1. A system operable in a plurality of operating modes, the system comprising: first and second input devices, the first input device grasped by a first hand of an operator, the second input device grasped by a second hand of the operator, each input device movable by the grasping hand of the operator in a plurality of degrees of freedom without releasing the input device so that the first and second input devices are movable by the operator in a combined plurality of degrees of freedom; first and second manipulators; a first device movable by the first manipulator in a first plurality of degrees of freedom, the first manipulator operatively coupled to a first at least one of the first and second input devices in a first operating mode to command movement of the first device by the first manipulator in the first plurality of degrees of freedom by using a first subset of the combined plurality of degrees of freedom of the first and second input devices, wherein a first non-used degree of freedom of the combined plurality of degrees of freedom of the first and second input devices is not included in the first subset; a second device movable by the second manipulator in a second plurality of degrees of freedom, the second manipulator operatively coupleable to a second at least one of the first and second input devices in a second operating mode to command movement of the second device by the second manipulator in the second plurality of degrees of freedom by using a second subset of the combined plurality of degrees of freedom of the first and second input devices, wherein the first non-used degree of freedom of the combined plurality of degrees of freedom of the first and second input devices is included in the second subset so that the first non-used degree of freedom serves as a distinguishing action that distinguishes the second operating mode from the first operating mode; and a processor programmed to change an operating mode of the system from the first operating mode to the second operating mode by operatively decoupling the first at least one of the first and second input devices from the first manipulator and operative coupling the second at least one of the first and second input devices to the second manipulator, upon determining that the first at least one of the first and second input devices has been moved by using the first non-used degree of freedom.