I have started playing with mist but being a devout coward I keep the smoker
handy as well.  My method varies with every colony: each has its own
personality and I try to work with it to achieve the minimum of conflict.  On
average I drift smoke towards the entrance until the guards turn away.  After
that I just use the mister.  Where bees are clustered in places where they
are likely to be rolled or crushed I use the smoker to move them out of the
way.  The mist sprayer is a very useful additional tool but is rarely in my
limited experiencea complete alternative tool to a smoker.
In brief, a mister will calm them, a smoker will move them.
Chris Slade