Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2013/06/10

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: [Leica] Automatic mode
From: leica_r8 at hotmail.com (Aram Langhans)
Date: Mon, 10 Jun 2013 16:07:35 -0700
References: <mailman.200.1370840134.1363.lug@leica-users.org><8D034208D7DCD82-22AC-2CD11@webmail-m202.sysops.aol.com> <9BE76082-4DB0-4B53-BC51-26236BDE2C1E@btinternet.com>

I think some confusion is cropping in as to what people mean when they say 
"automatic".  I think aperture priority and shutter priority are indeed 
automatic and indeed do what you are saying.  Same as shooting manually and 
setting the controls to what the meter tells you to do.  Except you only 
have to set one control.

This differs from the "Program" mode where the camera chooses both setting 
for you according to some pre-programmed data table built in to the 
computer.  You just sit back and take it.  If you are interested in setting 
a certain f-stop for depth of field reasons, or a certain shutter speed to 
control motion, forget it.  The camera is deciding what to do to get a good 
exposure for most situations, balancing shutter against f-stop, mainly to 
try and keep camera shake to a minimum.

So, Manual, Aperture mode, and Shutter mode are, to me, really the same 
thing with different controls.  As I said, I use Aperture mode most of the 
time, or switch to manual for some difficult exposures if repeatability is 
needed, like panoramas, and never use Shutter mode, as that is less 
important to me.

I don't think I have ever used the Program mode on any camera where I had a 
choice not to.

Aram



--------------------------------------------------
From: "Frank Dernie" <Frank.Dernie at btinternet.com>
Sent: Monday, June 10, 2013 12:27 PM
To: "Leica Users Group" <lug at leica-users.org>
Subject: Re: [Leica] Automatic mode

> Surely automatic simply gives the built in lightmeter reading 
> automatically. The only difference between automatic and manual is 
> therefore the time it takes to set the camera, where auto wins hands down. 
> If you almost always use your own exposure choice, rather than the in 
> camera meter's this is not true but otherwise choosing not to use 
> automatic on a camera with built in meter seems a bit pointless.
> Programme OTOH...
> FD
>
> On 10 Jun, 2013, at 19:36, lrzeitlin at aol.com wrote:
>
>> Some of us ex-newspaper types shoot in automatic mode because it is so 
>> dead easy. We use the camera as an extension of the eyeball not as a 
>> graphic arts paintbrush.
>>
>> Years ago, when I bought my first DSLR, an Olympus E-500, I complained on 
>> the LUG that I could barely comprehend the 15 modes of operation the 
>> digital camera featured. With my old Leicas I simply set the aperture, 
>> shutter speed, composed, focused and pressed the button. Most of my 
>> pictures were pretty good and when I fouled up, I knew it was my fault. I 
>> got a nice note from Dr. Ted saying, in essence, "fuggedaboutit," Just 
>> set the camera to automatic and take a lot of pictures. All JPGs.
>>
>> Yes, Ted. You actually did say that. I've followed your advice over the 
>> years with success, winning more than my share of regional photo 
>> contests. It's good advice for anyone who is not a phototechie at heart. 
>> Photography is about making images that people want to see, not wringing 
>> the last bit of detail out of the bits and bytes.
>>
>> Larry Z (an adventitious photographer)
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Leica Users Group.
>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>
>
> 


Replies: Reply from jayanand at gmail.com (Jayanand Govindaraj) ([Leica] Automatic mode)
In reply to: Message from lrzeitlin at aol.com (lrzeitlin at aol.com) ([Leica] Automatic mode)
Message from Frank.Dernie at btinternet.com (Frank Dernie) ([Leica] Automatic mode)