Taking pictures in shutter speed priority mode

[Goldcoin79]

HiI am just getting in to photography and have been reading and experimenting lately to learn what I can, I have a question about a picture I took when using shutter speed priority so I hope someone can help.My little boy feel asleep at the table the other day and was laying his head on the table, this looked very funny so I got the camera to get a picture. I took one in auto mode and a couple in shutter speed priority mode to compare the difference in the setting I set and what the camera set in auto mode. When I took my picture in shutter speed priority mode I did not use a flash and found I had to set the iso to 800 and a shutter speed of 1/50, this automatically set the aperture to f8. My question is why did the camera not set a larger aperture so the picture could be taken with a lower iso? In auto mode I notice the camera took the picture with an iso of 400 shutter speed of 1/50 and aperture of 5.Both pictures came out nice but just curious why in shutter speed priority mode the camera picked a small aperture when more light was needed.Look forward to some response.James

 

[Guinness Man]

It has to do with the quality of your camera and the metering built in. you may have had a deep field so it wanted it all in focus. who knows. I ALWAYS shoot in Manual so I control everything. I dont trust cameras enough to let them figure out what Im shooting. lol

 

[SoCalTiger]

I'm not sure what camera you are using, but if you can manually set the ISO in Shutter Speed/Time Value Mode, you will directly impact the Aperture. If you can't set the ISO, then it's based on whatever the camera software thinks is correct. If you really want to control everything, I agree going full Manual would be best.

Read up on the Exposure Triangle if you are not already familiar with this.

 

[belial]

I see you have canon. Canon has a very primitive auto ISO. The setting isn't very smart and will always tend to crank in too much. With canon it's recommended you set ISO yourself using any of the manual or semi auto modes.

 

[fokker]

It sounds like you were the one who first chose the rather high ISO setting of 800, and then by choosing the shutter speed you force the camera to choose the only remaining piece of the exposure puzzle, based on the amount of light it measured. If you had set the ISO at 400, chances are the camera would have chosen f/5 or 5.6, basically the same as what auto mode chose.

 

[belial]

It has to do with the quality of your camera and the metering built in. you may have had a deep field so it wanted it all in focus. who knows. I ALWAYS shoot in Manual so I control everything. I dont trust cameras enough to let them figure out what Im shooting. lol

Shooting manual is technically no different than shooting shutter priority. In tv and av you have full control over everything not the camera

 

[Goldcoin79]

Cheers for the advice so far, I have a cannon powershot sx30 is. I did manually set the iso to 800 as when I set it to 400 and pressed the shoot button half down to see what the picture would look like it still looked to dark so I increased the iso to 800.Hope this gives you more info about what I was doing.

 

[Infidel]

Shooting manual is technically no different than shooting shutter priority. In tv and av you have full control over everything not the camera

Not quite...priority modes set the non-varying parameters for you to achieve "correct" exposure, thus requiring you to use exposure comp to over or under expose images, whereas full manual will allow you to set whatever parameters you want, with no regard for "correct" exposure.

 

[belial]

Not quite...priority modes set the non-varying parameters for you to achieve "correct" exposure, thus requiring you to use exposure comp to over or under expose images, whereas full manual will allow you to set whatever parameters you want, with no regard for "correct" exposure.

As you just said it ends up being the exact same thing. Using EC there is no difference between manual and priority mode other than priority modes are faster. There os absolutely no gain from manual modes over priority modes other than ego.

 

[xjoewhitex]

Not quite...priority modes set the non-varying parameters for you to achieve "correct" exposure, thus requiring you to use exposure comp to over or under expose images, whereas full manual will allow you to set whatever parameters you want, with no regard for "correct" exposure.

As you just said it ends up being the exact same thing. Using EC there is no difference between manual and priority mode other than priority modes are faster. There os absolutely no gain from manual modes over priority modes other than ego.

Actually, there is a huge difference when shooting in manual rather than shooting in one of the auto modes. I am one that shoots 100% manual, because I like having complete control over my images and not having to worry about what im focusing on and how it will change the exposure. When shooting in the auto modes/ your camera "always" thinks it's correct even tho it may not be. I do not have to worry about backlit/frontlit images. My subject is always properly exposed.

 

[belial]

Actually, there is a huge difference when shooting in manual rather than shooting in one of the auto modes. I am one that shoots 100% manual, because I like having complete control over my images and not having to worry about what im focusing on and how it will change the exposure. When shooting in the auto modes/ your camera "always" thinks it's correct even tho it may not be. I do not have to worry about backlit/frontlit images. My subject is always properly exposed.

Incorrect. That's a misconception. You he full control in aperture an shutter priorities.

 

[belial]

By shooting full manual all the time all you're doing is slowing yourself down. There's absolutely no loss of control in shutter and aperture priority.

 

[Buckster]

There's absolutely no loss of control in shutter and aperture priority.

Agreed.

By shooting full manual all the time all you're doing is slowing yourself down.

How so? It's still two dials, spun to whatever shutter and aperture you want, no matter which of the three you're in.

 

[belial]

Agreed.

How so? It's still two dials, spun to whatever shutter and aperture you want, no matter which of the three you're in.

Unless they have an entry level body which is quite a few people here. Then they have only one dial. Which is why I tend to use av myself. If I had two I'd be using manual more often.

 

[Buckster]

Agreed.

How so? It's still two dials, spun to whatever shutter and aperture you want, no matter which of the three you're in.

Unless they have an entry level body which is quite a few people here. Then they have only one dial. Which is why I tend to use av myself.

Not sure which bodies those are. My Canon 20d, 40D and 7D all had/have two dials for that full control, just like my 5DMKII does.

If I had two I'd be using manual more often.

Interesting. Why?