to be looked at side by side.

[viewsbydb]

I shoot in manual mode and do sports (football) photography, after watching this super useful video I will try shutter priority and see how that goes. Thanks for the advice

[lelandphillips]

Excellent.. I agree 100%.. This is what I shoot in all the time with models

[johnnymarra]

Think you for this video. I almost thought that I was bound to only manual mode if I didn't want to use auto mode. Very intuitive!

[tonykeltsflorida]

I learned Manual mode first. My go to is AV (aperture priority). My Canon SL2 is a fairly smart camera. I mainly use a 50mm f/1.8 lens. It shoots like 80mm because the sensor size. I get a lot of good pix now that I almost know how to use it LOL.

[yahyaalsharif]

man, you are amazing ! simply put and explained, straight to the point. as a new photographer this is nice.

[BLADE-]

Hi Sean! Just stumbled upon your channel via YT search. You explained, my question which was, what F stop to chose and why. I knew it sort of but you nailed what I needed to know. I WAS a M guy. Now I will be both A and M. Time to PRACTICE in Aperture mode for a while. I kinda new D of F but know I have a much better understanding. So cool. Thank you!!

[Mr.Altavoz]

Thanks for this lesson.Started to shoot in M mode, now I changed my mind.A lot to learn✌️

[alono]

This a very well explained video for us beginners, thanks so much! Question, I'm a newbie at camera stuff and I'm learning how to shoot real estate videos. So, I wanted to know in this particular case how what are the best video settings for indoor video shooting and indoor low light video shooting? Since in real estate the houses lights changes so much I don't know how to approach this part. Your help will be more than appreciated! Thanks in advance for replying! 🙏🏼

[ricflomusic]

Yep same here. AV most of the time unless in studio, doing long exposures or low light situation.

A film photographer mentor convinced me to work in manual for a while which has gave me more patience.. but think il switch back to AV on most part after this reaffirming vid. Thanks!

[funmilayoakhigbe]

You are always so efficient Sean! Thank you for your advices.