Episode Eight: Why aperture priority is best and how to do it

[@Andy1076]

" By the time you finished fiddling with it, your poor subject would have died of old age" hahahah! Well said! 🤣

[@d53101]

Manual exposure with auto ISO is now my only shooting method and very happy with it. It works for most every thing I shoot.

[@murphyorama]

I used to shoot aperture priority for the reasons you mention but now find that manual setting and auto iso is far more useful. Especially as I don't have the luxury of a 400 f2.8 or 500 or 600 f4 lens.

[@meneerhalfwerk7096]

Exactly thisssssssssssssss, aperture priority is only suitable for beginning enthusiasts, you'll miss so many shots with it.

[@JohnEboyee]

If someone's missing shots under any mode, more than likely there's another key component missing in the equation.

[@AlOne-xg6dv]

​@@JohnEboyee if you don't remove the lens cap you will always underexpose. This is the main problem whatever mode you select 🤯🌑

[@janvanholten7592]

@@meneerhalfwerk7096 , it seems you did not listen very well!! Or maybe you don't understand it and put the camera on automatic to camouflage that?

[@robertdavis1255]

Thanks for sharing your experience...I am only a hobbyist & still learning photography at 78 yrs old.... your comments will help me a lot, so I appreciate your video... cheers 😀

[@mikeyb9819]

The excellent Steve Perry (US Wildlife Photographer/KZbinr) taught me Manual with Auto ISO - couldn’t be easier. Choose your preferred aperture and shutter speed, ISO does its own thing within parameters you set. I’d shot mainly Aperture Priority for years but, wouldn’t change back now. Thanks for this series of videos, I’ve really enjoyed them.

[@alanalain4884]

And on higher end cameras, even in full manual, you can under or over expose on demand...

[@LivSee92]

Yeah I agree. The manual ISO option is the optimum to me - choosing the shutter and aperture are both important to me - for depth of field and to freeze or blur the action.

[@tobiasyoder]

Yeah I love Manual with auto iso, so many benefits for such tiny compromises

[@bassangler73]

I agree 100%

[@Joakim.eaglephotography]

I agree, was watching Steve Perrys video about That settings and I Love it :)

[@robertwells9177]

After watching hours of videos on photography Modes, you have made much more sense in 11 minutes. Thank you

[@doncoombez]

Brilliant - and superbly explained, I'm changing my technique! Now I just need to figure out how afford an f4 600mm lens :)

[@romy4593]

I did my first portrait photoshoot using priority mode on my Sony a7iii and found out the following before I did it..hubby modeled for me so I could try out my 3 lenses... a 35mm resulted in soft nice details in the background which is what my client ultimately wanted....the 55mm was blurred pretty well background wise but the 85mm was completely blurred in the background and hubbys pics were sharp with each one. I have not tried out a 600mm lens as I don't have one. I do have a 300mm lens on my Nikon D5300 so I will try that out next with wildlife.

[@carlyculmstock5651]

This was a breath of fresh air for me. Amateur bird photographer struggling with exposure as shooting in shutter priority and missing the subject as they have gone for lunch by the time I’m ready or greatly underexposed! I ant wait to get out and try this. Thank you.

[@Earthling78]

As you said, we are getting sensors better at dealing with noise and there is software to lower the noise, it is impossible to adjust motion blur in post production. This makes manual + auto ISO (with a limit matching your camera and taste) the way to go, in my honest opinion.

[@CamillaI]

Started with Aperture priority for Landscapes but moved on to Manual with auto ISO mainly for wildlife ! Particularly difficult exposures last week with a little Dipper in and out of shadows with white fast flowing water, really no alternative with this one ! Great examination of the various modes ! 👍😍

[@italianbirdvideos6190]

Couldn't agree more!

[@Karkawry1970]

Hi, do you also use Exposure compensation as well to fine adjust your shot with Manual and Auto ISO? Just subscribed to your channel by the way, and liking it :)

[@CamillaI]

@@Karkawry1970 Thanks yes regularly use Exposure compensation normally on Auto Iso it depends on the likely hood of background change !

[@GeoffCooper]

Really enjoying this series! I used to be an aperture priority shooter myself, but a couple of years ago with the switch to a mirrorless camera, I've now found that manual with (limited) auto-ISO works better for me as I can set the aperture and shutter on the fly and see the changes straight away in the EVF, then tweak exposure with the exposure compensation dial as needed...

[@jeffslade1892]

Few cameras allow Manual mode with auto-ISO /and/ compensation (which is a must). Set the fast shutter for birds. Set the aperture to the lens' sharpest for birds. DoF on aperture is more a thing for larger wildlife and closer subjects, shorter lenses. Unless the bird is very close, no it won't be.

[@GeoffCooper]

@@jeffslade1892 interesting - I didn't realise that manual mode with auto-ISO and exposure compensation wasn't always possible in other systems..

[@EdwardKilner]

Really well presented. Back in 1971, I shot slides and almost always used shutter priority. Around 2012, I turned mostly to aperture priority mostly to control depth of field. Still, I did not think it through as rigorously as you have done. Thanks.

[@johnhubble5156]

From the comments this video seems to have created some confusion. I think the point is that while shooting mode will influence how quickly you can arrive at the optimal combination of shutter speed, aperture and iso this does not necesarily mean that this "best achievale" set of conditions will result in acceptable image quality. Higher quality lenses with faster apertures will allow effective images to be obtained at lower light levels than slower lenses, but ultimately as light levels fall similar considerations apply and it may just not be possible to get acceptable image quality. Personally I set aperture and shutter speed manually and allow ISO to float using auto ISO. I accept that under conditions of low light this can lead to high ISO values causing noisy images. But under such conditions if I were to fix aperture and ISO and allow shutter speed to float I risk subject blur from too low a shutter speed. In practice modern post processing software is far more effective at removing noise than correcting blur.

[@tobiasyoder]

Yeah I do the same. And really as you said its not that using manual with auto ISO gives noiser image than if you had used any other exposure mode, its just about how you get there.

[@lumenspaul]

@@tobiasyoder slowly in manual that is point of reference for using aperture priority

[@tobiasyoder]

@@lumenspaul I don't understand what your saying :/

[@pbb]

A very nice explanation, well done. When I was a beginner, Aperture priority made a lot of sense but after shooting wildlife for a while I came to understand that 1/2000 - 1/2500 freezes most birds in flight quite well and a cheetah hun really needs about 1/4000 so there is no longer a need to leave that setting to chance by having the camera try to decide that for me and probably get it wrong at the ultimate moment. I rather fix the shutter speed in Manual mode and just leverage the auto ISO. At full zoom I'm dealing with 5-6f, if I use a TC then I'm at 7f. So I am already shooting wide open by force and I think the majority of photographers fall in that category because 2f lenses are pricey and out of reach. That's why I think manual with auto ISO will end up being the most practical option for photographers especially those who have been shooting long enough to know the required shutter speed for the type of animal or action.

[@kevins8575]

Excellent comparison of the possibilities. I use the Canon RF 800mm f/11, so I'm in "aperture priority" all the time. However, I use manual with auto ISO. As you mention, you have to watch your shutter speed anyway, so this works fine. Also, I use exposure compensation via a quick control dial. This setup gives complete control with a minimum of faffing with camera controls. I just got another lens which is not fixed aperture, so I'm going to try all these approaches. Thanks!

[@ZhayynnJamesPhotography]

As a wildlife photographer I have to agree. I shoot in Aperture Priority the vast majority of the times, switching the Manual or Shutter Priority only when required for creative reasons like slow-shutter panning, zoom bursts, stitched panoramas, etc.

[@eric00214]

I shoot full manual and have no issues making adjustments using my meter in the viewfinder on my D500. I used to sit with auto ISO in manual but I now shoot full manual. I only shoot in aperture when doing macro, certainly not fast wildlife action like BIF

[@lokatpic]

I shoot in manual. Auto ISO. Complete control of my camera is what I want. I plan. Take test shots. This makes it easy. When I started I was in aperture . Aperture and Manual in the camera can be fooled. I love to control my camera.

[@genemcloud4114]

Wow. How could it be any clearer! Thanks for the excellent logical explanation.

[@CanonEurope]

We're mainly here for the penguin shot at 8:29 🐧. Lovely explanation though Mark! 👍

[@ianslingsby682]

What about those of us who don't have an F2.8 or F4 lens and are shooting at a minimum F5.6 or F8 with 1.4x teleconverter. It's not very often I'm shooting in great light either so 1/2000 sec is a dream. I've been shooting woodpeckers recently and now the canopy has greened out even on a sunny day there isn't much light. At F8 minimum for me it's about balancing the shutter speed and ISO. I do that by using Shutter priority and Auto ISO where I know the minimum speed I can get away with to get a sharp shot. Great channel but this episode didn't seem as relevant to me because I haven't got the same professional lenses as you and all the other pros that shot this way.

[@flixtorres]

Exactly, and what I think is missing, is the compositional aspect of using a fast aperture. My lens starts at 5.6 and I use this aperture most of the times, because I like the animals the pop out.

[@The80sBoy]

What a great video with lots of interesting information. I love the fact of not guilt-tripping into using manual, like a lot of pro photographers on KZbin do.

[@don7117]

Great video. Best explanation why aperture priority is a good choice. Up til now, I have been shooting manual, but I think I will start trying aperture priority. Thanks!

[@jean-louisrousselle1794]

Mark, great overview, however I disagree that AV is the sigle best way to go.Camera shooting modes are tools to be used in the most appropriate shooting circumstances. M has it’s place and is most definitely the preferred method in constant light. AV is always my choice in varying and changing light conditions. TV is often used by photographers who require a specific and often critical shutter speed. To know and understand when a specific mode is the preferred choice is the key to greater enjoyment and better more consistent results. Respectfully your Jean-Louis

[@lontrucker44]

I agree with aperture, you can shoot manual only with controlled light but when changing light conditions are a problem you will lose photos that could you have been real keepers. Auto iso a valuable tool also. Thank you for the video.

[@romy4593]

Thank you for this wonderful and generous video, sharing your amazing technique! I did my first photo shoot the other day and chose Aperture Priority mode with a 35mm lens on a Sony a7iii for portraits. The light kept changing that day quickly and with light editing it was perfect, I set the F stop to the appropriate setting but the light cycled 5 times during the shoot. I had ladies who were drinking and it was fun! Yes they also moved around. It was overcast, then darker, then lighter, then golden light flooded in..then it was sunset. I had taken an 80 hour photography course online by a professional photographer who is world class. I was familiar with Aperture Priority but not using it for portraits. It boosted my confidence..I had FUN I was posing them, suggesting different backdrops...I placed them in strategic areas...My client did not want blurred out backgrounds...she wanted details but soft ones. They all were wearing no make up...they wanted their skin tones even without any blemishes etc. By using this technique I got outstanding pictures! They love what I did and it really made me feel like I managed to pull it off! I did use the same F stop setting with an 85mm wide lens and saw the very blurred background she did not want. The 55mm was also too blurry for her so the 35mm was just right. I literally made my husband pose before this shoot to see what each lens would do with that setting. I do have a 300mm for my Nikon D5300 I can use for my beloved wildlife shots!

[@gutsbadguy50]

This series is incredible!

[@julianmclean3869]

Well done Sir!; absolutely brilliant explanation; will make my Camera life a lot simpler !!!

[@jeffstover9579]

Thanks for this video. I was taught to use full manual mode for just about everything. Aperture mode was something I never tried before. After watching your video I did some simple shotting in the backyard. Wow!! What a difference. I gave up on my 150-600 Tamron G2 because I could never get focus right. It wasn't the lens that was the problem, but rather shooting in full manual. Great info. Thanks again.

[@whoeverwhoever400]

never use auto iso. I was shooting a product in a warehouse. The warehouse was already well lit. When I got pics, I noticed they’re fairly grainy. Then realized the pics were taken in 2000 iso and the camera was set to auto. I went back and the took the same images in 320 iso and pics looked fantastic. I don’t know why the camera decided to choose 2000 when the brightness of the pics taken in 300ish iso were nearly identical.

[@JanArzooman]

I'm continuing to try different techniques in my goal of better pictures, so I think I will play with this setting this weekend. Thanks, Mark

[@AnAussieinAmerica]

Great explanation, I’m new to the wildlife photography world, and have stumbled across aperture priority, still researching my settings, and realizing I’m actually doing something right. Haha… I’ve learnt more in 11min than hours of research… new follower here.

[@rajjawoor5672]

Great tutorial; ThanQ Sir! Loved it... I use 'Manual' mode most of the times ; now experimenting with Aperture-Priority mode after watching your video... It definitely is more easier!

[@CruisingWithChooChoo]

I loved this video! And I love your humour! Ha ha ha! Yes if I had to use manual mode my subject would have died of old age or simply flown away! 😅 I always use AP but in auto ISO. I will start trying to use manual ISO for different lighting situations? Thank you so much!

[@ArChi285]

THE BEST VIDEO ABOUT APERTURE PRIORITY, SO FAR. THANKS. But let me share my own setting if it is acceptable: I turned ON the AUTO-ISO, with maximum of 800 and minimum of 1/30. Is that ok as a beginner photography enthusiast? I have purchased my Nikon D7000 around 13 years ago, and I barely used it. I am now starting to be with it (or her) again to learn more about photography.

[@runefagereng6023]

Nice video. Would this be your choice with birds in flight as well?

[@nigelmartin4510]

Brilliant as usual Mark any chance you can do a video on shooting very fast birds ie peregrines swift’s swallows and getting them pin sharp any help Would be much appreciated 👌👍

[@garybrown9719]

This one of the best videos I've ever seen

[@franciscocalvo1980]

Perfect explained, and amazing pictures.

[@narutodayo]

I think I would be more helped by Aperture Priority if I had an f2.8 or f4 lens. The lowest I can go is f7.1 or f10 with 1.4x extender (RF 100-500mm and I'm always shooting at the long end). I just don't have the luxury of playing with aperture for artistic effect or for adjusting exposure. So I shoot manual. Set a good ballpark ISO and give it some minor tweaks as necessary, but mostly use the shutter speed dial to adjust exposure. I really do like the full control I get over image quality that way. I guess I could try the Manual plus Auto ISO approach that so many people in the comments seen to like, but I think I need to invest in Topaz Denoise first because I'm guessing the camera will choose some very high ISOs if left to its own devices and Topaz will be essential.

[@AlOne-xg6dv]

I mainly use auto iso with my Pentax K-1 ( Tav mode ). You control your depth of field and motion blur, and depending on the proposed ISO you can choose which parameter you have to adjust. But even with aperture priority you can check the proposed shutter speed and make decision about the ISO ... There is always something to check and adjust.

[@LifeDigitized]

Thank you Mark for this wonderful gift of nature photography...

[@vivenciobadua5071]

Nice topics and good explanations. Watching from Qatar

[@bongiss]

In my experience, shutter priority has taught me that bokeh is overrated. If i want bokeh i,ll just increase my ss until i see fstop wide open. It will still use the lowest iso and photos are sharp. Quicker than manual with auto iso. I rarely use manual with auto iso. Id rather go full manual, as miso alao slows you down at some point. I know it is quicker just to select fstop, but sometimes when metering is overexposed and already at lowest iso, neg exp comp will not work.

[@borneofilms]

Thank you and very informative - will experiment! I can see this working especially in well-lit situations with a fast lens. If you have a slower lens and conditions are darker, however, modern cameras do very well set to M/Auto ISO. Different tools for different fools!

[@richardpilcher6245]

Great video, I always use Av for wildlife but most of the pros seems to promote M. There is one other advantage that you did not mention. When necessary, I adjust exposure compensation down slightly to give an even faster shutter speed.

[@forsterl.stewart414]

Many aspiring photographers have problems discerning when and how much to add or subtract exposure from the Evaluative/Matrix recommendation. I prefer to eliminate as many variables as I can, choosing not to use Matrix/Evaluative in situations where experience has shown the readings to be erroneous, inconsistent or in doubt. Eval/Matrix works well as long as the subject is not small in size and/or of very different tonal value relative to the background, and in low contrast lighting. I prefer the Spot Pattern as there is never a deviation in the method, no second guessing what built incamera algorithms are doing, subject size to background is irrelevant, etc. The Spot pattern does one thing, it renders whatever is in the pattern as a midtone value, and it does it accurately and consistently. I know exactly what is in the pattern, and how it reacts every time I depress the shutter. Most times I am in Manual Mode. However, I will use Av in conjunction with AEL in fluctuating light…along with the Spot pattern. In sunlight I already know the exposure, sunny f/16 rule, 1/800 @ f/8, ISO 200.. no meter necessary

[@kalleankaa7536]

I disagree with manual mode. One thing i like to do in manual mode is to choose a static F stop number say f. 5.6 then use the highest cleanest ISO your camera can handle say 400-800 ISO. THEN only the shutter control is the one you are to turn and watch your metering. Its quit easy.

[@mcboomslang9022]

I use manual all the time because camera has the onetouch settings for all three exposure needs.

[@JohnEboyee]

Nice video. I've gone back and forth between different shooting modes (sans full auto) and it wasn't until last month did I decide to learn placement for every useful quick setting button on my camera like a pro. AP is bar none the quickest way to achieve near perfect creative results under the ever changing landscape when out shooting a diverse range of wildlife. Turning a wheel to change aperture, clicking a button and spinning a wheel to change ISO, and/or spinning a dial to adjust EV can be achieved in a second. If money wasn't a concern, I'd buy a $3k+ mirrorless and consider shooting auto iso because sensors have come a long way, but that ain't happening when my money's better spent on glass. And a tip for 7Dmkii owners, 160 is the sharpest ISO.

[@garybrown9719]

Im 59 i shoot in aperture its an old person thinking I shoot micro four thirds wide open Auto iso May have to try auto Sutter speed

[@Impulse_Photography]

I shoot in Manual 98% of the time. I arrive and set my exposure, as long as the light don't change I can just shoot. Often the light changes so I will have to tweak it between shooting. It just don't seem to slow me down, in my opinion. After all, back in the days before computer cameras, manual mode was the only mode and those photographers captured some really stunning photos.

[@ravineelakantan6417]

Nice Video...I have a micro four thirds camera (Lumix G85) and a Lumix 100-400 mm lens with a max aperture of 6.3 at 400mm zoom...and the problem i face with Aperture priority is that the shutter speed often falls low ...and since in any case i cannot have a lower aperture than 6.3 , i choose to shot in manual with Aperture 6.3 and a shutter speed of 1/640 and Auto ISO...if i find the ISO too high, i just lower the shutter speed as needed for still subjects...and this way have a certain degree of greater control over the exposure while avoiding blurring due to camera shake or subject motion.

[@constantin651]

Very good video!! Iam shooting in aperture priority too

[@randallortegachaves9214]

Greetings! As you said there are many ways to capture an image! Interesting points of view but the only way to have full control of your camera and moments is manual! I don’t know any single camera that does well enough in Aperture mode! Regardless of the camera brand or model! There is a way to do it right in manual and it’s to learn your subject well enough! At least it has worked for me in the past 3 decades!

[@italianbirdvideos6190]

With respect: I don't believe shooting in Manual is "more worthy" as you say. I use Manual because using Aperture Priority can present issues when photographing birds in flight. For instance when tracking the bird flying against a blue sky and then suddenly against dark trees. Your exposure changes automatically beyond your control dropping your shutter speed- exactly what we don't want in birds in flight. Similar uncontrollable results come from results come utilizing Shutter Priority- however now the camera is controlling the depth of field- not good either. In my experience, Manual Mode and Auto-ISO give me the creative control over both shutter speed and depth of field and also gives me the best chance off getting the shot utilizing Auto-ISO. It's the component of the exposure triangle with the least creative penalty and most speed- especially with today's high ISO capable sensors.

[@thomastuorto9929]

I’m with you on Manual & Auto ISO. Sometimes when shooting a bird in flight overhead, I’ll switch to manual ISO so not under expose the bottom of the bird. For some reason , I never use Exposure Compensation. Probably couldn’t find the button with moving the camera down & looking at the top of it= even knowing it is close to the shutter button.

[@jeffslade1892]

Yeah Manual + Auto-ISO works if you have +/-EV compensation available otherwise bird from below is backlit and detail is lost. Fixed WB can also reduce how much the camera re-adjusts exposure with lighting. As does changing the metering mode to more on the subject.

[@MrAppoline]

Great video and super images. I use manual with Auto ISO nearly all the time. I have been meaning to use my camera's Fv mode more often. It should, as its name implies, be the most flexible.

[@mikebronny1356]

Shoot birds in flight, Tv 1/2000 with auto ISO and this works great. If I have 2 birds and they are not in parallel but one is closer to camera and birds on a perch use Av F8 with Auto ISO.

[@OhHeyItsLou]

I would argue that manual with Auto ISO has the most flexibility. Once you gain a fundamental understanding of your gear, you’ll know how high your body’s ISO can be pushed to the point DxO Pure Raw can clean it up. I set a maximum ISO of 12,800 to reign the camera in from going to the moon. My R5M2 can safely shoot up to 10,000 ISO and I still walk away with a beautifully detailed image with great color after DxO Pure Raw 4 does its magic.

[@EdwardBushmanAnderson]

Excellent Video Mark... thank you! Do you still recommend this setting if you have a slower lens such as a 400mm ASPC lens at 5.6? I find I'm underexposed often in this situation.

[@neilcousineau4956]

Hi great lesson and truly one of the best camera mode explanations ever. Moving forward I will be changing how I use the camera modes. Do you use exposure compensation?

[@peterkemp4372]

Very good, the only problem is the lens😳 i only have a kit lens 55-200 5.6 it only has decent focus at about F11-F14 so i shoot manual. One day i may try for a better glass. Not a $10K one though😂😂😂 all the best from the Bahamas

[@gonzogorgonzola9153]

Birds in flight are best photographed in manual mode, at leasg when background brightness is changinging.

[@photogl]

I’d take a look at Mark Galen’s video on “Auto ISO Minimum Shutter Speed”….. Why did you not cover that????? Your photos are Outstanding…..

[@jimwilliams4170]

Great presentation!

[@dilipkawli426]

Nicely explained, Thanks. Will Try it soon.

[@remesank512]

I understand the importance of aperture priority mode from this video. Thanks ❤

[@blackmamba3427]

Brilliant. Awesome 👌 The most practical experience and thought explained ever. A mode is the best. M is so troublesome.

[@ksnmurthy4476]

Amazing tutorial. Thanks

[@soarpurpose]

"Your subject will have died from old age." LOL. I used to work for a wildlife photographer. He used aperture priority for most photos. Thanks for the explanations.

[@jeffslade1892]

Shutter priority will usually slap the aperture wide open which will not be the sharpest. Depending on how good the lens is they need to be stopped down by 1/3 to 1 stop, so if you have a massive f/2.8 Canon, you need to stop it down to f/3.3 otherwise they can be soft at the edges. So if you are "filling the frame" you need to stop the lens down. Few lenses are dead sharp wide open, even a Leica might need 1/3 stop down. This applies to aperture priority too. Auto-ISO is not a shooting mode. It is they way the ISO gain is assigned by the camera metering. It works fine if you also have +/-EV compensation available to adjust what it chooses. Few cameras allow this and why you have to fiddle with a fixed ISO in Manual mode. When they do have this function Manual mode becomes automatic (not to be confused with Program mode which is meh). The metering mode may well need to be changed often, centre-weighted, spot, etc. With the advances in technology in the camera, new sensors, dual gain, amplifiers, as well as the firmware, noise reduction for high ISO in the camera has become better than anything software editors can do. However there are sweet spots at certain ISOs that are better than the ISO below that, experiment. Getting a bit technical but we no longer need to be frightened of going over ISO3200. We can usually set some upper ISO limit, depending on lighting and contrast ISO12800 is reasonable now, and on some cameras ISO16000 is acceptable. Unless birds are stuffed and nailed to the perch they invariably want a shutter of at least 1/500. Improvements in stabilisation have meant that even a huge lens may be used hand held at say 1/60, which is ridiculous and far too slow for birds. We may be able to set a slowest shutter in Aperture priority, or switch to Manual mode with auto-ISO and compensation for backlighting. If you do have to use a fixed ISO put it on a dial so you can change it easily, but you have to do the metering solution by hand which rather defeats the object. Wildlife is usually opportunist, we have no time to set up or fiddle. Burst or bracket? Auto White Balance is another thing that will keep varying the metering/gain as the camera swings about. Sometimes it is best to use a fixed WB to keep the same 'look' and not keep changing the colours.

[@highwayman1224]

Thank you from a beginning photographer, around 4 months now, very informative!

[@peterbrackenbury]

I’m also a fan of Steve Perry and have followed his advice (manual aperture and shutter speed with auto ISO). Out of interest following Mark’s video I had a go at using aperture priority with manual ISO. I was very surprised to see that the shutter speeds were higher than expected and the results seemed far better. I’m in a quandary now: do I continue you with aperture priority or go back to manual/auto ISO. More trials with aperture priority may be the way to go before making any firm decision I suppose.

[@GatorWinup]

There is a presumption to consider when comparing the two practices: the camera will choose, for a correct exposure, an ISO as low as possible to avoid noise (but the camera will not necessary choose, with autoISO, a shutter speed as high as possible). Appointing a fixed ISO does not make much sense today with the HDR sensors (e.g., when ISOs 50-3200 all produce acceptable noise). However, the suggestion that using AP instead of auto ISO allows one to reduce a selection of 1 setting and therefore increase operation efficiency is technically correct. In the M plus auto ISO setting, one would dial two dials (aperture and shutter speed) and review the metering information before taking a shot; while in the AP plus fixed ISO setting, one would dial only one dial (to control the aperture only) and achieve similar control of DoF and motion freezing. As said, the latter gives up ISO variations -- this may matter in low-light conditions when the camera is capable of handling high ISOs (such as 6400 with similar noise as 400-800 in the old days). At the end, the decision can be made based on: (1) if dialing only one dial could save time; and (2) if a variable ISO would help the changing lighting conditions. On Nikon cameras, one can turn both dials simultaneously (thumb for the back dial, index finger for the front dial, the rest three fingers holding the grip) without issues. On Canon, the back dial is in a different plane (i.e., vertical) so the simultaneous dialing is harder.

[@margaretwood1255]

When you are in aperture priority , do you still keep the auto ISO on?

[@forsterl.stewart414]

All exposure decisions require the same cognitive reasoning, deciding first what is most important, aperture or shutterspeed? If you cannot get the combination of variables desired alter the ISO. Manually changing either one of these and any given light problems can be effectively resolved. Fast and simple.

[@bryanstephens6007]

I used to shoot Man. + Auto ISO on my Nikon D500 now with a Sony A6600 I mostly shoot SS + Auto ISO preferring to keep the lens aperture wide open. But I've found that at times, due to low light, this isn't satisfactory so I have a button programmed for Aperture mode with a modest Auto ISO and use this ensure a reasonable exposure and SS be dammed. Using burst mode also helps to ensure at least a few decent shots

[@scottpitner4298]

Most all of these are fantastic pictures and as someone who’s fairly new at this, thank you for this specific info. It helps solidify what I have been practicing, based on what I’ve learned and Tried out in the field. I find myself using Av mode most of the time as well but I see the uses in using other modes (except full auto 👎)

[@JohnHPettigrewFujishooter67]

Thanks for sharing Mark, I use AP 90% of the time.

[@Rickyleestjohn]

Awesome video, thank you.

[@ggivensjr]

Do you have a podcast?

[@catherinetremerryn]

Re Olympus micro 4 thirds. Can’t you use shutter priority plus auto iso? Such a useful KZbin, thank you.

[@elmerdeloso594]

This makes a compelling argument on why you would use Manual mode instead - kzbin.info/www/bejne/o6e3aoeiqteIr5o

[@paulswilley3737]

This video helped more than you know. Thanks and I did subscribe

[@TrailAmbience]

Thank you for the tutorials. A question/s: Why am I not able to see shutter speed values(numbers change on the screen) while in Aperture priority mode? I understand this mode controls Aperture but on other cameras while in Aperture, you can still see when and what shutter speed changes to when for example you over expose or decrease ISO. On gh6 there's is no sign of shutter speed reading even though I know it's changing internally. Is there a way to have it displayed on my screen while in Aperture priority? Question no.2: Can you still focus manually while in either shutter speed or Aperture priority? Does focusing manual when in one of the two modes have any effect to how light works or its absolutely okay? Thank you so much.

[@neilcole3406]

Great advice, appreciated thanks!

[@CZOV]

Manual with Auto-ISO is the way with mirrorless. Noise is less and less of a problem with every next camera model unless u shooting very high res sensor.

[@FranciscoSilva-ln9bg]

The canon 250D for beginer is good for photograph birds?

[@effiecat4702]

Thank you Sir, very informative

[@deb8183]

in Av mode if I’m awaiting for a static bird to fly how can I get the Ss to stay high to capture bird in flight. my canon 80 d is too high for static bird & too slow for flying bird. Hence I’m missing the shot.

[@ForrestWest]

That's like saying a hammer is best over a saw or a drill. It depends on the job. Aperture priority is not always gonna work best with high speed birds in flight.

[@davidlewis5929]

I think the "guessing" of the exposure is really only a thing for cameras with optical view finders, in an electronic you see what your image will look like so their isn't that guessing. I don't understand the argument about Aperture over Manual with auto ISO. With aperture you are saying that we should control the aperture and the ISO since you want us to bump the ISO if the shutter is too slow. Isn't that kind of the same as controlling the Aperture and Shutter with an Auto ISO? As stated the ISO is probably the least important of the 3 since, as noted, there are many excellent software options to remove/reduce the noise on the image in post. Personally I shoot in a mix of manual with auto ISO (bird in a tree) and Shutter priority with auto ISO plus a ISO 400 base (bird in flight). I tried Aperture priority for a while but even with limiting how the camera reads the exposure often the subject would not be properly exposed or my shutter speed would to be too slow for the subject.

[@sharadbhutoria]

Very helpful. Thank you.

[@JustMe-xc6gc]

I always do this Yeah some people tell me not to but I find this is the best

[@NikCan66]

This is brilliant information

[@TribodybyVi]

I'm new to photography, this was very helpful.

[@markrhodes5474]

I totally agree Mark AP every time it just works so good

[@BizzleByron]

Most modern cameras have ISO auto/min shutter speed as a setting now. You can basically shoot in aperture prio and still be in control of the shutter speed.

[@alanalain4884]

You won't be in control of your shutter with what you explain. What you describe is that your camera triggers the ISO change according to the minimum shutter speed you have defined for triggering the change of ISO, but you have no control of the shutter speed if you are in aperture priority, disregarding of your ISO settings. The only way to fully control shutter speed is either shutter priority or manual mode.

[@vytautasslenderis2702]

The problem with aperture priority (or any priority) is what you have said about automatic mode - the camera still decides what to do and it may be fooled. With mirrorless cameras, as opposed to SLRs, it is possible to see what the picture will look like before even pressing the shutter button. So, manual mode with those cameras is no less fast and gives me most of control.

[@runefagereng6023]

Tell more about creative blur and settings in a video, please. Thanks! ;)

[@user-kk9cw]

As a matter of interest what does Chris Packham use I know you are great friends?

[@davewaddicorphotography4710]

lol

[@chasbell4510]

Hi Mark these have been really interesting videos thinking of looking at aperture priority but what focusing mode would you use?

[@imoldgreggboosh3467]

Autofocus