"M mode" - Need help

[clarbin]

well obviously. but you knew the a/c button made the air conditioning function, the hazards made the hazard lights go on, etc

that would be like saying 'i bought a camera and i cant find the menu button' which is a totally normal thing since its a new physical item, you still would know what shutter speeds/aperture/iso/etc are.

We bought a Volkswagen Touareg a couple of years ago and I couldn't tell you what half of the friggin' buttons were until I read the manual.

All those little symbols and hieroglyphics. I still don't know what some of them are.

 

[nightflowre]

search and you will find all the information youre lookign for. this topic has been covered multiple times, even in the past week.

on a side note, how can someone buy a camera having no idea how to use manual mode?

My Camera is a Kiss X, it comes with a...Japanese manual guide. Well, unless you can find a Kiss X with Enlish guide...haha.

I think buying something and knowing how to use it has no relations. It's like how can we were all born in this world having no idea how to talk at first. Anyway, I'm a newbie, I like camera and just want to learn more. Excuse-me.

 

[nightflowre]

"M" stands for Manual. In this mode, in order to make a "correct" exposure (photograph), you need to set the shutter speed, the aperture, and probably the ISO sensitivity correctly. The camera does not help you in anything, although it may give you a little meter to show you what the camera thinks might be over-exposed or under-exposed. I'm afraid I can't really help you in the technical side of things, as I shoot Nikon, but here are the basis for each of the variables.

Shutter speed: This controls how long the camera's shutter is open for, and is usually measured in fractions of a second. For example, if the camera reads "200", then the shutter speed is 1/200th of a second. Sometimes, in very long exposures, the shutter speed (or SS) might read something like 2". this means the shutter speed is two seconds, not half a second.
Shutter speed performs two things. First, it regulates how much light falls on to the camera's image sensor, and regulates how bright (or exposed) the photograph turns out to be. All other things being equal, a shutter speed of "50" (1/50th) will create a much brighter image than a SS of "200" (1/200th). The shutter speed also can "freeze" or blur photographs. For example, if you want to freeze a sport (e.g. a car), then you might want to select a high shutter speed, like 1/200 to 1/2500 depending on how far you are away from the action, how "long" your lens is (a 200mm lens will need a faster shutter speed to freeze action than a 20mm lens). Of course, you will need to adjust other settings in Manual mode to compensate for these changes. Likewise, if you wanted to blur a photograph, you might want to use a slower shutter speed, perhaps in the region of 1/20 to 1/250, yet again depending on the situation. You'll notice that these shutter speeds overlap, and this is simply because different lenses have wildly different characteristics; "longer" lenses will require a faster shutter speed to blur or freeze action "well" (your ideas of a good blur might be different than mine). While we're on the subject of blur, your hands can create camera blur as well, known as camera shake. If you select too slow a shutter speed, you can ruin a potentially great photograph by making every part of the photo blurred. As a general rule of thumb, in order to eliminate camera shake you should select a shutter speed equal to or faster than the lens length you are using (e.g. if you use a 200mm lens it should be 1/200 or higher, if you use a 18mm lens it should be about 1/20 or higher). Yet again, this is only a guide; you might have rock-steady hands and can shoot at much lower shutter speeds than this might suggest. And if you have a tripod, you can shoot at pretty much whatever shutter speed you like. You can change the shutter speed by scrolling the thumb wheel on the back of the camera to the left or right.

Aperture: This, like shutter speed, also regulates how much light is allowed onto the image sensor. However, unlike shutter speeds, the aperture is a part of your lens, rather than the camera itself. When you get a lens, it will always have two main numbers on it: the lens' length, measures in millimeters, and an "f-number". This tells you the maximum aperture of the lens, and it can either be one number (e.g. f/2) or a range of numbers (e.g. f/2.8-4). I think the 18-55mm kit lens you have is f/3.5-5.6. What this means is that at the 18mm end of your lens, the maximum aperture will be f/3.5, whereas at 55mm it will be f/5.6. This is because it is generally cheaper to create a variable max aperture on a zoom lens than a constant aperture. Most pro zoom lenses have a maximum aperture of f/2.8.
The aperture of the lens can make a photograph brighter or darker, depending on its setting. All other things being equal, a larger aperture (which is a SMALLER f-number) can create a brighter exposure than a smaller aperture (a LARGER f-number). In relation to the shutter speed, if you divide the f-number by approximately 1.4 (e.g. from f/5.6 to f/4, f/11 to f/8, etc), you can DOUBLE the shutter speed. If you halve the f-number, you can quadruple the SS.
Another thing the aperture does is control the Depth Of Field (DOF). The depth of field is how much of your photograph is in sharp focus, and this also depends on your aperture setting. There is no exact science on depths of field, as so many things affect the DOF (lens length, focusing distance, aperture, etc), but in general the smaller the aperture (LARGER f-number), the more of a scene will be in sharp focus. Conversely, a larger aperture (smaller f-number) reduces the amount of the scene in sharp focus. For example, if you want to make a particular subject in a photograph "pop out", you should use a large aperture, nearing or at your camera's maximum aperture. But if you want to make everything in the scene in focus, you might want to use a smaller aperture. However, you should realise that all things in photography are a comprimise. For instance, in the same scene, keeping the same exposure, if you want to keep everything in the scene in focus, you will need to sacrifice some shutter speed and, at the extremes, you may even need to use a tripod. Likewise, if you want to make a subject "pop out", you will need to use a faster shutter speed. While in the subject of comprimises, a lens never performs at its best when used at its maximum or minimum apertures; the lens is its sharpest at mid-range apertures, generally f/8-f/11. However, the results aren't horrific if you use your lens at the max. or min. apertures, but it's something to keep in mind. You can adjust the aperture by scrolling the finger-wheel on the front of the camera to the left or right.

ISO Sensitivity: Luckily, this is probably the most simple aspect of an exposure, but there are still some things you should keep an eye on. The ISO value represents how sensitive your camera's image sensor is, just like a film's ISO rating. However, unlike film, this value can be adjusted from photo to photo. The higher the ISO value, the more sensitive the sensor is, meaning you can use a faster shutter speed and/or a smaller aperture while keeping the exposure the same. "So why not constantly use ISO 1600?" You ask. The reason is that at higher ISO values, the image may become grainy or noisy. Noise is speckles or fine grain in the photo that can detract from the image quality, so you should always choose as low an ISO as you can. But if you raise the ISO wisely, you can get previously impossible photographs by choosing a higher shutter speed and/or smaller aperture. If you double the ISO sensitivity (e.g. 200 to 400), you can double the shutter speed OR multiply the f-number by 1.4, and keep the same brightness to the photo. You can adjust the ISO value in your camera's menu.



So that's about it, really. But what is the advantage to Manual mode as compared to one of the automatic modes? The largest is probably that you have complete and total control over the photos you take. If you want to deliberately overexpose or underexpose a photograph, you can just change a setting of your choice and there ya go. Also, Manual is helpful for the moments when the camera's light meter is a little off, for example in high-contrast scenes (sunsets, bright light & shadows, etc), as you can choose the exposure that you think is good for the scene. I'll admit, manual mode takes A LOT of getting used to. You'll need to practice constantly in order to master it. But when you finally do master it, you'll be amazed you managed to live with automatic modes.

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Thank you so much, TamiyaGuy. Your writing brought me so much more knowledge. Wish you well.

 

[Mystwalker]

Does reading manual help understand "M" mode?

Noone has mentioned "Understanding Exposure" in ages.

Check out this book - it will give you an understanding of what to look for - add this with your manual, and you should have a basic understanding on how to use "M".

I recommend you start in "Av" or "Tv" though. Until you know what you are doing, do not shoot "M" for those must have, can't miss shots.

 

[tron]

My Camera is a Kiss X, it comes with a...Japanese manual guide. Well, unless you can find a Kiss X with Enlish guide...haha.

I think buying something and knowing how to use it has no relations. It's like how can we were all born in this world having no idea how to talk at first. Anyway, I'm a newbie, I like camera and just want to learn more. Excuse-me.

um pretty sure the kiss x is a canon digital rebel xti...

aka a 400d

aka a kiss x