Is manual mode overrated?

[pgriz]

There are two articles that seem to take this a bit further:

david.spielman.com/Gray_Card/ANSI_PH3_49_1971.PDF

and

DPanswers: What Does Your Meter Meter?

 

[Josh66]

^^^
I'll look that spec up tomorrow at work, but I have a feeling it's going to be very boring reading.

That PDF seems to have all the relevant information though...

 

[pgriz]

Dang. Now I'm gonna have to do some testing on my own. I never questioned the dogma of 18% grey, and I usually get good exposures... But then, I've not used the 18% grey card reading in a while.

 

[KVRNut]

I don't think that manual mode is over rated at all. Like a previous replier, I use what ever mode works the best for the photographic situation I'm in and for the results I wish to obtain in the final print. However there are times when conditions or the subject make any of the auto modes useless and it's good to know how to use a light meter when setting up your aperture and shutter speed. It also helps you to know your equipment and what results you'll get. This is especially true when you use a large format or view camera. Those things don't have auto modes and are pure manual all the way.

It's all to easy now to go out and say take a picture of a rose and be satisfied with the result. Ask yourself, is the color in the picture the same as the color of the real thing? How about the textures? Did you tell your camera what type of result you wanted or did your camera tell you what result you should be happy with? It would be a shame if that recorded memory isn't the same as you remember it and a bigger shame that one relied on pre-programmed modes instead of getting the most you can out of an instument that can record moments in time that'll never be seen again.

 

[xjoewhitex]

It is about consistencies. Using auto or semi auto, your exposure will be all over the place.

Agreed, the only time I ever shoot in manual is when im shooting photo sets where I need all the photos to look the same. Theres no way I would be able to get 100 shots to be consistent if I shot in Programed.

 

[table1349]

I grabbed one of these a while back to give it a try. So far I have been very pleased with the results.

 

[table1349]

Rocket science it is not.

Middle gray, 18% reflectance, nanoo nanoo

Houston, whe have a problem.

Meters Don't See 18% Gray by Thom Hogan

Don't know if I buy it.

Just curious, why is this (Exposure Program = manual control (1)) a predominant theme in the exif data for the photos of your first linked post in you sig? Wouldn't AV or TV worked just as well?

 

[Dominantly]

Houston, whe have a problem.

Meters Don't See 18% Gray by Thom Hogan

Don't know if I buy it.

Just curious, why is this (Exposure Program = manual control (1)) a predominant theme in the exif data for the photos of your first linked post in you sig? Wouldn't AV or TV worked just as well?

Sure wouldn't.

 

[table1349]

Don't know if I buy it.

Just curious, why is this (Exposure Program = manual control (1)) a predominant theme in the exif data for the photos of your first linked post in you sig? Wouldn't AV or TV worked just as well?

Sure wouldn't.

Must not be over rated then huh? :mrgreen:

 

[Dominantly]

Not sure where you are going with this.

I'm a manual guy, so I shoot manual. I find it easier, that's why my exif data shows it was shot in manual. You'll also notice it was center weighted metering, which would be more interesting to nail if using an automatic mode.

 

[table1349]

Not sure where you are going with this.

I'm a manual guy, so I shoot manual. I find it easier, that's why my exif data shows it was shot in manual. You'll also notice it was center weighted metering, which would be more interesting to nail if using an automatic mode.

So am I when the situation calls for it, which is a good portion of the time. Just using the work from someone else to make the point that there is a place for manual mode as well as AV & TV.

 

[kkamin]

This is the dumbest thread ever.

I didn't read the five page of responses, so sorry if anyone else's response is similar.

-----------

If you want to be in full creative control of the capture process you will shoot in one of the manual modes. You are able to determine the depth of field, the sharpness (freezing of action) of the image and the iso (amount of potential noise).

This is photography school 101 (first 5 min of class of a 4 year course).

Imo, every pixel in you photograph needs to be controlled by the creator in some way.

 

[table1349]

This is the dumbest thread ever.

I didn't read the five page of responses, so sorry if anyone else's response is similar.

-----------

If you want to be in full creative control of the capture process you will shoot in one of the manual modes. You are able to determine the depth of field, the sharpness (freezing of action) of the image and the iso (amount of potential noise).

This is photography school 101 (first 5 min of class of a 4 year course).

Imo, every pixel in you photograph needs to be controlled by the creator in some way.

Ooohh, We should start a whole new thread because I personally find this to be the dumbest thread ever: http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...n-made-lady-gaga-their-creative-director.html

 

[usayit]

in one of the manual modes.

Cool... your camera has more than one manual mode? Most have only one where you set the aperture and shutter yourself.

 

[manaheim]

zing.