Really stupid question/observation.

[jjd228]

I see a lot of people shooting in manual just so they can say "hey look at how cool I am, I shoot in manual!" Kinda like people that struggle with Linux just so they can say they don't use Windows

But I do have a real question about this. If you're going to shoot in manual and tweak your settings to get your on-camera light meter right in the middle at the "standard exposure" mark, then why shoot in manual? Am I missing something? I'd really like to understand why people do it. If your goal is to get a standard exposure then why not shoot in one of the other modes?

 

[SCraig]

You have just discovered the difference between shooting manual because it sounds good and knowing when and why to shoot in manual because it makes a difference. As you said, there are many who shoot in manual mode as a status symbol. There are far fewer who understand the reasoning to do so.

Personally I don't shoot in manual all that much, but when I do it is specifically to override what the camera meter wants to do. Situations such as shooting with a large expanse of neutral background will always cause exposure problems. These are perfect situations for using manual, but if one is going to simply set the camera to what the meter recommends then, as you said, there is no point in it.

 

[IronMaskDuval]

I see a lot of people shooting in manual just so they can say "hey look at how cool I am, I shoot in manual!" Kinda like people that struggle with Linux just so they can say they don't use Windows But I do have a real question about this. If you're going to shoot in manual and tweak your settings to get your on-camera light meter right in the middle at the "standard exposure" mark, then why shoot in manual? Am I missing something? I'd really like to understand why people do it. If your goal is to get a standard exposure then why not shoot in one of the other modes?

The meter is just a guide. I don't even use it. In m mode you can better control your background light vs fore. There are some other things, but I take a pic and adjust to how I want it and not how my camera tells me how it should be. I took a few shots based on what the meter told me to shoot it at yesterday, and I wasn't too happy with the results-- so meh to the meter

 

[sm4him]

I shoot in manual because it gives me full control.
I do NOT use Linux because I don't like it.

In answer to your question: Let's say I'm taking pictures of a flower garden. I set it on auto and the camera decides there's not much light so it sets a really low shutter speed, a aperture of f/8 and a low ISO.
But I don't care so much about the low ISO. I care more about not getting any blur from movement and getting the background blurred out more. So, in manual, I'm going to set a HIGHER shutter speed, open the aperture up more, and then set the ISO to where the exposure is right.
The difference is that *I* control which settings to change to achieve proper exposure.

 

[Braineack]

I shoot in M to look cool. I actually run down the streets screaming: Look at me everybody!!!! I'm in M mode! Do you even know what that means?!

 

[Dmariehill]

For me, my camera in auto doesn't take nearly as good of pictures as my previous pos did. I moved to manual to learn more about my camera, to learn how to control the different settings. It actually helps me understand the concepts better when I can take a picture, change the apeture, take the same pic again and repeat. The terms and the lingo start to make more sense to me. So, it was an accomplishment to move to manual mode but my reason for shooting that way is that I get better pictures. I use some of the camera's other modes too, depending on what I'm trying to accomplish but I've figured out how to quickly change white balance, shutter speed, apeture and exposure. That makes it so much easier to get the shot I want. If you're just setting the camera to what the auto setttings were anyway, then it wouldn't make sense. But I don't often match those settings.

 

[Dao]

If I can get a properly exposed photo without using manual mode, I will choose the semi-auto mode (especially Av mode). And most of the time, I still have all the control with semi-auto mode. However, if it is in a controlled environment either with artificial light(s) or constant ambient light, I'd rather choose manual since it is faster and the result is more consistent.

And I do noticed in the past there are photographers shoot in manual and all they did was "Dial to Zero". That is just waste of time in my opinion.

As for the in-camera light meter, I do use it quite a bit. Spot meter with exposure lock and knowing where to point for locking the exposure works well for me. Of course, I sometimes also use exposure compensation (+ or -).

 

[Civchic]

I use Av and Tv mode most of the time, depending on what I'm going for. But when I'm shooting birds (especially in flight) I use manual so that I can get a proper exposure on the bird and/or a nice background blur. I was finding that shooting birds in Tv on a bright day, my backgrounds were all cluttery because the camera was picking the smallest aperture possible. I'd rather overexpose a bit and get a soft background and more highlights in the feathers.

 

[tirediron]

I shoot in manual WHEN I need to because I want or need control. I shoot in AP/SP/Prgm when it's appropriate. I use Linux because I have a thing for penguins!

 

[Big Mike]

I teach a photography class called 'Using your DSLR' but it's really mostly about teaching the students how to shoot in manual mode.

Here is the main reasoning that I give the students as to why I think manual mode is better...

Firstly, after teaching them how to use manual mode and 'getting to zero', I teach them why getting to zero is not usually the correct exposure (reflected light meter etc.) I then teach them how to determine how to get a more accurate exposure via metering and often adjusting away from zero (or using a grey card etc.).
The key point that I try to impress upon them, is that we are using our metering techniques to work backward, to figure out the correct settings for the (incident) light that is hitting the scene, not the light that is reflecting off of it. So once they have the correct settings for a scene, being in manual mode locks that exposure into the camera and ensures that you will get a proper exposure (as long as your lighting doesn't change). So essentially, once they have determined the exposure value that they want to use, they can forget about exposure and concentrate on other things like focus, composition, interacting with their subject etc.

The next day of class (usually a week later), I teach them how to use aperture and shutter speed priority modes. Those modes, on their own, basically do the job of getting you to zero, which they now know is not all that useful, so then I teach them how to use exposure compensation.

But then I point out the main difference in how we would shoot in manual, vs how we would shoot in an priority (automatic) mode.
In manual, you might find a surface or object to meter off of, I use the example of snow, which is typically 1 2/3 or 2 stops brighter than middle grey. So you would meter on the snow, dial the exposure to 2 stops above zero. By doing that they have figured out proper exposure for the light that they are shooting with. So now they can shooting anything that might be in that light, a black dog, a person in a white coat, a purple-people-eater etc. They don't have to worry about exposure, because it was locked in correct for the light.

Now to compare that to how you would shoot in automatic. You meter on the snow and dial in +2 EC...but when you then point the camera at your black dog and press the shutter release button, the camera will re-meter, this time including the black dog...and thus your +2 EC will likely give you incorrect settings. The way to do this, of course, is to use AEL (auto exposure lock). You meter on the snow, lock the exposure, then shoot the black dog.

In in manual, you meter once, then don't need to think about exposure (unless the light changes).
In auto, you need to meter and lock the exposure before you take the shot...and every time you release the AEL button, you'll need to re-meter and re-lock, which means you're constantly thinking about exposure. So in that sense, the automatic modes are more work than manual mode.

But, I do also tell them that when you have a couple of criteria met, then it's a good idea to use an automatic mode. Those criteria are 'time constraint' and 'uneven lighting conditions'. So if you are shooting in a scenario where your lighting will be different from shot to shot, and at the same time, you don't have the couple seconds it takes to adjust the settings in manual.....then it's a good idea to use the automatic modes. Of course, you still need to use EC, but that is likely quicker than adjusting 6 stops of exposure in manual mode.

At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter what mode you shoot in. A shot taken at ISO 400, 1/125 and F8 will be exactly the same in any exposure mode.

 

[Big Mike]

I shoot in manual WHEN I need to because I want or need control. I shoot in AP/SP/Prgm when it's appropriate. I use Linux because I have a thing for penguins!

Somewhere, Anti's ears are burning.

 

[tirediron]

I shoot in manual WHEN I need to because I want or need control. I shoot in AP/SP/Prgm when it's appropriate. I use Linux because I have a thing for penguins!

Somewhere, Anti's ears are burning.

:blushing:

 

[lambertpix]

I shoot in Av or Tv most of the time, frequently with EC if I want to nudge metering one way or the other. If I want everything to stop changing unless I change it, I use M. Ex: shooting a bunch of shots to be stitched into a panorama -- I specifically do not want the exposure to change from one shot to the next, so I'll use M.

 

[kathyt]

All my t-shirts have an M on them. I do get a lot of male attention from them.

 

[Solarflare]

Linux is actually more comfortable to use than Windows. Except for those stupid programmers who make Linux work like Windows, but thats another issue.

Main reason I use Windows is because my programs run under it, not because its more comfortable.

The only camera that sees manual a lot is my compact (Ricoh GR Digital IV) because its metering is basically useless. One of the reasons I'm not happy at all with that camera.

My D600 sees a lot of aperture priority. Sometimes I meter by hand, but its rare. Of course in special circumstances shutter priority is chosen.