Manual or auto?

[akazoly]

Which mode you use to shoot pictures, manual or auto (auto, sports, portrait, cose-up) ? I hear manual is better, is true?
Thanks!

 

[jols]

shot in auto for ages then read understanding exposure.

once you have your head around it only manual will do.

 

[lifeafter2am]

It depends on what you are doing. If I am shooting surfing or sports in general I am going to use Tv. If I am going to shoot a macro shot or a fine art type shot then manual mode. I change back and forth all the time, depending on what I am shooting and what effect I want.

 

[KristinaS]

I always shoot in manual. You have so much more control that way.

 

[Rachelsne]

I shot in Auto up until 4 months ago, now I think how much better my good auto pictures could have been if I had used manual

 

[akazoly]

You use the light meter to set the exposure in manual ?

 

[MarcusM]

It depends too, on what kind of camera you have? Is it a Point and Shoot or a dSLR?

If it's a dSLR, then like the other poster said, shoot in Auto for awhile, then try manual. It's kind of defeating the purpose of a dSLR if you never switch to manual though.

It's kind of like graduating, lol.

 

[lifeafter2am]

You use the light meter to set the exposure in manual ?

Sometimes yeah.

 

[MarcusM]

You use the light meter to set the exposure in manual ?

Yep!

And you will probably hear this often here, get the book "Understanding Exposure" by Brian Peterson, like jols said.

 

[akazoly]

I have a DSLR, Nikon D40X with 50mm lens (f/1.8-F22). Now, for example I want a shallow deepth of field, I need a small f-stop (for example f/1.8, f/2, f/2.8). The auto set the aperture to F/8. I need to use manual in this situation ?

 

[MarcusM]

I have a DSLR, Nikon D40X with 50mm lens (f/1.8-F22). Now, for example I want a shallow deepth of field, I need to a small f-stop (for example f/1.8, f/2, f/2.8). The auto set the aperture to F/8. I need to use manual in this situation ?

Yes, or Aperture Priority, where you set the aperture and the camera chooses the shutter speed.

 

[Big Mike]

You use the light meter to set the exposure in manual ?

I often get the feeling that people think that shooting in manual is a mysterious adventure of pulling the settings out of your head. It's doesn't have to be.

The camera's meter can still play a part, you can choose to adjust the settings to centre the 'needle' or not. Also, when shooting in the other modes, you can use EC (exposure compensation) to get the needle away from centre.

It's really no different than shooting in the other modes. 1/125 @ F8 will give you the same shot, whether you are in auto, manual, Av or Tv.

 

[lifeafter2am]

I often get the feeling that people think that shooting in manual is a mysterious adventure of pulling the settings out of your head. It's doesn't have to be.

The camera's meter can still play a part, you can choose to adjust the settings to centre the 'needle' or not. Also, when shooting in the other modes, you can use EC (exposure compensation) to get the needle away from centre.

It's really no different than shooting in the other modes. 1/125 @ F8 will give you the same shot, whether you are in auto, manual, Av or Tv.

I think that is a great point that a lot of people don't understand.

 

[bhop]

I shoot in manual about 99% of the time. The other 1% is aperture priority.

 

[mrodgers]

Yep!

And you will probably hear this often here, get the book "Understanding Exposure" by Brian Peterson, like jols said.

I have read all of 1 or 2 chapters of this book and I am amazed at the wealth of information I have learned. I had no idea how you would go about shooting in full manual before that. I now shoot in full manual after only 2 chapters.

I'm continuing to read it and look to learn an overwhelming amount of information judging on only the first 2 chapters.

.....and you don't need a dSLR to shoot in manual, A, or S modes....