Taking full control of your shutter speed, aperture, and ISO is one of the most fundamental things every photographer needs to master. There is a range of camera modes to assist you with these settings, ranging from automatic mode to full manual mode, with a set of semiautomatic options in-between the two extremes. One such in-between mode is aperture priority, and this excellent video tutorial discusses its usefulness and how to use it.
Coming to you from Henry Turner, this great video tutorial discusses the usefulness of aperture priority mode. Although all three parameters control the technical exposure of your image, aperture often offers the preferred creative control. If you are working in quickly changing lighting conditions, such as moving inside and outside at a wedding, using this mode can allow you creative control of the images while relieving some of the pressure of monitoring your shutter speed and ISO at the same. time, making it easier to focus on getting the shots you want. If you are new to photography, it can also be a fantastic bridge between automatic and full manual mode as you gain more confidence. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Turner.
Thanks for your nice, relaxing vlog! I normally don't like such "WHY YOU SHOULD ... " video tutorials, but I was interested about your arguments about aperture priority, because my camera is always on this mode! Further adjustments, I do with the +/- exposure button.
So, I mostly agree with you, except: I will never go down farther than 5.6 with my aperture, even in landscape shots.
My preferred range is 2.8 to 5.6, and I cannot remember having used more than an aperture of 8.
As I loved the familiar manner of your tutorial, I subscribed to you channel, to see more ... J. HOFER (Austria)
My cameras are always shot in Aperature priority and a good ISO for the situation I am in. I set the F/stop to the best f/stop to pull out the best the lens can offer. Mostly around F/5.6-f/11. The camera picks the best shutter speed. That seems to be a good solution to one doesn't have to rack your brain in Manual. Also, I have 3 images bracketing, that way I have plenty of range to work with in post-processing. My rule is this...I can't come back to reshoot this, so you better get it in the camera.
90% of the time I shoot in aperture priority mode. I find that the cameras (Fujifilm X-T3 & X-T2) usually does an excellent job at getting the exposure correct. Exposure compensation and shooing in RAW completes the trifecta. That way I know that I have plenty of leeway in post editing to recover highlights and shadows. I only use manual mode when conditions are extreme, or if I need a certain look "straight out of camera" look. People underestimate most camera's automatic functions. Very nice & informative video.
I use "P" for Professional!! No, really, how is this even an article?
What I have found in 40 years of being pro, matrix metering or not, A,S or P, doesn't mean the camera meter has got it right. Whatever you do it's a reflective reading. You'd be amazed how accurate your exposures could be with an incident meter or grey card (18% reflectivity.....or recording "1" on your histogram). The expo disc is superb and white balances too of course....
Thank goodness for RAW, eh!
But if you must, "A" can work for most static subject matter (caveat being it may still not be the correct exposure) and "S" works well for moving subjects to freeze motion...with the same caveat that it has nothing to do with the "right" exposure.
Of course I don't need to remind anybody what "right" means?? (For digital/transparency the maximum you can give it before highlight clipping..and for negative, the minimum you can give it to record detail in the deepest shadows)
I accept cheques 😀
I use aperture priority unless I need to use shutter priority in situations that I want to.
unless you narrow the band of ISO settings, aperture priority mode on some cameras will taka a group of photos and accentuate the differences between exposures at iso 160 and iso 1000
shooting 'for the f-stop" also locks you in to one focus look unless you keep changing the aperture
I shoot with auto ISO and not aperture priority as I need control over the shutter speed (as well as f-stop).. Sometimes I need a fast shutter to freeze motion and other times I deliberately capture motion or I slow the shutter to keep the ISO low.
I learned the "Sunny 16 Rule" in 1973.... I'll stick with that.