Thought Process when choosing settings

[Kerbouchard]

So, over at another forum I visit, somebody posted a question asking about what other settings people routinely changed other than aperture/shutter speed/iso. The thread quickly degenerated into people explaining the exposure triangle, when to use certain shutter speeds, when to use certain apertures, blah, blah, blah. That thread has been so de-railed, it will probably never come back.

In any case, I thought it was an interesting question, so I figured I would pose it to you guys, also.

Here was my answer:
In most situations, there are only a few things I will routinely change. Here is a list of things that get changed fairly often.

Aperture, shutter speed, ISO...no surprise there.

Focus Point...no surprise there.

Flash exposure compensation(not really on the camera, but on the actual flash). Typically, I use TTL flash, so flash exposure comp gets a lot of use.

AF-C to AF-S. It I am shooting in low light, I usually use AF-S. If in bright conditions, usually AF-C. The reason is that the focus assist on my external flash(Nikon SB800) does not work in AF-C, only AF-S.

Continuous release vs single release for shutter speed. Again, if I'm in low light shooting flash, I'll switch to single or slow release. If it is on fast, the second shot will occur before the flash has had a chance to recycle. If in bright conditions, I'm not as worried about that so will take advantage of the continuous release.

I use the format button every time I start a new shoot.

White Balance...occasionally I will take a custom white balance if I want to guarantee I get perfect colors afterwards, but it's rare. Typically, I'll just use auto and if I'm worried about it, I'll just take a shot of the calibration target with it in the frame and take care of it in Post.

Those are the main things that I adjust routinely.

Hope to get some feedback on the things that you guys actually adjust when shooting day to day, or moving from one situation to another, and preferably why...

 

[scifitographer]

i mostly shoot landscapes so generally i only adjust the shutter speed, aperture and iso and occasionally the focal point (the one in camera, not where i focus, that changes every photo) when on a shoot. i also make sure the camera and tripod are level at this point.

before the shoot i'll look at the focal point and autofocus mode and adjust them to suit the circumstances. i rarely adjust wb unless i'm shooting people, then i've got my flash and have to adjust that as well...

 

[Railphotog]

I have a question too - what difference does it make? When I shoot its for me at the moment, no other person will have the exact same moment as mine. Does it make a difference if one chooses high speed shooting, self timer, IS on/off, self timer, etc., etc.??

 

[Kerbouchard]

I have a question too - what difference does it make? When I shoot its for me at the moment, no other person will have the exact same moment as mine. Does it make a difference if one chooses high speed shooting, self timer, IS on/off, self timer, etc., etc.??

My question isn't what settings do you use. It is what settings you change on a routine basis.

If you don't wish to participate, nobody is twisting your arm.

 

[Derrel]

I adjust ISO quite a bit, within the range that's acceptable for each camera and each shooting scenario. The ability to change ISO values as a way to alter exposure, without shifting the aperture and shutter speed in use, is a HUGE, HUGE advantage that the d-slr provides over film. Having 1/3 stop ISO adjustment allows me to fine-tune exposures, while keeping the needed shutter speed and or aperture value for the right "creative" or "practical" reasons.

For example, later in the day, once shutter speed drops to 1/640 and the lens is long, like 200 or 300mm, then it becomes time to start notching the ISO values upward and upward as the light fades. Same thing in reverse as light intensity grows higher after sunup...I use the ISO value to maintain whatever baseline shutter speed, or f/stop size, that I feel is needed. Pretty standard.

Another thing I switch around sometimes is the tone curve...I have a pre-loaded "extreme" tone curve loaded into my action camera, and I switch between AUTO Tone curve, Custom Curve 1, Custom Curve 2, and LOW quite often. Custom CUrve #1 requires me to UNDER-expose by 1.7 f/stops on the exposure compensation dial, and then that produces an extreme shadow and lower mid-tone curves lift to the OOC JPEG and to the RAW files when opened in ACR. It allows me to shoot at higher shutter speeds, by 1.7 stops (ie 7 clicks faster) at lower ISO settings, and to evaluate SOOC JPEGs fast, without everythng being inky dark. It also produces very snappy SOOC JPEG Files, ready to print, with the highlights pegged quite nicely.

Depending on the assignment, I will also switch focusing patterns around, often using Group Dynamic AF with a small cluster of AF points; when shooting "talls" I almost invariably switch the group to the top of the viewfinder area if I want to focus on the face; in social situations, I often shift a group AF pattern to the bottom edge of the frame, which is better for picking up the body of a person at close range. Pretty basic stuff, really. In low light situations, at close ranges, focus and recompose is not as accurate as it is to shift the focus point to the desired area, and t focus with the AF area in use actually ON THE TARGET. With a fast telephoto lens, like the 85/1.4, 105/2,135/2, or 200/2, the off-center AF areas work splendidly, since the depth of field is VERY shallow at closer distances and those lenses let in so,so much more light than slower zooms do.

With flash, I often try to find a really interesting bounce position for the flash beam; sometimes, swiveling the flash back and off to one side can create some really pleasing light, especially in smaller, close-quarter rooms. SOmetimes, aiming the zoom head zoomed to 105mm and RIGHT INTO A CORNER can provide a really nice lighting effect. Look into "foofing" on the interwebs for more details on using bounce flash on-camera instead of OCF.

 

[DiskoJoe]

^^^

Yeah, what darrel said.

 

[bazooka]

Focal point (although I used to only use center and recompose), WB, and beep (on/off) for me.

 

[Patrice]

I try to get the best j-peg image possible straight out of the camera. I record both raw and jpg large fine, if the jpg is to my likeing then I'll use it as is and archive the raw right away. In that vein I have a few presets (sharpening, noise reduction, color, etc..) for specific circumstances that I have handy access to via one of the programable buttons. Takes a while to figure out how many presets to configure but I've narrowed it down to half a dozen. I guess this is a similar idea to the various scene modes found on the consumer bodies, but I'm the one who configured them in order to get preferred under various conditions.

 

[Josh66]

Not counting the obvious focusing and exposure related stuff, the only setting I can really remember changing semi-frequently is the drive mode... Single shot, delay, burst, etc...

Everything else is the normal stuff like aperture, ISO, focus point - all the usual stuff. Basically, I have all the custom functions set so that I never really have to change anything.

I shoot film pretty much exclusively, but even when I was shooting a lot of digital - it was exactly the same. Drive mode, and that's about it. Even WB stayed on Daylight, always. 95% of the time, Daylight was 'right', and the other 5% was easy to change in post.

 

[Luke.Spence]

I usually only change the basics (exposure comp, iso, shutter, aperture) but I experimented with a couple of different settings. i.e. if your taking photos of people and group photos etc - I set the camera to take 9 photos in one push of the button (might be a nikon d90 thing..?) also I tested the shutter release delay - so less movement in the camera when you push the button if your taking low shutter speed shots (I think this is correct).

cool thread makes you realise you can adjust other settings for different things. Good idea kerbouchard

 

[kundalini]

I have a question too - what difference does it make? When I shoot its for me at the moment, no other person will have the exact same moment as mine. Does it make a difference if one chooses high speed shooting, self timer, IS on/off, self timer, etc., etc.??

My question isn't what settings do you use. It is what settings you change on a routine basis.

If you don't wish to participate, nobody is twisting your arm.

I was wondering why I could view this thread, much less this response. When I tried to reply, I realized I wasn't logged in. Damn Ignore list.

Same ole, same ole kerbouchard. a leopard doesn't change its spots.


So for my participation, I change aperture mostly and shutter speed when needed. I try to keep ISO at base as much as posible.

 

[Kerbouchard]

I have a question too - what difference does it make? When I shoot its for me at the moment, no other person will have the exact same moment as mine. Does it make a difference if one chooses high speed shooting, self timer, IS on/off, self timer, etc., etc.??

My question isn't what settings do you use. It is what settings you change on a routine basis.

If you don't wish to participate, nobody is twisting your arm.

I was wondering why I could view this thread, much less this response. When I tried to reply, I realized I wasn't logged in. Damn Ignore list.

Same ole, same ole kerbouchard. a leopard doesn't change its spots.


So for my participation, I change aperture mostly and shutter speed when needed. I try to keep ISO at base as much as posible.

Has absolutely nothing to do with my question... Actually, it's the complete opposite of my question. Feel free to continue to ignore my threads. Your input is not required.

 

[cgipson1]

Camera: Exposure triumvirate, exposure metering pattern, # focus points, focus type , CL-CH speeds, bracketing, flash settings, WB, EV, remote, Quiet, Mirror UP, controls, etc. Mode is usually A or M.. occasionally S.

Flashes: mode, zoom, power, pocket wizards settings, SU-800 settings

It all depends on what I shooting... too many whys to list. (actually, I am too lazy to type that much!)

 

[Derrel]

Here's a lighthearted look at camera settings, along with the Thought Process behind the changes. This is supposed to be humorous, okay!!!

Scenario A:"Hey,friendly-looking stranger can you take a picture of me and my _____________? (wife,girlfriend, BF, fish, dog, kid) SETTINGS: wide-area autofocus, Green Box Idiot Mode or FULL AUTO PROGRAM, whatever your camera maker calls it. Why? Friendly strangers will ruin virtually all shots made with center AF point only: use a WIDE-AREA, evaluative focusing mode, and an automatic metering mode.

Scenario B: "Hey, that gal's really hot! Look at the,the,the bookbag she's carrying!" SETTINGS: fast shutter speed, to quell the shakes, know what I mean Schwettylens? Metering mode: evaluative. Focusing: Group dynamic AF. Advance: High-speed. If she's in a club, use the flash. ISO: 400, to keep the shakes down, and to get the high shutter speed needed, and to gain a little bit of extra depth of field to cover any focus error, so that the "bookbag" [wink!] comes out sharply-focused.

Scenario C: You've been drinking beer INDOORS with the guys, watching football and eating junk food. ISO 500. Bounce flash, straight up, then one click forward (60 degrees). f/stop 8. Shutter speed whenever the TV is in the frame: 1/20 second. Cool TV images, good pics of your drunk buddies. Lens: 18-70mm indoors. Advance mode: single frame, so your drunk ass doesn't rattle off no-flash shots while the flash is recycling, or irritate the guys too much. Tip: Drink GOOD BEER for the first three bottles, then break out the swill for your drunk buddies.

Scenario D:You and you buddies spot a girl with a really nice "bookbag" coming your way. She is with he 6'4" steroid-freak college linebacker boyfriend. Settings: Focal Length 300mm preferrably. Shutter speed: fast. Metgering mode: Av mode, centerweighted metering, not Matrix. Advance mode: Advance? Hell, more like full retreat at dead run as soon as he looks your way!

Scenario E: Wedding Guest, asked to take photos: Advance mode: Single frame. Focus mode: Careful Shutter speed: YES, set one Flash: Sure, why the hell not ISO: What the hell, it's an open bar!!! Sure, pick an ISO like 320 or 400, or 500, WTF!!!!!! F/stop: Sure, it'll never last more than a year anyhow!!! She's making a huuuuge mistake marrying your cousin!!!!! He's a prick!!!!! She's ttt too ogoodforthatdumsono***un,Itellyah..... Focusing: FOgusissing? HUh> Oh, fo-cussing!! Well, my eyes are kind a blurry-blurrying,ying, ung, and I can gtell if I'm fogggusing or not......

 

[bennielou]

Derrel, if i shot the way you did, I'd be freaking worn out at the end of a wedding. Kerbouchard is one of our team members and he does indeed shoot the way Mike and I shoot. (And George do NOT custom white balance or I'll spend TWICE as long in Lightroom, Mr. Nikon! *spanking*).

At least in the type of work I'm doing, bouncing between all kinds of lighting between each nano second, I keep it simple. I set my ISO first for the room, and then dial in from there. (For Ceremony, I adjust the SS second and the AP third- For Reception it's the AP second and the SS third). ETTL, and everything else pretty much auto. Single shot, back button focus (this is about the only thing I (Mike) tweaked from factory settings.

I would miss all sorts of moments if I sat around futzing to make everything perfect SOOC. I'd be spending all night twisting dials. No thanky spanky. I get real close on the settings for the overall situation at hand, and then I do tweaks in LR later.

No gels, no in camera curves, no multiple AF points. I don't have all day to set up a shot. I've got a few seconds......if that.......to take a shot. I might be shooting into the dark area of a room one second, and the next into a wall of sunlight. Things happen fast in my world. Way to fast to be playing with dials all the time.

99.99999 percent of the time AV is useless to me. I have people doing cartwheels in the dark and there is no way in hell AV will nail it.

YMMV, this is just my experience.