The "right" photo settings for manual cameras

[Egomonster]

Hi! I haven't been taking photos with a manual camera for many years, and I've forgotten the right apertures etc... Could someone please help me out...?!? Which settings would you use for these conditions:

1) outdoors picture, sunny weather
2) outdoors picture, cloudy weather
3) outdoors picture, rainy and dim weather

I know it's impossible to tell without knowing the distance of the subject, but if you could just give me some figures as an example... I know how they work in relation to each other - if the other one gets one step smaller, the other one gets one step bigger, right?.

And a few special situations:

4) if I want to take a picture of a bird that's just about to fly, 5 foot away from me?

5) what if I want to take a picture of a girl splashing water, but from the ground, so that the girl is standing and sunshine is coming from behind her? (I want to stop the water drops in the air.)

Sorry about this stupid question, but I don't know where else to ask this and I wouldn't want to find out in the darkroom I've ruined all my photos... :?

 

[oriecat]

Doesn't the camera have a light meter?

 

[Karalee]

Try this link for the sunny 16 rule. Easy to remember

 

[ksmattfish]

1) outdoors picture, sunny weather
2) outdoors picture, cloudy weather
3) outdoors picture, rainy and dim weather

1) 1/ISO @ f/16
2) 1/ISO @ f/11 or f/8
3) 1/ISO @ f/5.6 or less

if the other one gets one step smaller, the other one gets one step bigger, right?.

When adjusting aperture or shutter, the other must be adjusted to compensate in order to maintain the same exposure. If you decrease the size of the aperture, you must increase the length of time the shutter remains open, etc...

4) if I want to take a picture of a bird that's just about to fly, 5 foot away from me?

It's just going to depend on the lighting conditions and film speed. I suppose for a fast moving bird you might want to use a higher shutter speed.

5) what if I want to take a picture of a girl splashing water, but from the ground, so that the girl is standing and sunshine is coming from behind her? (I want to stop the water drops in the air.)

With ISO 200, on a sunny day, halfway between f/4 and f/2.8 @ 1/1000th to expose for the face and body of the girl in shadow; f/8 @ 1/1000th to expose for the lighting in general.

Learning to use your light meter would be best, but the Sunny 16 Rule definately comes in handy when you don't have one.

 

[Egomonster]

Thanks for the tips!

Quote:
5) what if I want to take a picture of a girl splashing water, but from the ground, so that the girl is standing and sunshine is coming from behind her? (I want to stop the water drops in the air.)


With ISO 200, on a sunny day, halfway between f/4 and f/2.8 @ 1/1000th to expose for the face and body of the girl in shadow; f/8 @ 1/1000th to expose for the lighting in general.

But what if the light comes from behind (not directly, but say in a 45 angle, and there would be a few branches in the way...)? Should I then use the lightning? I wouldn't want to... is there a way to avoid using it?!?

What if I use ISO 400? How much does the film affect the settings?

 

[Big Mike]

What if I use ISO 400? How much does the film affect the settings?

ISO 400 film is one stop faster than 200 and two stops faster than 100.

So if you were shooting at F2.8 @ 1/250...with 100 film.

You could get the same exposure at F2.8 @ 1/1000...with 400 film.

 

[rangefinder]

At least in the "olden days" the inside of the Kodak box and on the data sheet supplied with each roll there was a chart with a cute graphic that listed shutter speed and aperature for light settings. If I remember correctly it was pretty much in the ball park.

 

[Goofup]

The Sunny 16 Rule will give you about the proper exposure and is a step above flipping a coin. It's then up to you to guess how you should modify those settings to get the proper exposure, then, using that as something to start with, set the camera with an equalivant combo of shutter speed/aperture to handle all the thousands and thousands of "What if..." situations you'll run into and effects you want.

If your camera has a meter, use it.

If it doesn't, get a handheld meter and use it.

Using a manual camera does not include trying to guess the proper exposure manually.

 

[Goofup]

Now having said all that, and you still want to be able to go it alone without a meter, here's a link to the Ultimate Exposure Computer (just print the page and carry it with you):

http://www.fredparker.com/ultexp1.htm#Light Intensity Chart