Advice and Guidance needed

[Whocareswins2002]

Hi everyone,

I have just started a photography course and i am enjoying it immensley. However, i have purchased a canon eos 300 and want to know how to start experimenting with the aperature and shtter speeds. Dont get me wrong, i understand the whole theory about shutter and aperature and what they do. But im not sure how to implement this when i am on Manual mode. What im saying is, if i wanted to take some images outdoors what aperature would i use, and shutter combination?
I bet i have confused you all. Im sorry if i have. Im just itching to get started.


Best Regards

Lee

 

[LaFoto]

You could, for example go into the AV mode first. That allows you to decide on an aperture - and here it depends on whether you want a large part of your frame of whatever you photograph outside IN FOCUS or only a small part. If you want only a very small part in focus and all the rest blurred, you would choose a wide aperture. So you would try to take the photo at f3.0 or whatever the lens allows you as widest. The camera will then set the necessary time. You can watch it and learn. What light is there and how much time does the camera say it needs at that wide open aperture. Then you can play it down and see what the camera tells you.
That might give you a first feel for things.

What do you say?
Will it work?

 

[Glimmerman]

I think you should take the camera outside, and a good way to learn is to try your camera out by taking the exact same picture, with different manual settings so that you learn how they affect the image.

Take the same picture with varied shutterspeeds, see the effect.
Then try different aperatures, then a combination of the two.

Then try different iso settings when it gets darker, to see the effect.

This way you will learn how each manual setting independantly affects the image.

The beauty of digital is that film is free, and you can see the effects of your manual settings instantly in your LCD screen.

 

[Big Mike]

Welcome to the forum.

Aperture controls Depth of Field and shutter speed control how motion will be portrayed. If you want to use manual mode...you don't need to pick the setting randomly...you still have the meter in the viewfinder. Just half-press the shutter button and look through the viewfinder at the scene. Adjust the settings until the 'needle' is in the middle. That is your base reading. If you want to change a setting, like close down the aperture for more DOF...then you will have to keep the shutter open longer, to keep the same exposure value.

If you want to change the exposure, then change one setting without changing the other.

Using Av or Tv modes are also good ways to learn. You pick the priority value and then the camera picks the other value to give you the exposure value. From there you can use exposure compensation to change the actual exposure value.

Keep in mind the rule of thumb about shutter speeds. When shooting hand held, always try to keep the shutter speed (number) higher than the focal length of the lens. So at 55mm, you will want a minimum shutter speed of 1/60.

 

[ravikiran]

What is Av, Tv, exposure value and also "meter in the viewfinder".

 

[Big Mike]

Av is Aperture Priority mode on the main dial.
Tv is Shutter Speed Priority Mode

Exposure Value is the combination of shutter speed, aperture and ISO. For example, you could say the exposure was 1/60, F8 and ISO 100.

With most modern SLR cameras, when you look into the viewfinder there is information displayed around the viewing window.

The meter or scale is used to display exposure compensation or to show you where the exposure is set at in manual mode.

 

[mysteryscribe]

jeeze mike that looks like the display for an apache helicopter.

 

[Glimmerman]

So if you set your main dial to "A" then it will allow you to select your Aperature and it will choose the shutter speed for you? Or is it the other way around?

 

[Johno]

jeeze mike that looks like the display for an apache helicopter.

LOL, You're a character I always look forward to your posts!

 

[Whocareswins2002]

Thanks for all the help with this, I just got my first film back and i was dissapointed to say the least. Bu i realise that this is gonna take time. So will practise a lot more, im still getting confused but im sure it will work itself out.

Thanks Again all..

Lee

 

[mysteryscribe]

Johno if you think this is something you should read the serial novel on my blog. It just goes on and on the never ending story. It's been through three photographers now and working on time travel.

lol...

http://mysteryscribe.blogspot.com/