Tim/Tom,

Great idea. Sounds like I'm dense but I never thought of using it that way. Like Tim said, it's like getting 5 buttons. Learn something new everyday

Amen. Same with focus. I know I sound like a snob when I say it, but if you want to be a professional and use professional equipment, act like a professional and learn to be smarter than the camera by using full manual.

I believe that the important thing in run-and-gun shooting is learning where running in full auto will work and where it will not, which comes with time and experience with the camera.

I like to avoid, when possible, recording while changing settings dramtically on the camera. There are times when I have had to quickly change directions that I was pointing the camera to catch an important spontaneous moment which required a whole different range of settings because of lighting or whatever, and in those instances I instantly switch to auto for a starting point.

Ineveitably, shooters I have hired that refuse to run in anything but manual ALWAYS have much footage that will not come close to matching the quality of other cameras running mostly in full auto. There are times when it is NOT advisable to run in manual, I have learned.

You're right Jeff but it has to be controlled and you need to have a good idea of what switching to auto is going to give you. As you said, it comes from experience with the camera. It sounds backward but shooting in manual is the only way you'll learn to shoot correctly in auto.