Is manual mode overrated?

Light Artisan · Jan 14, 2011

What's the point of shooting manual? I understand lighting is one key element, but other than a couple other fine circumstances I don't see the need personally.

It's how you learned so it's what you're used to?
Control freak?
Just to say you shoot in manual?

Discuss.

Robin Usagani · Jan 14, 2011

It is about consistencies. Using auto or semi auto, your exposure will be all over the place.

usayit · Jan 14, 2011

yes it's overrated.... it's all about exposure. How you get to the exposure is irrelevant.

With that said I am in manual mode quite often simply because it works for me... next aperture priority.

Overread · Jan 14, 2011

Oh gods you didn't just make this thread did you - gah its far too early in the morning for such a thread!!

Myself I shoot in whatever mode I need to to get the best possible photo that I am able to get within the given lighting and the situation before me. This definition of best possible is of course determined by my "eye" and what I want to create in the photo.

Typically I shoot my general photography in aperture priority mode where I have direct control over both the aperture and the ISO and thus the depth of field of my photos. I then let the camera set the shutter speed based on the incamer meter reading.
I use exposure compensation to compensate this meter reading should the situation be one where the camera meter might be fooled (eg shooting snow or in strong sunlight) as well as in situations where I want to push a faster shutter speed at the cost of exposure.
I also keep an eye on the shutter speed and will adjust ISO and aperture to compensate to ensure that the shutter speed remains as fast as I need it to be.

This works for general and wildlife shooting.

I use shutter priority a lot less, but in situations where I need a specific shutter speed (eg photos of planes with propellers where I want the proppeller action blurred) I then shift into this mode where the aperture is no longer the key setting. I'll also use this mode for grabshots - setting the ISO fast (1/500sec) so that I know I'll get a sharp grabshot of most moving subjects (or at least have a good chance).

Full manual I keep for any situation where I need control over both settings directly. For myself this is mostly in situations where I have flash dominated lighting and the camera is incapable of reading the flash light to meter for it. Thus my macro work is done totally in manual mode where I can set aperture, shutter speed and ISO and then let the flash (in ettl auto or in manual mode) make up the needed light for the exposure.

In the end its not what mode you shoot in that is important - its that you both:

1) Learn to use each mode as well as possible
2) Choose to use the mode that will give you the best possible photograph (based on the lighting; situation and your creativity).

Josh66 · Jan 14, 2011

I like it because it doesn't change. The settings stay on whatever you put them on.

In every other mode, some setting is changing based on where you point the camera.

Robin Usagani · Jan 14, 2011

What Josh said. If you shoot with Aperture Priority I suggest you stay out of spot metering.

Overread · Jan 14, 2011

O|||||||O said:
I like it because it doesn't change. The settings stay on whatever you put them on.

In every other mode, some setting is changing based on where you point the camera.

Aye true, but if the lighting is changing in those different scenes then you'll want the settings to be changing to remain constant with the lighting presented. This can be important with fast changing lighting when the camera is far quicker to adjust than the human hand can ever be.

Erose however raises the point quite clearly however that familiarity with a select working condition allows one to be far better ability to ballpark the settings that one can use. Controlled or natural this is going to apply and anyone with experience in a select area of interest will eventually know the rough values that they'll be able to work with.
This is expect is why many more experienced photographers can become more heavy users of manual mode - they know what the settings will be so can predictively set them on the camera and get within a good degree of accuracy.

Robin Usagani · Jan 14, 2011

I wish they have a button to automatically set shutter or aperture to put exposure to 0 while in the manual mode.

chito beach · Jan 14, 2011

Schwettylens said:
It is about consistencies. Using auto or semi auto, your exposure will be all over the place.

Thats cuz you shoot canon :er: LOL J/K

I shoot manual for much and Shutter Priority for fast action so I can use the 10 frames per second

ChadHillPhoto · Jan 14, 2011

IMO

Manual is what I use ALL the time. The reason, is within any given lighting environment I can predict and control exposure.
Its also a matter of knowing I m in control while shooting for my clients.

Derrel · Jan 15, 2011

I frequently shoot my Nikons in A mode, which stands for Awesome mode. It works pretty well for me. I almost never use P or Pokemon mode....just...don't...feel..comfortable....with the Pokemon mode dialed in...

On my Canon 5D, which is my portaiture camra, I will use Av or Avenger mode about equally as much as M or Masochist mode.

usayit · Jan 15, 2011

Schwettylens said:
It is about consistencies. Using auto or semi auto, your exposure will be all over the place.

AE lock.
or
separate autofocus and exposure to two different buttons.

For any given lighting conditions, take a single reading in whatever mode (Av,Tv,P), set exposure compensation to you liking, then leave it there.... Is that possible with your camera?

With the Canon 1 series, I was set to spot and mostly in either P or Av. You can point the spot to several areas and take readings. It would average the readings out and display each reading on a scale. From that point the exposure was set and it would stay there until I reset it. you can easily see where metered points would fall and which would go over and under. I found it quite effective.

I now do something similar with a handheld meter or I do it in my head.

Robin Usagani · Jan 15, 2011

I know you can AE lock. I am willing to use Aperture priority a lot more if i can AE lock for several shots until i say it not to! Thats interesting Usayit.. tell me what to do with 5D.

usayit · Jan 15, 2011

Schwettylens said:
I know you can AE lock. I am willing to use Aperture priority a lot more if i can AE lock for several shots until i say it not to! Thats interesting Usayit.. tell me what to do with 5D.

Hmm... Apparently, AE Lock will time out automatically on the 5D. The closest I can find is to use custom function to separate AF and AE. It keeps AE at the half press shutter and the * button on the back for AF. As long as the shutter button is half pressed the exposure stays the same. Use your thumb on the * to activate AF. I don't shoot like this but I do know my cousin (mostly portraits) does this and it works for him quite well.

The AEL timer can be set to as long as 1 hour on the 1 series cameras...