FORGET Manual Mode, THIS is how PROS shoot!

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Auto Mode: the setting to choose when you're handing your camera to a family member.

I'm a professional photographer IE I support my family with my work. 90% of the time I shoot aperture priority with auto ISO with a minimum shutter of 250 (1000 for sports and action). The only time I use manual mode shooting is when I'm using flash or strobes.

I shoot 90% of my photos in aperture priority, both for still subjects and for action.

I ditched manual a long time ago, now I am shooting in aperature priority, with minimum shutter speed set depending on the situation, and auto ISO, the only thing I touch during shooting is the exposure compensation dial.. this way I still have all the control I need, but I gain it a lot quicker!

I find the priority modes are still too variable from shot to shot. And this is bad when editing hundreds of photos for a wedding. Plus if i have to worry about exposure compensation i might as well go manual. I usually shoot at 1/160 or higher (unless I'm using flash which let's me shoot slower) but i need to be in control of depth of field because i might be shooting a group versus an individual and in control of iso. I could limit the iso range for any priority modes but i find it just faster to adjust for the situation in the moment because there are times im going to have to "break rules".

To me auto-ISO in manual mode is the best all around. I typically leave my aperture wide open (unless I need the extra sharpness or DOF) and usually just adjust shutter speed based on both light and subject. On DSLRs it was more of a pain, but with live view on mirrorless cameras there isn’t much of a chance to mess up exposure. In the outdoors with lots of sunlight I will usually just set my ISO to 100 and control exposure with shutter speed. So I am switching back and forth between full manual and manual with auto-ISO.

For wildlife I've been using Manual with Auto ISO and that's worked great for me.

I use to shoot in aperture priority mode most of the time with exposure compensation and happy with it. Sometimes I use shutter speed priority for certain situations like panning again with exposure priority. I use manual mode with manual focus for astro photography only.

Old school here. I began shooting in the 60s when knowing what you were doing was a valuable asset. Until the Nikon F3, I had never shot a 35mm camera on anything but manual. I do not use program mode and would not dream of letting the camera pick the ASA/ISO for me. Even with my digital cameras, they will be set on manual or aperture mode and a Sekonic digital spot meter has a place in my Domke bag.. 60+ years as a professional with 32 years as a studio owner has taught me that there is always something new to learn! A very good, well thought out video!

All anyone needs to take into account is the time factor. If you have time with no pressure then Manual is the way. If you do not have time or you are out and about with your scene changing quickly then one of the semi modes would be the choice. Studio work manual everytime.

I like full control of everything. I only shoot in manual mode. I don’t think just because manual mode you’re a pro. It gives you the opportunity to learn how to deal with every situation you come across. And for me I like full access of everything. That’s just me

This is an excellent primer for using digital cameras. I've been using analog film cameras for over 5 decades. I know what I'm doing. Digital types — not so much. I've read the manuals, and ... blah blah blah ... I just forget. This vid really makes things a comprehensive review. Well done! No BS or nonsense — just the facts!

There's a reason that aperture priority was the default for film SLRs for decades. It makes the most sense for 99% of uses other than stroking people's egos.

Thanks. I never used program mode, but sometimes it's exactly what I need. For instance, a few weeks ago I was walking around central Rome. The light was constantly changing, and there were lots of shadows. I gave up and just put it in auto mode because I didn't have enough time to make manual adjustments every time while navigating the busy streets. I would have had the time to make a single adjustment, though, to capture what I wanted.

Been a wedding photographer for a few years now, started with manual and still use manual. Sometimes i want to do shutter drag and sometimes i just get a specific look that auto wouldn't allow me. It took some getting used to, but you quickly learn to adjust the settings. At this point, it would just feel weird to switch to auto, though i wouldn't knock someone who's just starting for using auto.

My teacher of the basic photography class was a professional event photographer and he said he uses aperture priority 95% of the time. That broke the illusion of 'you need manual mode' instantly for me and that really helped my motivation to continu. I'm really thankful that I got that info as a beginner back then because I'm also a 95% aperture priority person now not being distracted by anything else than what I what I'm actually capturing.

Someone finally explained it very well! Thank you

The advantage to shooting in manual really comes into play when you are editiing. If all the exposures in a series of photos are exactly the same, then batch editing is a breeze.

If you are shooting in bright light, I find the manual mode with auto iso is the best. Especially if you are shooting moving objects as in wildlife photography. You can choose the best shutter speed and aperture, .iso will be automatically adjusted.