[Leica] Automatic mode

[pklein at threshinc.com (Peter Klein)]

I've done it all different ways. Full manual through fully automatic.

Lately, if I'm just walking about in good light, I have the camera set 
on P. It's sort of like a variable sunny 16. It will probably get me 
that quick shot regardless of whether the subject is in sun, shade or 
wherever. Before automation, we ran around with our hand on the aperture 
dial.  Oooh, nice shadow. Open up three stops. Click.

With my M8, I often use aperture priority.  And if I'm in a typical easy 
lighting situation, that's fine.  When it's not an easy lighting 
situation, I look at what the meter says, then switch to full manual and 
do as my experience tells me. Full manual is just faster than the 
awkward way you have to adjust exposure compensation on the M8.

With my OM-D exposure compensation is easy and fast, so I do it that 
way. And when in doubt with either camera, I'll take a test shot and Ask 
Mr. Histogram.

Like Alan says, if the proportion of light and shadow is changing, but 
your subject is constant, set it like you know it's got to be, and leave 
it there.

It isn't less noble to use a tool that make our life faster and 
easier--when you know it's going to work. It also makes no sense to 
blindly follow a machine when it's gonna lead you astray, and you know 
better.

--Peter


 > On Jun 10, 2013, at 3:30 PM, Alan Magayne-Roshak wrote:
 >
 > > On Jun 10, 2013, at 2:27 PM, Frank Dernie wrote:
 > >
 > >> otherwise choosing not to use automatic on a camera with built in 
meter
 > >> seems a bit pointless.
 > > 
==========================================================================================================================================
 > > In my photography for the university, I had the camera on manual 
80% of
 > > the time.  Once I dialed in the exposure for a given situation, I 
didn't
 > > have to second-guess the camera changing the setting just because the
 > > composition of different frames included more dark tones, or a 
window in
 > > the far background.
 >
 > +1
 >
 > I think a lot of this "controversy"
 > has to do with how we were "raised;"
 > what we got comfortable with:
 > how our "work" was affected by "automatic" features.
 >
 > I enjoy relying on Canon Autofocus with Canon Autofocus lenses.
 > That system works really well with it's various "auto" features.
 >
 > I enjoy relying on Manual modes with my Ms and Rs
 >
 > Really just that simple - enjoyment, pleasure, reliability of working
 > methods over time.