Do you manual all the time?

[unpopular]

Yeah, but what actually changes when you adjust EC? shutter, aperture or both?

 

[Derrel]

Yeah, but what actually changes when you adjust EC? shutter, aperture or both?

Ummmm, wouldn't what changes be dependent upon the MODE the camera is set to? As in, the EC changes the OPPOSITE exposure control from the one the USER has set by hand? So, in Shutter Priority mode, dialing in +1.0 EV cvomp keeps the shutter speed the same, and adjusts the aperture; conversely,in Aperture Priority auto, dialing in +1.3 EV will keep the same Aperture value as was entered by the user, but the camera will allow the shutter to slow down by 1.3 EV to add the needed + 1.3 EV of light.

That's been my experience with how EC works in auto modes.

In Programmed Auto, it would, or could be a combination perhaps, depending on the relationship of the light level, lens focal length, etc. MOST cameras made since the Nikon FA back in the mid-late-1980's have focal length aware Program settings, which have a well-definded Program matrix graph in the user's manual, where a baseline shutter speed of 1/60 secon dto 1/125 second is achieved and ONLY after that speed is hit, will the aperture be adjusted to smaller and smaller settings; other camerra have High-Speed programs,etc. Depending on the exposure "level", the EX system might add or subtract shutter speed or lens aperture, or both, depending again on light levels, focal length, etc.etc..

 

[unpopular]

good lord. really? program mode sounds downright obnoxious on nikon. I mean, I can see how this would be useful, but it'd drive me NUTS.

 

[480sparky41 41]

Yeah, but what actually changes when you adjust EC? shutter, aperture or both?

Ummmm, wouldn't what changes be dependent upon the MODE the camera is set to?..........

P.

 

[480sparky41 41]

good lord. really? program mode sounds downright obnoxious on nikon. I mean, I can see how this would be useful, but it'd drive me NUTS.

It's actually quite intuitive. Use the rear command dial to change the shutter speed/aperture combo the camera chooses, but still keep the same 'correct' exposure. Use the front dial (or +/1 & rear) to actually change the exposure value.

 

[480sparky41 41]

Yeah, but what actually changes when you adjust EC? shutter, aperture or both?

Both.

 

[ltcricket]

I want to thank you all for the feed back!! It seems most of you are fans of the manual as am I. I just seem to be missing some of those funny moments the kids do trying to get everything adjusted. I am going to try some of the A/S setting see how those go. I am using a canon T3 for my personal use which has a single wheel. I use the Nikon D90 at work which has two wheels which is alot faster. Maybe time for an upgrade LOL!! Thanks again!!!

 

[D-B-J]

It's funny. It seems as if those who shoot only manual are quite often haughty about it. As if it's some higher-class form of shooting, with A and P priority modes being for noobs. I learned to shoot using mostly manual, but once I got a hang of everything, I typically use A and P, depending. The camera can make slight exposure alterations much quicker than I, and quite often, I shoot in variable-light environments. Shooting in completely manual all the time is asinine, as a large percentage of your photo's will most likely end up over or under-exposed.

 

[unpopular]

If you really had the hang of it then why would most of your shots in manual come out over/under exposed?

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I'll add, if you're not shooting with a spot meter, it may not really make a lot of sense to shoot manual mode as you don't have a precise enough reference to make it worthwhile. At that point you'd be more or less aligning triangles with zeros...

 

[pgriz]

It's a bit of a sterile debate, actually. I shoot in whatever mode gives me the least amount of work. Is that being lazy? or efficient? Whatever.

But then, I travel with an incident light meter (L-385), and I check the ambient light prior to starting to shoot. My camera meter is on spot mode. If I'm shooting static scenes, I tend to set aperture based on the DOF I'm looking for, and the shutter speed is set from my incident light reading. Then, I meter the highlights, shadows with the spot-meter, and see if any exceed my camera's dynamic range. If so, I may adjust up or down, depending on which detail I want to keep. In this kind of shooting, it's manual mode.

If I have things that move in the image, then a decision has to be made. Freeze the motion or blur? And if blur, how much blur? That may take a few experimental shots to determine which shutter speed gives the best effect. After that, it depends on the light and on the difference in brightness of the subjects. If the subjects are different in tone, and the light is stable, then I'd go manual. If the subjects are similar in tone, but the light is variable, I'd go Tv (shutter-priority).

If I'm shooting family snaps, and being part of the action is more important than getting the perfect image, I set the camera to the Av (shutter priority) mode, and let the camera deal with the exposure. And if other people are going to be picking up the camera and shooting casual snaps, then it goes into P mode.

 

[rexbobcat]

M is something that sometimes makes things more difficult than they need to be. Not always, but sometimes. It's like using manual focus in a situation where your autofocus is perfectly capable. It doesn't really make sense.

So I probably use manual maybe 70-80% of the time.

 

[Ysarex87 81]

With Nikons, you can adjust the shutter speed/aperture combination with the rear command dial when shooting in P. If you don't like the 1/250 @ f/8 the camera chooses, spin the dial to 1/125 @ f/11, or 1/500 @ f/5.6. They're all the same EV.

However, if you want to change the EV, use the front command dial. This will start you down the + or - EV path. Lo-end bodies that only have the rear dial use the +/- button in conjunction with the rear command dial.

I thought that this is how it works on my a700, but it's not. One wheel dials through the EV combinations, one wheel offsets time, while the EC button+either wheel will offset the aperture.

What changes when you press the EC button in program mode on Nikon?

Either way, Sony's manual mode is easier than program mode. If you want to scroll through the equivalent values you just press the AE lock button and turn either wheel, the shutter and aperture will correlate based on the EV locked in.

ETA - no, joe, its' all good. I don't mean to make this into a big competition. like I said, 90% of the reason I shoot manual is just because I always have. One big thing we're also running into is that every camera brand does things a little different.

Yep, we're good -- when I started in this business a light meter built into the camera was still a little unusual. You could buy a Nikon F with that newfangled photomic prism thingy, but really, who would want one? Manual back then meant you didn't use a meter at all. I'm still pretty good at that.

This is a perennial topic and every time it comes up there's always someone, not you, who starts with the "I'm a real photographer, I only shoot manual and my 300mm 2.8 is this............long." And it's usually just a pile of cr*p. Technology advances forward -- seriously most of us have managed to become happy with built-in reflected light meters. They work well enough for me. If you're going to use the meter built into the camera then why not use the rest of the tech built around it, otherwise what's your problem?!! Oh yeah, your 300 f.8 is this...........long. Again, I haven't picked up that attitude from you, but it's out there. I reference Derrel's first post in this thread -- he noted it as well.

So the fact of the matter is that a modern well-designed camera is most efficiently used when you take full advantage of the camera's high-tech capabilities. The engineers aren't stupid and I really don't think for example that they designed my 5dmkII for the consumer market assuming I was dumb Joe Consumer. I'm aware of the options and ramifications of my choices and the fact is that using my camera in P mode gives me maximum efficiency most of the time. Bottom line: I get to the shutter release sooner. Big deal? No. It's only an issue for me when dealing with jerks who think their 300mm 2.8 is this...........long.

Why make an issue out it? Because new photographers come to sites like this all the time and they deserve to hear good advice. They want to know how to get the maximum benefit from their cameras and how to use them to best advantage. Learning to use a camera in M mode may be a valuable teaching aid but the teaching shouldn't stop there. Once they understand they should continue to progress forward and take best advantage of the machine's capabilities.

Joe

 

[The_Traveler]

I rarely shoot in manual, as there's no benefit to it. The only time I'm in manual mode is when the meter doesn't work, as with astrophotography, long exposure, and certain types of flash exposure, or odd accessories like a LensBaby. Otherwise, if the meter works then I'm in an auto mode. I have just as much control over exposure in aperture, shutter, and program modes as with manual mode. If a person doesn't think he does, then what's needed is not manual mode, but a lesson on how a camera works.
.

this.^
I have read about what people do but no one has yet detailed why manual is better than A or S.

 

[Dao]

If the light condition won't change and I want consistency or I do not trust the in-camera light meter, then I use manual mode. Otherwise, I shoot Av most of the time. In some situation, I may need to look at the scene in the viewfinder, exposure lock with spot meter an area where I believe the in-camera meter can obtain a good reading I want. (spot meter a person's face, grass on the ground, a gray color object etc.)

 

[charlie76]

Manual all the time. Not because I think its "cool" but because I find it better suits my shooting style.

Is manual the "cool" thing? I didn't realize. Personally I bracket just about everything on aperture priority. I only use manual when I am in a situation where the light is guaranteed to be consistent...and I'm absolutely positive I have the correct exposure.