MANUAL MODE QUESTION.....

oldnavy170 · Jun 7, 2007

Ok, I have upgraded my camera and I am trying to learn how to use the manual mode. However, my question is when I am in bright daylight what would my recommended F-Stop be? I am sorry if this is a simple question but my photos are just not coming out the way I want.

I do plan on buying "Understanding Exposure" pretty soon so that I can well......understand.

I do appreciate any help. Thanks.

loser101 · Jun 7, 2007

That really depends on the ISO and the shutter speed. Also what kind of effect your after. I just say use the light meter and you will be okay.....

Mike_E · Jun 7, 2007

Bright daylight is hard to use and have your photos come out as you like because of the direction of the light (research 'the golden hour' and why it's called that).

As stated, you still need to meter for good exposure but you need to meter something that is 18% grey. If nothing else is handy, try metering the palm of your hand (be sure that you palm is in the same light that you are shooting in

)

Also, if you are taking photos of people, get them under a tree or in the shadow of a building. You will have a different color cast (and you will want to research that too) but you can do a custom white balance or just use the shade setting.

Keep it up.

mike

Seefutlung · Jun 7, 2007

The "Sunny Sixteen" rule is that in bright daylight use the reciprocal of the ASA/ISO for your shutter speed at F/16 for a proper exposure.

So if your ISO is 100 ... the your settings would be 1/100 shutter speed at F/16. If your ISO is 200 then 1/200 shutter speed at F/16. If it's overcast open up a stop.

Gary

Seefutlung · Jun 7, 2007

Metering is vitally critical with digital cameras as digital is much less forgiving than film. The meters in digital cameras is very accurate ... but you need to understand how a meter works and how to read your histogram. Between the meter and histogram the vast majority of your shots (if not all of your shots) will be on the money.

The Sunny 16 rule is a good way to test the accuracy of your camera meter.

Sunny 16 is older than the hills and the basis for the old Brownie type cameras which hadn't any meter and minimal adjustments.

Gary

PS- If that is an image of you in the avatar ... you're holding the camera wrong. (I am really trying to be informative ... not making fun.)
G

Big Mike · Jun 7, 2007

Using manual mode is not just a random choosing of the setting...you follow the light meter just like any of the other modes...only in manual, you have to adjust the settings to get there.

Then you can deviate from the -0- on the meter.

Garbz · Jun 7, 2007

The light should not determine the shutter speed. You could be out in the middle of the day at the beach and want to shoot at f/22 to maximise your depth of field. Or you may be taking portraits and want a narrow dof at f/2.8. Naturally you would need to compensate you shutter speed.

Read up on "Exposure Values" on wikipedia. It's a must if you will dive into a fully manual world.

Seefutlung · Jun 7, 2007

*sigh* ... the Sunny Sixteen rule will give you a benchmark/starting point with which you can further adjust shutter speed and/or aperture in order to attain any pre-visualized results in the final image.

G

Garbz · Jun 8, 2007

Which corresponds to EV15

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exposure_value

oldnavy170 · Jun 8, 2007

Garbz said:
Which corresponds to EV15 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exposure_value

I appreciate the information. I printed it up while at work. I think that does explain alot to me. I am going to play around with it tonight. Its just too bad its raining outside now....

EOS_JD · Jun 8, 2007

"Understanding Exposure" will help a lot. It's a great book that explains what you need to know.

montresor · Jun 9, 2007

oldnavy170 said:
I printed it up while at work.

I do a lot of that too. It's a fringe benefit I give myself. :mrgreen:

AdamZx3 · Jun 9, 2007

I can say from experience (im still a newbie) that if your trying to shoot in manual mode, keep shooting in M, as much as you can. The more you do this the more it becomes second nature, as well as fixing lighting problems where your meter is fooled. Also I agree on getting a book on exposure, and that wiki looks pretty good, havent finished it quite yet.

usayit · Jun 9, 2007

oldnavy170 said:
Ok, I have upgraded my camera and I am trying to learn how to use the manual mode. However, my question is when I am in bright daylight what would my recommended F-Stop be? I am sorry if this is a simple question but my photos are just not coming out the way I want.

I do plan on buying "Understanding Exposure" pretty soon so that I can well......understand.

I do appreciate any help. Thanks.

You can learn by first understanding the settings chosen by the camera while in Aperture or Shutter priority as well as learning the various metering modes available (spot, center, average, evaluative etc..)

In other words, set your camera to Aperture priority, meter, and see what shutter setting it selects. Try to find answers to "Why did it select that shutter setting?" "What happens when I open up (lower value) the aperture?" "What happens when I stop down (increase value) the aperture?" "What happens to the shutter settings when you meter off something in the shade as oppose to out in broad dayllight?" Try to understand why that shutter setting was selected and how it changes if you change your preselected aperture. Now set your camera to Shutter priority and try to understand how aperture is selected by the camera's meter.

Learn through experimentation... (For me, that was the most enjoyable way to learn although I burned through rolls and rolls of film doing so).

There is no innate advantage to using manual mode on a camera.... simply using it doesn't make exposure easier or more accurate... understanding exposure does.