getting familure with manual mode..

Ab$olut · Sep 30, 2006

Ok I have made a few topics now in one of them it said to use manual

On my cam (powershot A75) I turned it to manual and lets say I got totally confused with each setting I could ajust.I just want to know what to start playing with first before combining different settings.... I don't even know what half of them mean...like iso,shutter speed ,exposure.

On the screen I can ajust something from 1''6 to 15 also next to it something fomr f2.8 too f8.0 and manual focus too.

In the menu I can ajust iso,flash output,Evalute white bal?,Effects ie b&w I know that,evaluate,centre weighted Avg,Spot and then the size and quality I want which I know how to use.

So I want to take some sunset pics when the weather picks up I only want to use one setting to improve my pics so what shall I start playing with first?

Ive aleady had a little experiment with changing the settings randomly but this came out with poor pics...

Ps please move the beginners accidently posted here

ravikiran · Sep 30, 2006

Very useful for learners. Hope some one shall post a detailed terminology description.

Johnboy2978 · Oct 2, 2006

Reading through the manual may be helpful here. Just randomly changing the settings and trying to figure it out that was is going to be a little painful.

ISO is film speed. The higher the number, the more sensitive to light and also > grain. Optimally, you would want to shoot with the slowest speed that you can get by with to reduce grain (unless you like that effect).

Those first numbers that you referred to 1"6 to 15 would be your shutter speed. Mine goes from 30" to 1/4000th of a second. This is how long your shutter remains open to expose the image. Faster shutter speeds like 1/4000 would be used to freeze motion (like a car race for sharp focus car, blurred background). Longer exposures could be used for slowing motion like making a waterfall look wispy, or for fireworks, etc. You might also have B (bulb exposure) which will keep the shutter open as long as you keep the sutter pressed (usually w/ a cable lock)

Aperture is the other number you referred to. This can range from something like f/1.2 to f/22. The smaller the number, the larger the aperture. That is the diaphram which lets light into the lens. With 1.2 it is almost wide open letting in massive amount of light (which allows you to use faster shutter speed in low light conditions) and it also affects your DoF (depth of field). An aperture of 1.2 would have a very shallow depth of field like the nose/part of eyes in a tight portrait in focus and everything else out of focus. Smaller apertures (larger numbers) let in less light and have a larger DoF.

It is really important to know how these three things function together. All you are doing is exposing light, and like filling a water bucket, you can fill it quickly with a large wide open hose, or you can fill it slowly with a drip over a long period of time. However, you can get to the same place by taking many different paths, and you need to get some grip on understanding how these 3 things work.

You need to pay attention to your light meter to tell you when you are exposing correctly. You can start by either choosing a shutter speed or aperture then adjust the other until it exposes the scene correctly. You may also benefit from playing with shutter priority (Tv) or aperture priority modes (Av) before getting into manual to just have one adjustment and allow the camera to adjust the others for you.

rmh159 · Oct 2, 2006

Well said... I couldn't agree more. There's no "one setting" that will really improve your pics. If photography were that easy we wouldn't all be discussing ways to do it better on here. :wink:

I wish it were as easy as looking at the camera and changing the Quality setting from "Crap" to "Amazing".

cadd · Apr 9, 2007

Johnboy2978, thanks so much from your detailed explaination. I've always used the Auto mode in my point & shoot camera. But I would like to begin utilizing more manual controls (very limited).

Is there a website somewhere that explains these terms more in depth? Or recommend what settings to use for specific situations (bright sunlight, close up shot of an insect with blur background, a shot of the bar that's dim so that the ambiance doesn't get lost).

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