Manual Mode

[Bitter Jeweler]

 

[o hey tyler]

Gaystar, I find your lack of intelligence and intentional disregard for the fundamentals of photography appalling.

Did that make you feel better about yourself?

I like your debate "You have more control of your camera in FULL AUTO MODE".

It is unfortunate that you read about as well as you comprehend. I said, “a person has as much control over exposure as in Manual mode”..."as much", not "more." You even quoted that. But I can see now that you’re the type to attack a post without reading it fully.

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. It's really easy to expose for a backlit subject with exposure compensation. Especially when you're shooting in direct sunlight and you can only compensate for 2 stops. That sounds like a real fun time trying to do that on full auto.

Ever heard of fill flash? And my Nikon has an EC of +/- 5.

The rest of your rants demonstrate that you barely understand the technology you hold in your hands, and aren’t worth addressing.

The rest of my rants? You mean the factual information that I presented to you in an derisive manner? Way to pick and choose the parts of my post where I wasn't making any real point. Good job dodging the actual gist of the post.

Okay, yes. I worded my post a bit harshly... It's just your lack of motivation to use logic and actually understand that you can't get all of the same qualities out of the camera unless you know how each exposure change, aperture stop adjusted, ISO heightened, etc changes the dynamics of the photo. And how the most subtlest of adjustments can't be achieved with the use of automatic mode and EC. Overread cited a specific example of settings they use for macro photography. You can't get the same settings with an off camera flash, and your camera set on full auto. Maybe it's just your lack of experience or just an unwillingness to learn. I don't know. But it's unfortunate you're so willing to hand out inaccurate information and try to back it up with a very basic understanding of how a camera works.

 

[tirediron]

I had fully intended to be done with this, but, like a trainwreck...

Since, as the saying goes, the proof is in the pudding, or in this case the photographs, I would like to ask Graystar to substantiate his statements with respect to the benefits of automatic and programmed modes by showing us a few of his works, shot in this method, with of course, appropriate EXIF data.

 

[Dao]

I believe Graystar may not find the limitation of auto/semi-auto mode yet. Like I said in my example, I will have a hard time to use auto or semi-auto mode with exposure compensation because every shots may expose differently if I do so. If I take a photo of an smaller light yellow object, my camera's reflective meter may meter differently than when it is a larger dark blue object.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

 

[LCARSx32]

As for your macro work...please remember that this discussion is about advice to a beginner, not on the merits of manual mode. There are times when you have to use manual mode, such as in astrophotography. But these are special instances. There’s simply no benefit to using manual mode generally, and to the exclusion of the auto modes.

The auto modes will only deliver the proper settings under ideal circumstances. And EC will not fix the problems you run into. If you are taking a shot from a distance on a sunny day, then yes, auto modes will work well. However, in situations where lighting is bad, the subject is small and close, any sort of artistic effect is wanted, etc., the auto modes will, more often than not, fail you.

Auto modes do not allow you to control depth of field. Try taking a picture of a flower (close up) in auto mode and you'll get a flower partially in focus and partially out of focus. EC can't fix that.

Auto modes have their place, but it's in the OPs best interest (remember, this thread started as a question, not a war about manual vs. auto) to practice in manual mode because unless his concert is well lit, he'll need to do more than exposure compensation to get a good picture (ISO is not controllable in auto mode).

My point is that auto mode is not a dirty word, as some on this forum would have you believe, but this idea that you shouldn't worry about learning how ISO, Aperture, and shutter speed control exposure and how the image looks is preposterous. Unless, of course, you don't plan to take artistic shots, which makes me wonder why one would by a DSLR if they didn't...

 

[LCARSx32]

Should I point out that the back of your clippers are out of focus? You could change your aperture... oh wait.

 

[LCARSx32]

If you're calling aperture priority an auto mode, then yeah. A lot of what you say is true. When I think of "Auto modes", I think of the green square (full auto) and the scene modes.

Plus, the OP wouldn't understand what aperture does, given your advice NOT to learn the exposure triangle.

Look, I'm not trying to give you a hard time. I'm trying to help the OP get good pictures at his concert. Shutter priority may be an option for him, but I would still go with manual because shutter priority is going to bump his ISO way up. Yes, the pictures will turn out, but they'll be grainy as hell.

 

[Overread]

Auto modes do not allow you to control depth of field.

There's an auto mode called Aperture Priority that allows a person to control depth of field.

Semi-auto mode
I think you are missunderstanding something in termanology (at least as far as I understand it).

Landscape - portrait - no flash - macro - full auto = all of those modes are full auto where you don't have control over the settings. Not even exposure compensation

Aperture priority and shutter prioroty = semi-auto modes - modes where you have control two settings (aperture or shutter speed and the ISO). Whilst the camera controls the 3rd setting on the exposure triangle.

Full manual = you control all three settings (though of course you still have the meter to read from).

I've only left out program mode - which is like full auto but where you can pick your pair of settings from a range - I've never much liked or used this mode though some do; and also aperture dependant mode (canon specific and not widly used - infact I don't think its even on all their camera bodies)

 

[pbelarge]

Bitter
I hope this is not your bookkeeper....:mrgreen:

 

[Gaerek]

Bitter
I hope this is not your bookkeeper....:mrgreen:

I think Bitter has contributed to this thread more than anyone. But keep going guys, I'm entertained!

 

[Boomn4x4]

I think Bitter has contributed to this thread more than anyone. But keep going guys, I'm entertained!

I took a series of photos of a chimp eating its own poo.... You think that would add much to this thread?

 

[Gaerek]

I think Bitter has contributed to this thread more than anyone. But keep going guys, I'm entertained!

I took a series of photos of a chimp eating its own poo.... You think that would add much to this thread?

It certainly wouldn't hurt!

 

[rusty9]

why do we even pay attention to Graystar? :scratch:

 

[rusty9]

why do we even pay attention to Graystar? :scratch:

Fine. I hope you all live happily ever after on your flat earth.

thank you. i hope you live happily on whatever planet you are from.