Why is aperture-priority so popular?

[John Gerlach]

I am about to begin the second revision of my landscape photography book by Focal Press.? Exposure and metering are important skills to master. Over 40 years of photographing close-ups, wildlife. and countless landscapes for fun and to earn a living, I have found very few situations where aperture-priority works better than the other choices I prefer that include shutter-priority, manual, shutter-priority and Auto ISO, or just manually setting a known exposure for stuff too small to meter like stars. Can any one think of a situation where aperture-priority really works best in case it should be in the updated book. I find few reasons (would like more) to use aperture-priority, but that doesn't mean there aren't more! Thanks for considering this question.

(Just so you know. I asked this on another forum and it seemed most respondents were huge fans of shutter-priority and could find little use for all of the other methods I use that work far better to me for most situations. And one more tip. Before you stress how aperture-priority gives you control over the f/stop you want, please tell me how I don't have that same control with manual when setting the aperture first. I used aperture-priority almost always when I first switched to digital in 2003, and the huge problems it created pushed me into a variety of faster and more accurate methods, at least most of the time. By the way, I just posted a fairly extensive article about aperture-priority that explains many of the problems I found and suggests other solutions. You can read it on my web site listed below under the articles section.)

Many say aperture-priority is faster for landscapes and easier. To each their own, but I shoot thousands of landscape images and find manual exposure is far quicker and more precise than any auto mode, except in the case where ambient light amount is changing rapidly, which usually isn't the case with landscapes, though at times of course it is. Feel free to disagree with me like the other forum. I value differences in opinion!

--
John Gerlach
www.gerlachnaturephoto.com (articles are posted here)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/142501139@N02/ (personal flickr page)

 

[John Gerlach]

Sorry, I meant aperture-priority but could not figure out how to edit the title of this.

 

[zackiedawg]

I don't think I could make a case for why it's overall a good or better choice than any other shooting mode, but I can say that there may be lens-specific or camera-specific times when Aperture Priority is the best mode choice for me.

For example...

When I'm using my Alpha-mount Tamron 150-600mm lens for bird and wildlife shooting, via LA-EA3 adapter on my E-mount A6300 camera, Aperture priority ends up being the best and easiest choice for me and my preferred mode for all but bird-in-flight photography. The reasoning is that this non-native lens is unstabilized on my A6300, the lens is usable wide open but really better when stopped down a bit, but I need to maintain the shutter-speed flexibility of having the camera choose the shutter speed rather than going full manual where I'd spend a little too much time setting aperture, shutter, and ISO every time I see a bird, most of which might only give me a second or two to get a shot. I prefer to keep ISO in Auto, with a set range, such as 100 to 6400, for that same reason. By setting the minimum shutter speed setting in Auto ISO to 'fast', which essentially aims to go 50% higher than the 1/focal rule, it lets my ISO and shutter be chosen by the camera but within proper speed range for a long unstabilized lens, and lets me adjust the aperture quickly by eye, starting around F8 so I can be stopped down when possible, and opening it up when necessary.

When I use native lenses on that camera, or when I mount the Tamron on an A-mount body, I tend not to use A-priority...I mostly use S priority, Manual, or Program Auto with program shift, depending on the situation...so Aperture Priority falls to my least-used mode. But that one specific use case, which is based around a specific type of shooting with a specific lens and due to its behavior and limitations when adapted.

I suppose overall the main reason a person might choose A priority over Manual would be just wanting to worry about DOF or a lens' sweet spot, while still letting the other functions remain automated in the exposure process. Manual works great if you know what you want to shoot at, and are good at judging exposure, but A Priority will let aperture-specific properties be controlled by the user without having to worry about proper exposure, letting the camera handle the rest of that equation.

What I've learned over the decades of shooting is to not knock someone else's preferred shooting methods - I spent many years shooting full manual, thinking I was proving myself a more advanced photographer, but over time, I realized that having good photographic knowledge and understanding of exposure doesn't mean you can't still use various automated modes, and sometimes, those other modes can be freeing, or relaxing, or even offer the same level of control or application of knowledge but in a different way. I regularly use M, P, and S modes, and occasionally A modes, on my cameras, depending on what will work best or easiest in a given situation.

 

[JestePhotographySteve]

The only reason I can think of were AP may be better/faster than manual mode is possibly shooting sillouettes? Even then I would rather just go with -EV. I like the control Manual mode gives.

 

[dwa1]

Sorry, I meant aperture-priority but could not figure out how to edit the title of this.

John,

To change the title, contact the moderator(s) for this forum.

Wayne

 

[John Gerlach]

Thank! I will try to contact the moderator if I can figure out how to do that. I get cameras really quickly, but computers and other techie stuff - like my new first smartphone - beat me up pretty bad.

Sorry, I meant aperture-priority but could not figure out how to edit the title of this.

John,

To change the title, contact the moderator(s) for this forum.

Wayne

 

[John Gerlach]

thanks for your thoughtful reply!!! I love to hear others opinions!

I don't think I could make a case for why it's overall a good or better choice than any other shooting mode, but I can say that there may be lens-specific or camera-specific times when Aperture Priority is the best mode choice for me.

For example...

When I'm using my Alpha-mount Tamron 150-600mm lens for bird and wildlife shooting, via LA-EA3 adapter on my E-mount A6300 camera, Aperture priority ends up being the best and easiest choice for me and my preferred mode for all but bird-in-flight photography. The reasoning is that this non-native lens is unstabilized on my A6300, the lens is usable wide open but really better when stopped down a bit, but I need to maintain the shutter-speed flexibility of having the camera choose the shutter speed rather than going full manual where I'd spend a little too much time setting aperture, shutter, and ISO every time I see a bird, most of which might only give me a second or two to get a shot. I prefer to keep ISO in Auto, with a set range, such as 100 to 6400, for that same reason. By setting the minimum shutter speed setting in Auto ISO to 'fast', which essentially aims to go 50% higher than the 1/focal rule, it lets my ISO and shutter be chosen by the camera but within proper speed range for a long unstabilized lens, and lets me adjust the aperture quickly by eye, starting around F8 so I can be stopped down when possible, and opening it up when necessary.

When I use native lenses on that camera, or when I mount the Tamron on an A-mount body, I tend not to use A-priority...I mostly use S priority, Manual, or Program Auto with program shift, depending on the situation...so Aperture Priority falls to my least-used mode. But that one specific use case, which is based around a specific type of shooting with a specific lens and due to its behavior and limitations when adapted.

I suppose overall the main reason a person might choose A priority over Manual would be just wanting to worry about DOF or a lens' sweet spot, while still letting the other functions remain automated in the exposure process. Manual works great if you know what you want to shoot at, and are good at judging exposure, but A Priority will let aperture-specific properties be controlled by the user without having to worry about proper exposure, letting the camera handle the rest of that equation.

What I've learned over the decades of shooting is to not knock someone else's preferred shooting methods - I spent many years shooting full manual, thinking I was proving myself a more advanced photographer, but over time, I realized that having good photographic knowledge and understanding of exposure doesn't mean you can't still use various automated modes, and sometimes, those other modes can be freeing, or relaxing, or even offer the same level of control or application of knowledge but in a different way. I regularly use M, P, and S modes, and occasionally A modes, on my cameras, depending on what will work best or easiest in a given situation.

 

[dwa1]

Thank! I will try to contact the moderator if I can figure out how to do that. I get cameras really quickly, but computers and other techie stuff - like my new first smartphone - beat me up pretty bad.

Sorry, I meant aperture-priority but could not figure out how to edit the title of this.

John,

To change the title, contact the moderator(s) for this forum.

Wayne

John,

At the top of each forum's list of threads, there are names / links to the moderators. This info is embedded in paragraph under the forum title. For this N&W forum, here are the 2 names and their links...

fredlord

Loading…

www.dpreview.com

jsanch08

Loading…

www.dpreview.com

Hope this helps,

Wayne

 

[dwa1]

John,

Aperture Priority... I use AP for many reasons.

I want to ensure that I am using the lens at it's best Aperture for the specific subject and conditions (distance, light, movement, camera support). Every lens has its Aperture "sweet spots" for IQ and bokeh. Although sometimes Shutter Speed can be even more important to freeze motion / prevent blur, I still want to control the Aperture to give me the desired aforementioned effects.

Another reason is to let the camera's "system" give me the fastest shutter speed at a desired Aperture.

I don't want the camera to vary my Aperture setting. I can't think of any situation where I would want that to happen.

Macro vs. Long Distance... Even though my Sigma 150 f2.8 macro lens could be used at f2.8 - I would not use it that way. For distance subjects (5 feet and beyond), I like to use it between f5.6 and f6.3. For close-up / macro work, I will stop the lens down to f11 or more.

Full Manual Mode... I use what I call "full manual" mode when I know that I will have consistent light- normally bright sunlight. I mainly use this for BIF. I turn OFF Auto ISO so that I take the camera's meters completely out of the "equation". I want full control of the exposure - the meters would just get in the way. To me, Auto ISO makes no sense at all when using Manual Mode exposure. By using full Manual Mode for BIF, I can set the exposure for the subject (like birds in sunlight). I can set the Manual Exposure for the highlights (white feathers). If the bird starts out with a dark water background and then flies into a bright sky background, my exposure remains constant and the bird is exposed in a way that prevents BOH in the white feathers and the RAW file editing can bring up the shadows as needed. The camera's meters do not interfere with my "fixed" exposure as the background changes.

Another use for Aperture Priority is to establish my full Manual Mode settings. In AP, I set the Aperture, take a test shot to give me a starting Shutter Speed for my Manual Mode settings.

With many Nikon DSLR camera bodies, we have 2 "User Modes" - U1 and U2. You can get your Manual Mode "settings" established and then Save these settings to U1 or U2. Then you can quickly switch back and forth between Aperture Priority and your full Manual Mode settings by simply changing / rotating the "mode dial" from A to U1.

Inconsistent light... Sometimes the light on the subject may not be consistent. It could change from moment to moment - clouds and sun or shade and sun. In this type of lighting, using full Manual Mode would not be practical due to the need to quickly change the exposure settings at any given moment. Aperture Priority allows me to let the camera try to get the best exposure by varying the ISO and the Shutter Speed without affecting my desired Aperture setting.

fwiw... I am not sure why you are even questioning the popular use of Aperture Priority among wildlife photogs. Glass is still king. We want to use our lenses at their best aperture for our specific subject and conditions. If we need a minimum Shutter Speed, then we can use a wider Aperture setting (within the lens' sweet spot range) and allow the camera's Auto ISO to amplify the sensor signal within the camera's "ISO performance range" and within our editing software's noise reduction capabilities.

Good luck with your project and I hope this helps in some way.

Wayne

 

[Chris R-UK]

I think that the reason that A is so popular is convenience - you don't have to check the exposure before every shot. That may not matter for landscape photography but it certainly matters for many others, e.g. sports and a lot of wildlife photography. That is also the reason for using S, M with auto ISO or any other setting where you let the camera choose the exposure.

The reason that I use A instead of S is that, when I am shooting in good light, having too high a shutter speed is rarely a problem but having too small an aperture certainly can be. In difficult light when I am shooting wide open I want the highest possible shutter speed so in A mode I set the aperture wide open, set the ISO to the maximum that I am happy with and shoot with the whatever shutter speed I can get.

As others have said, habit is very important is deciding which mode to use. I always use M for BIF and when using flash because I have always done it that way but I don't use M plus auto ISO because I have only recently had a camera that allowed it.

 

[John Gerlach]

thanks for your thoughtful comment! This community is quite different from the other one where many would not consider anything other then aperture-priority!

I think that the reason that A is so popular is convenience - you don't have to check the exposure before every shot. That may not matter for landscape photography but it certainly matters for many others, e.g. sports and a lot of wildlife photography. That is also the reason for using S, M with auto ISO or any other setting where you let the camera choose the exposure.

The reason that I use A instead of S is that, when I am shooting in good light, having too high a shutter speed is rarely a problem but having too small an aperture certainly can be. In difficult light when I am shooting wide open I want the highest possible shutter speed so in A mode I set the aperture wide open, set the ISO to the maximum that I am happy with and shoot with the whatever shutter speed I can get.

As others have said, habit is very important is deciding which mode to use. I always use M for BIF and when using flash because I have always done it that way but I don't use M plus auto ISO because I have only recently had a camera that allowed it.

 

[John Gerlach]

thank you as I did find fred and he got it changed. I struggle with this computer stuff, but I am getting better. It was only in the past year or so where I could even post on the internet!

Thank! I will try to contact the moderator if I can figure out how to do that. I get cameras really quickly, but computers and other techie stuff - like my new first smartphone - beat me up pretty bad.

Sorry, I meant aperture-priority but could not figure out how to edit the title of this.

John,

To change the title, contact the moderator(s) for this forum.

Wayne

John,

At the top of each forum's list of threads, there are names / links to the moderators. This info is embedded in paragraph under the forum title. For this N&W forum, here are the 2 names and their links...

fredlord
https://www.dpreview.com/members/6663534438

jsanch08
https://www.dpreview.com/members/1280783007

Hope this helps,

Wayne

 

[agrumpyoldsod]

Dear John

Why are automatic modes more popular for Wildlife Photography than manual modes -- the simple answer is with fast moving subjects the exposure changes rapidly and there simply may not be sufficient time to adjust exposure if one is to freeze the action.

AP using matrix metering had become the most used shooting mode I was aware of -- you need to control the depth of field (aperture) to ensure enough of your subject would be in focus and the shutter speed by selecting a sufficiently high ISO you could just about guarantee that the actual shutter speed when the shot is taken would also be about right to freeze the action within a reasonably close range. Clearly Exposure Compensation is needed if the subject is light against a dark background and or the opposite.

Now along comes Auto-ISO - you can work in manual mode and can obtain automatic exposure adjustment as well -- setting the desired aperture and shutter speed and allowing auto-ISO to select the correct ISO for the exposure within predefined limits -- max ISO and auto-iso vs focal length multiple.

I know a number of very very experienced wildlife and bird photographers who neither trust or use Auto-ISO and one horse racing guy who only uses Manual Focus as well.

In the end of the day it is about what you are comfortable with and how you obtain the cleanest, crispest and sharpest possible results. I have most recently used both manual with fixed ISO - when I have even lighting - and manual with auto-ISO when lighting conditions as assessed by the camera are changing rapidly.

I believe you are more likely to obtain the best shot with the lowest ISO, if you have time and the confidence to use full manual. BUT then why pay 6k for a camera body and not allow it the freedom to help. So only 5-10% of my shots are in full manual; the rest are with auto ISO or aperture priority.

 

[dgluckman]

Just to add a bit to the conversation. I shoot primarily wildlife, mostly birds. Shutter speed is a critical element in getting sharp images when the subject is moving. A factor even bird photographers tend to forget is that many birds have numerous different feathers with different levels of stiffness and thus different movements from each other. Even when sitting still, some feathers may be in motion. High speed is the great leveler. Owls are a good example where their very fine facial fathers move at much different speeds than wing feathers.

--
dgluckman

 

[Lan]

It depends on what I'm taking pictures of!

For macro I strongly prefer shooting in AP, as depth of field is the key creative control. In fact for macro I generally wouldn't shoot anything else - other than occasionally M if I'm lighting a shot purely with my flashes.

For general wildlife... I may shoot AP (for DOF control), SP (for freezing birds/dragonflies in flight), or I may shoot in P for more general purpose shooting where a specific shutter speed or aperture choice isn't quite so critical, and speed of response is key. I'm usually keeping an eye on both shutter speed and aperture continuously anyway though.

AP has the advantage that you can keep the lens at its optimum aperture setting, this is very useful if your lens is poor wide open. It's also useful for getting the entire subject in focus.

I'm possibly unusual in that I don't use ever use auto-ISO. Generally I'm either at base, with strong light or slower moving subjects. ISO800 for things that are moving or if it's a bit darker. I rarely shoot in low light, but if I do the flashes tend to come out to play again

 

[Paul B Jones]

I don't know. But it's all I use. Seems to work.

 

[Bill Ferris]

As you're seeing in many of the replies, not all cameras are equally as intuitive to operate in full manual, manual & auto ISO or the other semi-automated modes.

I've been shooting with Nikon gear since the early-1990's and with their digital bodies for more than a decade. When shooting landscapes or doing portraiture with speedlights, I prefer to be in full manual. Using the rear command dial to control shutter speed and the front command dial to control aperture, I never have to look away from the viewfinder to control exposure.

For landscapes, I like to keep ISO near base, aperture constant and adjust shutter speed as the light changes. I'm always on a tripod for serious landscape work and there's plenty of time to read the scene to determine when to make adjustments to shutter speed.

For portraiture, I'll make a few test exposures to determine my settings and then it's off to the races. Unless I decide to change the speedlights for a different look, I'll use the same settings for the whole shoot.

For fast action (sports, wildlife, BIF), I'll shoot in manual & auto ISO. The auto ISO setting allows the camera to automatically adjust to changing light. I'll use the command dials to control exposure and exposure comp to manage ISO. With Nikon cameras, this can all be easily done without looking away from the viewfinder.

I've recently added a Fujifilm X-T20 to my stable and I'm adjusting to the different user interface. I can still use the rear command dial to control shutter speed. I can shoot is auto ISO as well. However, the front command dial cannot be used to control the aperture setting for many Fuji lenses. I use my left thumb on the aperture ring for that. It's not yet as intuitive (for me) but I'm learning.

I suspect design and available user controls, customization options go a long way towards determining which mode makes it easier for a photographer to have the control desired. Rather than arguing for one way of shooting as the best way, I would suggest you talk in general terms about the pros/cons of shooting in full manual for certain kinds of photography, then compare the control layout and interface of various brands while exploring options for using a semi-Auto mode to delegate certain decisions to the camera while retaining manual control over others.

Speaking personally, I test drove the Sony A6300 before deciding to get the X-T20. I much prefer the Fujifilm controls and menu to Sony's labrynthian menus.

 

[John Gerlach]

Thank for the comments. I can tell I need to consider numerous options when I write the exposure chapter in my next book. I think one of the crucial reasons why I so often use manual for both close-ups and landscapes is how I set up my camera. There are many things I do to help. I always use a tripod, unless just not feasible such as when shooting in boats, rarely use a camera strap because it gets in the way, and every camera I have seen has exposure control dials that turn the wrong way. For at least twenty years, my Canon's have had a custom function called "Dial Direction during TV/AV, and also works in manual. I went to this because it never seemed logical to me to have to turn the aperture or shutter dial left or counterclockwise as viewed from the rear of the camera to add light in manual and move the histogram data to the right. It seems more intuitive to turn the dials from behind the camera the same direction you want the exposure to go, rather than the opposite way. Many cameras allow you to reverse the dials, Funny, I almost never use a camera strap, but they do make sense when you have to lean over a cliff or railing and shoot handheld because a tripod can't be used. And when I shoot landscapes in my Hobie kayak, I will use a strap there. Otherwise, I like a tripod to support the camera, and then no strap to cover up the LCD or other camera controls.

So much to talk about! My ongoing problem with writing books is I am restricted to a certain number of words - say 75,000 - so I can't cover everything that I would like. Once I get this cast off my left arm, I can photograph again!

 

[Robert Dodson]

Hi John,

I hope you and Barb are doing well. One situation that I would consider using AP is when I want a large aperture to minimize depth of field. For example, say I am photographing brown bears and the background and/or foreground just aren't pleasing. I want to blur them out as much possible. Opening up the a aperture accomplishes this. As you point out, you could accomplish this manually so let me further complicate the scene a bit. Let's say the light is changing rapidly because clouds are rolling in and out. You're literally going from cloudy to bright sunlight and back. The bears are a fairly neutral tone so in any auto metering mode the camera should make the correct exposure. By shooting aperture priority you allow the camera account for the changing light while still maintaining maximum aperture for minimum depth of field.

 

[John Gerlach]

Hi John,

I hope you and Barb are doing well. One situation that I would consider using AP is when I want a large aperture to minimize depth of field. For example, say I am photographing brown bears and the background and/or foreground just aren't pleasing. I want to blur them out as much possible. Opening up the a aperture accomplishes this. As you point out, you could accomplish this manually so let me further complicate the scene a bit. Let's say the light is changing rapidly because clouds are rolling in and out. You're literally going from cloudy to bright sunlight and back. The bears are a fairly neutral tone so in any auto metering mode the camera should make the correct exposure. By shooting aperture priority you allow the camera account for the changing light while still maintaining maximum aperture for minimum depth of field.

That is the perfect time to use aperture-priority! I will cover this in my book. Of course, being a landscape book, I am not certain that technique would be useful for shooting wide open that often. About the only time I shoot wide open on landscapes is the night sky when you want manual exposure, or doing very selective focus stacking to get only a small area sharp with the rest using very shallow DOF.