Auto-darkening Helmets

A few years during a stick welding class I took at a local community college, I did a few comparisons between higher end (not cheap) auto darkening helmets and $40 old school helmets. What I concluded is that although the auto darkening helmets make it much easier to start a bead, the old school lens provided a much clearer and distinct view of the puddle. This was not just a subjective opinion, it was a very clear difference and the instructor agreed. Just posting this because auto-darkening helmets are the overwhelming choice and I'm not sure they are without drawbacks that should be pointed out.

There are pro's and con's for both - but IMO the biggest factor for clarity of vision is simply looking after the various shields/covers as it is very easy to scratch them and even micro-scratches from tissues can 'fog' them up very quickly.

Almost all my welding was 'stick' and I definitly preferred the auto' option EXCEPT in more confined spaces where there would sometimes be part of a structure, or something, that would block the arc to sensor light path and not switch it to dark. It also meant one hand was always free to hold parts in place - or myself in awkward positions. With TIG, which I don't have too much experience of, you may find it easier positioning the filler rod if you can hold it approximately in place before striking the arc, as some have a better spacial sense than others..