i feel like i'm relying to much on manual settings

[tsabary]

I feel like i need to change too many things between each photo I take.

I find myself adjusting white balance, Zooming, focusing and changing shutter speed and aperture often and it just doesn't feel right.. I started to work with auto focus to get better resaults but it still feels like alot of time prepering for candid shots.

Should i switch some of these to auto-mode (if so, which?) or it's just the way it is and i need to get used to doing it every time?

Btw i'm using Nikon d5000

 

[manaheim]

i feel like i need to change too many things between each photo i take.

i find myself adjusting white balance, zooming, focusing and changing shutter speed and aperture often and it just doesn't feel right.. i started to work with auto focus to get better resaults but it still feels like alot of time prepering for candid shots.

should i switch some of these to auto-mode (if so, which?) or it's just the way it is and i need to get used to doing it every time?

i'm using Nikon d5000

Use all the tools your camera has available, and as suits your needs. Too many times people feel like manual is "professional mode" or that they're somehow cheating by using thugs like autofocus. It's not and they are not. The one thing i do recommend you avoid is auto ISO because ISo directly affects quality and characteristics of the image so that change should not be taken lightly. Auto Focus point is another I tend to avoid because of the potential pitfalls but on occasion it is useful.

P on most cameras will select aperture and shutter, and tends to pick an aperture a few stops down from wide open. That's ok, but over time a lot of people wind up spending most of their time on aperture mode since there are a lot of creative choices inherent in your aperture selection and fewer of them in shutter choices. Since you've already been in manual, I'd suggest putting it on auto focus and aperture priority. I think you'll be pleased with the additional ease without sacrificing much, if any, creative elements.

 

[manaheim]

Oh and shoot raw. It'll get you out of worrying quite so much about white balance, though it will increase your workflow time and there is a learning curve associated with processing the images,

 

[Patrice]

Manual control is good to master but it is only one of the ways in which your camera can function. Nikon has devoted a lot of energy to develop the high level of sophistication embodied in that camera so why not take advantage. Understanding how and when to use this to your advantage will enable you to get the most from the technology.

My camera does not have ant 'scene' modes but it does have aperture priority, shutter priority, shift program and auto white balance as well as full manual. Each have their strengths and weaknesses and all get put to use appropriately. Learn to use the tools at your disposal, you've paid good money for them.


(Wonder if this is going to turn into one of those threads with 100 posts all repeating themselves.)


edit: manaheim is faster off the start line!

 

[EIngerson]

Manual control is good to master but it is only one of the ways in which your camera can function. Nikon has devoted a lot of energy to develop the high level of sophistication embodied in that camera so why not take advantage. Understanding how and when to use this to your advantage will enable you to get the most from the technology.

My camera does not have ant 'scene' modes but it does have aperture priority, shutter priority, shift program and auto white balance as well as full manual. Each have their strengths and weaknesses and all get put to use appropriately. Learn to use the tools at your disposal, you've paid good money for them.


(Wonder if this is going to turn into one of those threads with 100 posts all repeating themselves.)


edit: manaheim is faster off the start line!

Yup, it will. lol

 

[imagemaker46]

The more you learn to use the manual settings the better you become at it, and the faster you can make changes. I have to wonder how often the light changes when you are shooting that you find being in manual is becoming too difficult to manage.

The simple solution is don't shoot in manual then.

 

[KrisztinaK]

I'll jump on the bandwagon ... I agree with the first two posts. Well said.

 

[gsgary]

I agree with 5th post, if you cant manage on manual dont use it but you will learn a lot more by using it, i shot solely on manual and use hyper focus for quick candid street photography no need to focus

 

[Mully]

Since you are stuck in manual....this would be a good time to read and put into practice what your written manual tells you.

 

[ABJayce]

Usually if I'm in full manual it's in a photo shoot and I'm not changing a lot in between each shot. Once my settings are set they don't really change much except for aperture. The light isn't changing so my ISO isn't changing. My shutter speed may change a notch or two either way depending on how much I change the aperture. Then once we change scenes rinse and repeat. BUT I most of the time my camera is in aperture priority mode. I'f I'm out walking around or getting candids I throw it in the ol' A gear.


EDIT:
Oh, and I use autofocus......except for when I do club/party pictures or any other low light situation where auto focus might be having a little trouble

 

[The_Traveler]

I'm not certain what those who worship at the altar of 'manual everything' get except a warm feeling in the front of their pants about being 'in charge.'

I shoot in aperture preferred and rely on EC heavily. That way I can adjust the exposure without even raising the camera using the EC wheel so, if I see a shot and know I need to adjust, I am changing the ec with my thumb as I raise the camera.
I use autofocus because it's faster than I am with the 24-70 and I can shoot one-handed.

Yes, I can shoot manual but taking pictures isn't a dexterity test, my goal is to take pictures and if program mode gets me better images, I would use that.

 

[imagemaker46]

I'm not certain what those who worship at the altar of 'manual everything' get except a warm feeling in the front of their pants about being 'in charge.'

I shoot in aperture preferred and rely on EC heavily. That way I can adjust the exposure without even raising the camera using the EC wheel so, if I see a shot and know I need to adjust, I am changing the ec with my thumb as I raise the camera.
I use autofocus because it's faster than I am with the 24-70 and I can shoot one-handed.

Yes, I can shoot manual but taking pictures isn't a dexterity test, my goal is to take pictures and if program mode gets me better images, I would use that.

In situations where the light isn't changing much it will always be better to shoot manual. It has nothing to do with a warm feeling, it has everything to do with being consistent. A full understanding of photography allows the shooter to make the minor changes quickly, without having to think about what they are doing, once you start to over think exposures, you start to miss the pictures. I shoot manual because it works for me.

 

[amolitor]

Yes. I have come to realize that manual mode is best used as a sort of super exposure lock.

This is a LOT less relevant to people like Lew and me, since we're looking for maybe one keeper today, if we're really really lucky, anyways. We don't care all that much about shot-to-shot consistency.

There ARE people who need it, though, and it behooves us to keep them in mind. A nice feature for some people would probably be an AEL button that means 'lock the exposure until I press the button again' or similar. Then you could use whatever metering mode you liked, and still get the shot-to-shot consistency. Meter-matching isn't hard, but it would speed things up a hair if you could just point at the grass, grey card, whatever, and mash AEL, and boom, you're back shooting.

 

[gsgary]

I'm not certain what those who worship at the altar of 'manual everything' get except a warm feeling in the front of their pants about being 'in charge.'

I shoot in aperture preferred and rely on EC heavily. That way I can adjust the exposure without even raising the camera using the EC wheel so, if I see a shot and know I need to adjust, I am changing the ec with my thumb as I raise the camera.
I use autofocus because it's faster than I am with the 24-70 and I can shoot one-handed.

Yes, I can shoot manual but taking pictures isn't a dexterity test, my goal is to take pictures and if program mode gets me better images, I would use that.

Try shooting M4's in aperture or shutter priority only manual

 

[KmH]

In most static shooting situations the exposure values don't have to be changed much, if any, for fairly long periods of time.
It matters little if the photographer is using Manual mode, one of the Priority modes, or full manual.
I can see where an inexperienced photographer might be making a lot of exposure value and other settings changes because of inexperience.
Choosing the appropriate metering mode for the shooting situation is paramount.

Note that using a camera that has 2 command wheels and sufficient external controls to minimize 'menu diving' is also helpful.