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Home » Photography Tips » Camera Modes – Do Real Photographers Only Shoot in Manual Mode?
Camera Modes – Do Real Photographers Only Shoot in Manual Mode?

Camera Modes – Do Real Photographers Only Shoot in Manual Mode?

by Darlene Hildebrandt | Last Updated: October 20, 2022

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In this article, I’ll break down the different camera modes for you and explain what your camera does in Manual Mode, Aperture, and Shutter Priority Modes. There are certain times when shooting in Manual is the best choice, but other times when it is not.

This is a huge pet peeve of mine.

My students tell me that other photography instructors insist that they MUST shoot in Manual Mode only if they want to be considered a “real” photographer. To which I say, “Phooey!”

which camera mode is best for beginners, manual or automatic or

So if you’ve ever been told that you need to shoot Manual by an instructor, it’s time to rethink that advice. Each mode is there for a reason and they all have benefits.

Knowing which mode to use in different situations will help you be more successful in getting the best exposures, among other bonuses. It pays to learn about all of them, so let’s get to it!

Real Photographers Only Shoot in Manual Mode – NOT!

So you already know my thoughts on this, but let me expand on why I believe it is a mistake to think this way and take this advice onboard.

Manual Mode can be extremely overwhelming as a beginner

When you’re already stressed out just trying to figure out how to use your camera, adding in shooting in Manual Mode is like learning to drive a car with a manual transmission!

Taking baby steps and learning one thing at a time is a much better plan of action.

monkey looking exhausted like a photographer trying to figure out what camera modes to shoot in
Is this how you look when trying to figure out how to shoot in Manual Mode? Don’t worry, there’s help available, just keep reading. Photo by Jared Rice on Unsplash

Get the basics down first, drive in Automatic for a while (pun intended) and take it one step at a time. Maybe progress to Program next, then one of the semi-automatic modes explained below.

Then when you’re comfortable with the basic functions of your camera and have been using it for a while, you are ready to tackle Manual Mode.

car interior showing stick shift and camera comparing manual transmission of cars with manual mode on a camera - both for more experienced users
Manual transmission is for more experienced drivers, as is Manual Mode for more experienced photographers. Don’t worry if you don’t get it right away. Photo by Kenny Luo on Unsplash

Manual Mode isn’t always the best choice!

Believe it or not most pros, myself included, do NOT always shoot in Manual Mode. Instead, we choose the best shooting mode suited to the subject we’re photographing.

I’ll explain this in more detail below as I go over each mode below, but the short answer for when to use each one goes like this:

  • Use Aperture Priority when you want to control the depth of field (I use this mode 95% of the time when I’m walking around doing street photography or traveling).
  • Use Shutter Priority when you want to control motion (freezing action or creating blur – I rarely use this mode except perhaps when I’m doing panning).
  • Use Manual Mode when you have plenty of time to shoot and check your exposure and reshoot if need be, the lighting and your subject aren’t changing, OR you are using a tripod (when I’m using a tripod my camera is almost always in Manual Mode).
camera on a tripod is a perfect example of when to use manual mode as it allows you to take your time
When your camera is on a tripod and you can take your time, that is the perfect opportunity to use Manual Mode.

Manual Mode and Manual Focus are NOT the same!

I’ve seen many beginners make this mistake and get confused between shooting in Manual Mode and using Manual Focus. Some have come to me asking for tips on how to focus using Manual Mode.

It’s easy to get confused because they have very similar names. But they do NOT do the same things.

  • Manual Mode – this is about the exposure and in this mode, you must set all three pieces of the exposure triangle; the ISO, the shutter speed, and the aperture.
  • Manual Focus – this is how your camera achieves sharpness on the subject.
    • With Autofocus activated the camera will attempt to focus for you, and if you choose the right settings it usually does a pretty good job.
    • Manual focus means YOU must turn a ring on the lens to attain sharpness. It’s extremely difficult to do without some kind of assistance like using the zoom feature on the LCD screen (impossible for a moving subject or without a tripod) or focus assist/peaking if you have a mirrorless camera.
street scene in Cuba showing autofocus points in camera viewfinder and where camera will focus
Autofocus points as seen in the viewfinder. The highlighted one is where the camera will focus – you can control how many points it chooses from and which one(s). So let the camera do its job, and set it up right for success.

So please understand that the two are NOT mutually exclusive.

Meaning if you are shooting in Manual Mode you can still use Autofocus and if you are shooting in Automatic Mode you can use Manual focus (but why would you – let the camera to its job).

Camera Shooting Modes

Close up of camera mode settings button on a Nikon camera showing camera modes to choose from
This shows the mode dial on a Nikon camera. Yours may look slightly different. The ones inside the white oval (M, A, S, P) are the ones you want to use or gradually move over to if you’re on the other side of the dial now.

There are five main shooting modes on most cameras.

Some cameras, like Pentax, have a couple of extra modes (Sv and TAv), but I’m just going to cover the modes that you are likely to find on your camera. They are:

  1. Full Automatic Mode (usually shown as a green square or box on your mode dial)
  2. Program Mode (usually shown as P on your dial, and no it doesn’t stand for “Professional Mode”)
  3. Aperture Priority Mode (shown as A or Av on your dial)
  4. Shutter Priority Mode (usually shown as S on your dial or Tv for Canon)
  5. Manual Mode (M on your dial)
close up of the top of a Fujifilm camera buttons and settigs for camera modes.  Refer to your manual as each model can be different
If you shoot Fuji like I do you will not see a mode dial like the one on the Nikon above. Automatic is when you set the ISO, lens and shutter speed all to A. Aperture mode is when the ISO and shutter speed are in Auto, Shutter mode is the opposite (ISO and lens are on Auto) and Manual is none of them set to A. Read your manual if you aren’t sure how to set up the different modes.

Basically, the difference between each of these modes is how much work the camera is doing for you, and how many settings you are choosing yourself. Here’s a breakdown to help you:

camera shooting modes cheat sheet

Full Automatic Mode (A or Auto or a green box)

Full Automatic is often a green box or option on your dial as seen here.

In this mode, your camera makes ALL the decisions for you, and all you have to do is press the button.

Camera mode dial showing auto selected

Not only does it choose all the exposure settings, but it also sets the focus mode and points, White Balance, drive mode, etc. It chooses everything for you. So you have no options, but it’s usually going to give you a decent exposure with little fussing around.

Canon mode dial showing options available for camera modes
This is what a Canon mode dial may look like. The square would be green, that’s full Auto Mode.

The options on the same side of the dial marked with little icon graphics like the lady, mountain, flower, runner, etc. – are all options and variations of Full Automatic. They just have special uses depending on the subject you’re photographing (as indicated by the icon picture – eg. the lady is for portraits, the mountain is for landscape scenes).

Do NOT feel like there is something wrong with you if you need to use those modes! It’s perfectly acceptable to do so. Read your camera manual to see what they each do and use them if necessary.

However, these auto modes may not produce images with the look or effect you want. So if you’re ready to take over a bit of control let’s move on to the next option – Program.

Program Mode (P)

Program mode is the next step up from full Automatic. You can see it below on the dial as a “P”.

Notice all the other modes we will cover are in the same sort of greyed out zone as the P. Those are all of the semi-automatic and Manual modes. Those are the ones you want to eventually graduate to using once you feel more confident with the settings.

In Program Mode the camera will choose the three settings that control the exposure for you; ISO, aperture and shutter speed. But it will allow you to set other things like the White Balance, Focus mode, and Drive mode.

Close up of dial with Program mode selected and indicated with an arrow

You can also dial in a setting you want to use, like an aperture of f/4 for example, and the camera will adjust the other settings to give you a good exposure. So it’s actually a really helpful mode for helping you learn about exposure.

Use Program Mode as a learning tool. Let the camera pick the exposure, then go look at what it chooses and dial in those same settings yourself using Manual Mode to practice.

Go back to Program any time you need to get a shot fast and haven’t got time to fiddle with the settings. If the light is changing too fast, if you have a moving subject that you might miss if you take too long, those are good times to use Program if you aren’t sure what to do.

Shutter Priority Mode (S or Tv)

As I said above, I rarely use this mode.

Even when I want a fast shutter speed for freezing a moving object, I almost always use Aperture Priority Mode (more about that below).

So when should you use Shutter Priority? I recommend using it in a couple of different scenarios:

  1. When you’re doing panning and shooting a moving subject
  2. When you’re shooting with a flash indoors and you want to capture as much natural light as possible (but this is advanced photography so don’t worry about it right now).

Number one above is pretty straight forward. If you’re shooting a cyclist or a moving car for example, and you want to blur the background by panning, then you want to use Shutter Priority Mode and set the shutter speed low.

Bicycles movement frozen with a fast shuuter speed and shutter priority mode selected
A bike race I stumbled upon in Cuba. This one was shot at ISO 400, f/4.0 at 1/5000th of a second. The bikers are frozen but the background is really busy.
Using shutter priority mode the cyclists are frozen while the background is blurred by panning and a slow shtter speed
So by using Shutter Priority, setting the shutter speed low, and panning (following the movement) of the bikers with my camera as I shot – this is the resulting effect. The settings here were ISO 100, f/22, at 1/60th of a second.

Using Shutter Priority allows you to choose the shutter speed and the camera will select the aperture that is needed to make a correct exposure.

HOWEVER… beware of warnings and the limitations! 

Be aware that Shutter Priority will let you make a bad exposure! There are two situations where you may run into issues using this mode.

  1. First, if you are shooting in bright sunlight (as I was above) and you choose a shutter speed that is too slow. For example, if I had set the shutter speed to 1/15th for the cyclists, it would be letting in too much light and the camera can’t go lower than ISO 100 or smaller than f/22. The image would have been overexposed (too bright).
  2. Second, the exact opposite is also true. If you are in a dark room or scene and choose a really fast shutter speed, the camera can max out the ISO (its highest) and open the lens to its maximum aperture and then that’s it. It has nowhere else to go to get more light to the sensor. The image will be underexposed (too dark).

In either of those scenarios, your camera will try and get your attention somehow. Usually, something is flashing in the viewfinder or you’ll see an error message or warning notice.

NOTE: Shooting in Manual Mode will NOT fix either of those issues either! If you’re trying to shoot in the bright sun at 1/15th, ISO 100, and say f/8 – it doesn’t matter what mode you use, the image will be overexposed! 

Look in your camera manual to find out how your camera will warn you and take notice. If you see the warning it means you need to make a change to your settings.

example of a blurred background effect by panning
Click this photo to read more on how to do panning.

For things like waterfalls, long exposures for car trails and night photography in general, I recommend using Manual Mode.

But, if you’re not comfortable there yet, use Shutter Priority.

Just remember to watch out for the warnings the camera may send you!

Aperture Priority Mode (A or Av)

This is the mode I use most often.

I shoot in Aperture Priority 95% of the time when I’m shooting handheld (without a tripod). It provides the flexibility to just shoot, without having to constantly monitor the exposure levels for every single shot.

Aperture priority mode used in this photo when there was no time to think, just set the mode and take the shot
This is the perfect time to shoot in Aperture Priority Mode. I took this image on our recent photo tour to India, just before our Jeep took a steep drive down this hill (think rollercoaster). There was NO time to think about settings, just grab a shot, take a deep breath and hang on!

Personally, this is the number one reason why I do NOT recommend Manual Mode for everything. In situations where you are moving around and going from a shadowy area to bright sun, or the light is changing quickly it’s too hard to get the exposure right on the fly.

Even for me!!! And I’ve been shooting a long time, so it’s not about experience. 

That and it’s one more thing to think about as you’re learning. You already have to consider your composition, check the lighting, and general things like is a tree growing out of your friend’s head. Adding exposure into that mix just complicates matters even more.

Give yourself a break and set it to Auto ISO and Aperture Priority Mode and focus on all the other aspects of getting a good shot.

I would almost place a wager that you’ll see your photography improve just by doing this one thing.

Aperture priority mode used in this photo of a caribbean festival participant due to changing lighting conditions
This was taken at a parade. I used Aperture Priority Mode because the light was constantly changing. I chose a large f-stop here (f/4) to blur the background.

Allow yourself time to think about the image, NOT the exposure!

Manual Mode (M)

Okay, so by now you may be asking, “When should I use Manual Mode then?” 

The short answer is to use Manual Mode when your scene isn’t changing quickly and you have time to fiddle with the settings. That is usually when your camera is mounted on a tripod.

So if you make it a rule of thumb that when you are using a tripod that you shoot in Manual Mode you’ll be on the right track.

photographer changing mode of camera set on a tripod to manual mode
Using a tripod? If so, then that is the time to shoot in Manual Mode!  Photo by Federico Bottos on Unsplash

Here’s a short list of the kinds of things I shoot in Manual Mode:

  • Night photography
  • Long exposures (waterfalls, car trails, star trails)
  • HDR (bracketed images to merge later)
  • Posed portraits (if the light is not changing, the subject isn’t moving, and the camera isn’t moving)
  • Macro photography
car light trails on a busy street in Vietnam.
This is a combination of four different images, all shot with 30-second exposures using a tripod, and combined in Photoshop. Shot on our recent photography tour of Vietnam.
camera modes for beginners

Conclusion

To sum this all up, the bottom line is that you certainly do not need to always shoot in Manual Mode. If anyone that tells you otherwise, kindly thank them for their advice and do your own thing.

You have to find what works for you.

If that’s Program, so be it, embrace it. If you can handle Manual Mode then go for it – WHEN it’s appropriate and it’s not causing you to work harder than you need to.

Make your life easier, and make photography more fun.

I love my little Fuji X100F because it’s so small, has great high ISO capabilities and even shoots great JPGs (yes sometimes at family events I do that!). But most of all I love it because it makes photography FUN again!

Author self photo in a mirror while on a photowalk in New York
See I can’t help but enjoy myself with this camera! Okay, maybe it’s the antennae as well, or maybe I’m just goofy, LOL.

Life is too short to be overly complicated. Enjoy it and keep shooting!

Cheers,

Darlene Hildebrandt photographer DPM
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About Darlene Hildebrandt

Darlene is an educator who teaches aspiring amateurs and hobbyists how to improve their skills through her articles here on Digital Photo Mentor, her beginner photography course, and private tutoring lessons. To help you at whatever level you're at she has two email mini-courses. Sign up for her free beginner OR portrait photography email mini-course. Or get both, no charge!

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