Shutter Speed, Aperture, & WB Settings

ccdan · Dec 6, 2006

Camera: Canon E0S Digital Rebel

I'm new to taking stock photographs and not used to using a SLR Digital Camera. I have read through the manual and got a pretty good grasp on how to change settings and such. I've been trying to use the "M" mode or "Manual Mode" using RAW format to edit once in Photoshop. My question is does anyone have pointers on starting points to set the Shutter Speed, Aperture, ISO in both sunny outside conditions and inside white room (lighted) conditions.

Also any pointers and information on using a custom WB vs auto & what should be made the custom WB if used (background, object, etc.)?

If there are any other settings that I haven't listed that may need to be changed when in "M" mode let me know.

*note I always have the flash turned off. not sure if this is a good or bad thing just seem to like the result of the photo looking as I see it in person rather than crapped up with glare and well flash.

Big Mike · Dec 6, 2006

Welcome to the forum.

I've been trying to use the "M" mode

I've been hearing more and more people saying this...and my question is...Why?
I understand that using manual can certainly help you learn...but unless you have a decent understanding of how shutter speed, aperture and ISO work together to give you an exposure...using manual modes isn't really helping you.

in both sunny outside conditions and inside white room (lighted) conditions.

Light level are different all the time. Under clear sun light...the Sunny 16 rule will work...but there is no way to tell you what to use indoors, or outdoors in different situations. Is your bathroom the same brightness as your kitchen? Probably not.

You camera has a light meter in it...Learn to use it. When you use auto mode...the camera chooses both shutter speed and aperture. You can use Av, where you pick the aperture and the camera will give you the shutter speed that will give you an average exposure for the light you are in. You could also use Tv and pick the shutter speed...leaving the aperture for the camera to set.

When you use manual...the camera's meter is still useful. You just have to adjust the settings until the 'needle' is centered on the scale. This will give you an average exposure for your light. If you want to change the exposure, then change on of the settings.

Patrice · Dec 6, 2006

ccdan,

From what I've seen here you're going to get lots of useful information here. I can't help you much with wb as I'm pretty green with digital. But when using the FM2 I kinda start with a daylight rule - F8 in daylight with 1 over ISO for shutter. Overcast = add one stop, direct sunlight = reduce one stop, dreary rain day = add 2 stops.

Bermuda05 · Dec 7, 2006

If you are not familiar with aperture and shutter speeds for different light conditions you are setting yourself for a lot of frustration and the deleting of a lot of bad images from your flash card.

Try this if you insist on using the Manual Mode on your dSLR.
Take a meter reading of the scene you want to shoot in AV or TV mode. Remember the settings.
Switch to Manual Mode and set the aperture and shutter speed using the buttons on your camera. On the Canon 20D those adjustment are made using the Quick Control Dial and the main dial. Better yet, look up manual setting in instruction booklet that came with your camera. Good luck.

George

CMan · Dec 7, 2006

Big Mike said:
I've been hearing more and more people saying this...and my question is...Why?
I understand that using manual can certainly help you learn...but unless you have a decent understanding of how shutter speed, aperture and ISO work together to give you an exposure...using manual modes isn't really helping you.

Mike is right. And you may have an understanding of all the functions, but the honest truth is that most times, the camera is smarter than you. There are definetly times manual mode can help, but most times, especially for a beginner, the automatic modes will do the job a lot better.

darich · Dec 7, 2006

I'd reckon that for around 99.99% of my shots i'm either on Av mode or Tv.
Using M, as far as i can figure, is the same as using Av but then having to adjust the exposure and increasing chances of missed shots.

Alex_B · Dec 7, 2006

M, Av and Tv
are all about the same amount of manual, as the camera still meters the light and suggests you a combination of exposure time and aperture.

to set your exposure in M you need to set aperture and exposure time.
in Av or Tv you need to set either time or aperture respectively PLUS the exposure compensation (you fine tuning). so in both cases you vary two parameters to get the exposure.

I mostly use Av or Tv as it is just faster for me to control the parameters that way.

Digital Matt · Dec 7, 2006

I have to say that I disagree with the camera being smarter than me, and also that you should not start out learning to set the camera manually. That's ridiculous imho. The camera cannot discern what it sees. It can only interpret exposure values and try and get a balance, or an 18% grey. It's true that starting in manual mode and stabbing around in the dark won't get you anywhere, but if you are serious about learning and understanding photography, then you should by all means use the camera in a manual mode, COUPLED with reading a book or something on the basics of photography, with an emphasis on exposure. Obviously, if you don't understand this aspect of it, you'll never get anywhere, but reading a book alone is abstract. Coupled with the experience of doing, it's really the way to learn, and with being able to see your results immediately with digital, you can't go wrong.

Alex_B · Dec 7, 2006

at least i would agree since the camera cannot interpret a shooting situation, after a couple of days you start to become better than the green programme.

but then, if you use Av, Tv or M is more or less a question of convenience and taste. I would use M only in extreme light conditions, where the built in lightmeter is of no use anymore.

Big Mike · Dec 7, 2006

I use manual mode when shooting with studio strobes, because the camera's meter doesn't measure the flash output. I also may use manual mode when I use a light meter...or when the light is consistent for all the shots I might shoot.

Matt brings up a good point. The camera is not smart at all...it doesn't know what you are shooting...or how you, as the photographer, what it to look. It may be a great bit of technology...but it's not smart.

If you want to get technical...the camera's meter probably gives you an inaccurate exposure most of the time...and it's up to the photographer to compensate for that...based on what is being metered.

Reading a good book, while experimenting with the settings...will probably be the best way to learn.

Alex_B · Dec 7, 2006

Big Mike said:
Reading a good book, while experimenting with the settings...will probably be the best way to learn.

Hmm, might try that as well one day ....

markc · Dec 7, 2006

I agree with both point. If you use manual by simply matching what the camera says to do, you aren't really gaining anything and might as well use Av or Tv. But Matt's suggestion is great, as it will really drive home what exposure is.

Personally I use Av most of the time, as I usually care most about aperture. I'll use Tv if I'm doing panning shots at an autocross. I'll use M if I have to compensate for tricky lighting, using a hand-held meter, etc. For most of the shots I do, I don't have time to fiddle with M for the sake of M.

ccdan · Dec 7, 2006

Big Mike said:
I use manual mode when shooting with studio strobes, because the camera's meter doesn't measure the flash output. I also may use manual mode when I use a light meter...or when the light is consistent for all the shots I might shoot.

Matt brings up a good point. The camera is not smart at all...it doesn't know what you are shooting...or how you, as the photographer, what it to look. It may be a great bit of technology...but it's not smart.

If you want to get technical...the camera's meter probably gives you an inaccurate exposure most of the time...and it's up to the photographer to compensate for that...based on what is being metered.

Reading a good book, while experimenting with the settings...will probably be the best way to learn.

That's basicly what I would like to acomplish knowing/moving the settings. Most of the items i'm photographing are chrome or polished and lighting reflections make or break the shot. Luckly there all studio still shots that I don't have to worry about getting the best shot right away as nothings moving take as many as I would like. Just seems like everytime I take a photo using the auto mode or equiv. the image never looks the way I see it in person. If I put the camera in manual mode and mess with it still isn't perfect but it's 50-80% better than in auto. With photoshop tweeks in RAW format it's almost tits! :wink:

The settings I have set for studio work like junk outside when we put of wheels on a car and need some shots out in the parking lot. Of coarse! Lighting is alot different and I tend to use auto outside do to that. Guess I need to just take it outside; mess with it till best looking, and jot it down next time i need to use it.

Big Mike · Dec 7, 2006

The trick is knowing how to meter the light with the tools you have. Your camera has a built in 'reflected' light meter. These kinds of light meters are often fooled by things that are very bright or very dark. They take a light reading and try to make it 18% grey. If you metered a completely dark scene or a completely white scene...the camera still tries to make it grey...and not how it actually looks.

There are plenty of other ways of finding an exposure that will give you more accurate representation. One is to use a grey card. You simply put the grey card into your light and fill the frame with it. Your reflected light meter will give you the correct exposure settings for that light. Using manual mode, you can then use those settings for your subject.

A lot of photographers learn to know how reflective things are...and adjust their exposure (from the camera's readings) to get an accurate exposure. If you scene has a lot of snow for example...I would 'open up' (more exposure)...how much? maybe 1.5 or 2 stops. Green grass is about the same as 18% grey...so you could use that in the same way as a grey card.

You could use a hand held 'incident' light meter...which measures light falling onto it...rather than reflected light. You take a reading where your subject will be...and then use those settings (again, in manual mode).