Digital cameras 101

[rhinorick]

I had been using manual mode for quite some time now on my Panasonic Lumix FZ50.  Then .... I got lazy or something. :-P  

I started using auto, thinking, "This camera is smart enough to figure out things like aperture, shutter speed, etc. without me having to adjust it all the time."  And that is basically true.  But .... no camera can compare to our human eyes.

Most every camera has trouble distinguishing what "true" color really is.  They guess at best.

I was  taking photos for our church's Christmas drama presentation, in auto mode, and was not happy with the colors I was seeing in the LCD.  Even though there was VERY low light, with the subjects being lit by the spotlights only, I thought to myself, "Self, this camera can do so much better than this.  What is the problem?"

I decided to switch back to manual mode.  I tried both shutter priority and aperture priority and I was totally amazed at the results.  The colors I started seeing in the LCD and EVF were so very much closer to what my eyes were seeing.

Ok, ok, I learned my lesson.  I will not be going back to auto mode.  I like the SP and AP modes.  Much easier than the full manual mode, and it still lets the camera have a small part in helping me make adjustments.  

[ShutterbugGail]

Great observations Rick.

I confess, that I can't remember when I used manual mode. I use Shutter and Aperture Priority modes only if I'm shoot fast moving subjects, or when I want to control depth of field, respectively.

I'm a P Mode user, a fully automatic mode that lets you make some tweaks, such as changing focus mode, exposure mode and exposure compensation. And I use AE and/or AF Lock a lot.

Doesn't the FZ50 have P mode? If it does, experiment with it when you have some time. The beauty is that you can sort of have the best of both worlds: an auto mode that you can adjust.

[rhinorick]

Yes, the FZ50 does have "P" mode.

I seem to like SP mode best.  But it does depend on the situation and need of course.