DSLRs are truly proving to be the latest and greatest toys for both the average photographer with a hobby to the professionals on the prosumer level of the photography market.  The availability of more affordable, top-quality cameras to the general public has truly opened the market to a much larger audience (the CanonEOS Mark II, for example, has been used to shoot professional commercials, but still remains much more affordable than most professional shooting gear). But with all the fuss about DSLR cameras, here's my question: why is it that people purchase DSLR and then set the camera to Auto Mode?

The Basics

Photography Lessons by inikitaphoto.com

Often times people buy DSLRs without the know-how of using the camera.  The belief is that the more expensive and fancy the camera, the better quality photos they will produce.  However, what people don’t realize is Auto Mode takes away your options as a user/photographer.  It forces you to use flash when you may not want to, you don’t get to choose your own focus points, and of course you may not get the overall appearance you’re hoping for. 

I hate to say it, but people who set their DSLR camera to Auto Mode are simply lazy, and more to the point, are missing out on taking their photographs to the next level.  I understand that sometimes we don’t want to deal with ISOs, shutter speeds, focus lengths, etc etc.  However, if that’s the case there are perfectly great point-and-shoots on the market that will take great shots (almost the same quality of a DSLR on Auto Mode, with some limitations of course – and you don’t have to deal with the bulk of carrying around a DSLR!). 

But What About Quality?

Everyone wants high quality photos – Who doesn’t?  And as such I can understand the reasons behind purchasing a DSLR camera.  Generally speaking, a DSLR will almost always produce higher quality images than most point-and-shoot cameras.  DSLRs have higher ISOs, faster shutter speeds, and less grain in their final product. 

However, these features only make more of a difference in picture quality when you actually shoot in Manual Mode and fiddle around with these functions.  However, one benefit of DSLR cameras, whether you shoot in Auto Mode or not, is that you can't shoot .RAW files on a point-and-shoot.  Now if you don’t know what a .RAW file is, or what the other functions mentioned above are or do, you might as well stick to a point-and-shoot and save yourself a couple hundred dollars.

DSLR vs Point and Shoot by Digital Trends

Little do people understand that if you put in the time and effort to learn camera basics, your photos could come out 10x better than when you just set your DSLR on Auto mode. The truth of the matter is, if you own a DLSR and keep it on Auto, you can take nice photos; but if you own a DSLR and know how to use it, you can take jaw-dropping photos.

The Proof

Here is an image taken outside on a late afternoon.  It’s quite a boring picture, but you can easily identify the difference in quality.  The first photo was taken with a Nikon D60 DSLR, and the second was taken with a Samsung S73 point-and-shoot.  Both photographs were taken with roughly the same settings.  Note the difference in the images between light and dark, and the overall details.  Essentially, the photo taken by the DSLR is much cleaner all around.

Nikon D60 (left) vs. Samsung S73 (right).  Image by discountdslrs.com

However, this example brings up another great point:  DSLR cameras function much better than point-and-shoots in low-lighting situations, even if they are set on Auto. This could explain why some camera shoppers opt to pay more for a DSLR even though they have no intentions of learning to use the camera on Manual settings.  

If a buyer attends a lot of indoor or nightly events, it may be a wise decision to purchase a DSLR. (However, I think that this specimen of a buyer fits into the previous category of ignorant shooters as well...if they knew how to use their cameras, then their photos would be even better... but hey, what can you do?)  On the other hand, in good light situations, a point-and-shoot can also provide crisp images. 

Nikon D60 (left) vs. Samsung S73 (right).  Note the sharpness difference.  Image by discountdslrs.com

And Finally, the Investment

There are definitely benefits to owning a DSLR camera, even if you are not utilizing it to its potential.  For one thing, a DSLR is much more likely to hold its value longer than a point and shoot camera, and with the speed of today's technology market, it is not a bad idea to invest in purchases that won't be last week's news as soon as the next point-and-shoot camera comes out. (Which is about every week.)

If It's Good, It's Good; But If It's Better, Why Not?

All in all, if you are using a DSLR to take photographs, you are going to get a good picture, regardless of whether you are in Auto Mode.  And let's be honest, DSLRs do produce quality photographs, even when set on Auto Mode – it’s foolproof!  But for the serious photographer, or even the serious hobbyist, if you are going to own a DSLR, make sure you're taking full advantage of your camera by avoiding taking the shortcut of Auto mode.  I promise you, by fiddling around and experimenting with your camera, you'll be taking breath-taking photographs in no time!