New to manual settings

Big Mike · Apr 13, 2010

All you are talking about exposure... I'm talking about what you can do with manual settings.

A picture of a rolling wave with an F/4 @ 1/500", F/5.6 @ 1/250", F/8 @ 1/125", F/11 @ 1/60", and F/16 @ 1/30.... and you will most certainly not end up at the same destination.

Yes, but you could get & use any of those combination in the auto modes. And a shot at F5.6 @ 1/250 will be exactly the same in M, P, Av, Tv.

mdtusz · Apr 13, 2010

I agree with Big Mike and am afraid that Boom is a little mislead.

All that manual shooting accomplishes is that none of your settings will change when you point your camera in a different direction. One person could take a shot of a rolling wave at f/8 @ 1/125" and another could be in Av with aperture set to f/8 @ 1/60" but if they understand what the camera is doing (exposing everything but overexposing the sky), then they can set the camera to +1 stop of exposure compensation. No more work than raising the shutter speed, and now you can adjust your aperture accordingly to get that depth of field you were looking for without having to change anything else while still getting the same exposure of the scene.

Like said above, manual only really has advantages when you are shooting indoors with even lighting and nothing is changing in the environment.

I personally don't like having to take my time scrolling thumbwheels to get my shutter speed to what the camera thinks is right then adjusting after I see the shot, especially when I know the camera can do the exact same thing for me.

Boomn4x4 · Apr 13, 2010

mdtusz said:
I agree with Big Mike and am afraid that Boom is a little mislead.

All that manual shooting accomplishes is that none of your settings will change when you point your camera in a different direction. One person could take a shot of a rolling wave at f/8 @ 1/125" and another could be in Av with aperture set to f/8 @ 1/60" but if they understand what the camera is doing (exposing everything but overexposing the sky), then they can set the camera to +1 stop of exposure compensation. No more work than raising the shutter speed, and now you can adjust your aperture accordingly to get that depth of field you were looking for without having to change anything else while still getting the same exposure of the scene.

Like said above, manual only really has advantages when you are shooting indoors with even lighting and nothing is changing in the environment.

I personally don't like having to take my time scrolling thumbwheels to get my shutter speed to what the camera thinks is right then adjusting after I see the shot, especially when I know the camera can do the exact same thing for me.

I believe you are mislead... Take this photo at this URL as an example
http://sharinakagawaphotography.fil...a-photographer-shari-nakagawa-photography.jpg

The exposure on all 4 images are the same... no +/- exposure compensations need.... However by playing with the aperture and shutter speed you can acheive very different results.

Like wise.... that this photo at this URL as another example:
http://petphotography.files.wordpress.com/2007/04/exopsure_compare.jpg

Again all the images have virtually identical exposure, no +/- needed... however by playing with the aperture and shutter speeds, again you achieve very differnt results.

None of that can be accomplished in automatic mode.

Boomn4x4 · Apr 13, 2010

Big Mike said:
And a shot at F5.6 @ 1/250 will be exactly the same in M, P, Av, Tv.

Agreeed, but the advantage of automatic mode is that you don't have to shoot at F/5.6 @ 1/250. If you are shooting in auto mode... you are foced to shoot at what the camera tells you to shoot.

mdtusz · Apr 13, 2010

We didn't say anything about auto mode... Av and Tv are only auto in one aspect of exposure, either shutter or aperture respectively, and the camera is doing exactly what you are doing.

The KEY is to use and trust your meter

The camera is doing this for itself in Av and Tv. In manual if you are

[Trusting] your meter

, you are making no effect on the exposure that using Av or Tv can't do. Those two modes are just the balancing act between shutter and aperture. WB and ISO will stay at whatever you set them at.

Those sample shots you posted prove nothing and the exact same results can be had with both Tv and Av. They are simply properly exposed images with different focuses on either shutter speed of depth of field.

Read your manual.

Boomn4x4 · Apr 13, 2010

mdtusz said:
Those sample shots you posted prove nothing and the exact same results can be had with both Tv and Av. They are simply properly exposed images with different focuses on either shutter speed of depth of field.

And neither of which are "automatic" like the original poster asked about.

What heck is your agenda here??? Are you trying to satisfy some kind od superiority complex? The poor guy asked about moving off of automatic settings, and you jump on him (and me) like he's some kind of moron. Cut him some slack.

If manual settings are so worthless, then why do they bother putting them on the camera?

At an absolute minimum, using full auto does a GREAT job at forcing you to understand what Av and Tv are doing and is a great learning tool.

Big Mike · Apr 13, 2010

Maybe it's a miss-communication. I'm including the priority modes when I say 'auto modes'.

None of that can be accomplished in automatic mode.

You keep saying that...but it's just not true.

Take this photo at this URL as an example
http://sharinakagawaphotography.file...hotography.jpg

The exposure on all 4 images are the same... no +/- exposure compensations need.... However by playing with the aperture and shutter speed you can acheive very different results.

Put the camera into Tv, set the desired shutter speed and you end up with the exact same results as you would by using manual mode, inputting the same shutter speed and adjusting the aperture until the meter gets to --0--.

If you are shooting in auto mode... you are foced to shoot at what the camera tells you to shoot.

I'm sorry, but that's wrong. You can use Tv or Av to choose the value that gets the effect that you want. I never use Tv, if I want a particular shutter speed, I can use Av and adjust it until the shutter speed is where I want it. And with most cameras, you can 'shift' aperture & shutter speed values while in P mode as well.

Boomn4x4 · Apr 13, 2010

Big Mike said:
Maybe it's a miss-communication. I'm including the priority modes when I say 'auto modes'.

It appears so ... I don't consider Av and Tv 'manual' modes.

mdtusz · Apr 13, 2010

They aren't manual modes. Re-read what Big Mike wrote...

Back to the OP, too late to change your mode this late in the game, but after your shoot, go nuts. I suggest starting out with Av. It will keep the number of throw-out-because-of-exposure shots to a minimum

PhotoBear · Apr 13, 2010

Seems my good eye is a good start... you all are just helping solidify that I have a LOT to learn.

Keep it coming its fun

I do have full time job so I have to be careful not to spend tooo much time here... LOL

c.cloudwalker · Apr 13, 2010

There is a lot of misinformation and a lot of confusion here but I think it probably comes mostly from not explaining things correctly. Or at least, not explaining it in a way that someone with very little knowledge to start with can understand. So, here is my take on it trying to make it clearer.

If you trust the meter, it makes no difference which mode you shoot in. Yes, you may get different results depending on the mode chosen, but ultimately, the camera makes the choice for you.

If you learn a bit more and start not trusting your meter, it still may not make a whole lot of difference. If you are in manual and you adjust what the meter tells you, it is no different from using ev compensation in one of the auto modes except that in manual you choose whether to adjust the speed or the aperture while in an auto mode, the camera chooses.

Now, metering systems have gotten much better over the years and today you can get mostly decent photos while spending you life in auto. If you want more control, you need to learn the basics of exposure but for the most part, it still will make very little difference which mode you shoot in as adjustments can be made in any mode.

It does however help to understand the different things involved in correct exposure when you photograph things that are not run-of-the-mill. For example, if you were to go and shoot a motorcycle race, it probably would be a good idea to shoot in a mode that lets you pick your shutter speed...

Hope that helps.

Btw, I only shoot in manual. But it has nothing to do with it being better. When I started in the business, there wasn't anything else and I'm so used to it that I work faster this way.

Edit = There is only one manual mode, manual. Whether some people want to call some of the other modes semi-auto or auto, or whatever, they are not manual.