What Shooting Mode Do You Use ?

[Chris of Arabia]

Well, if this doesn't prove that we should all just use whatever mode we want and not care about what other people think, nothing will.

All in favour, say "aye"...






















AYE!

 

[RKW3]

I shoot in manual mostly. The problem I find with shutter priority is that if you accidentally meter off of something that's black or white you'll have a useless photo (maybe matrix metering is a different story). Exposure compensation works, but wouldn't you have to tweak that around a lot for a perfect exposure just as you'd need to tweak around manual settings for a perfect exposure? Another bonus with manual is knowing what type of shutter speed and aperture I'm at all the time for obvious reasons (motion blur, depth of field....)

I thought I also might add that "full manual" sounds kinda like your trying to act like a better person for it, I think just saying manual would be fine.

I guess it's worthless to debate what the better mode to shoot in is, it's mostly just personal preference.

 

[Chris of Arabia]

The problem I find with shutter priority is that if you accidentally meter off of something that's black or white you'll have a useless photo (maybe matrix metering is a different story).

I think you're confusing two different things here - the exposure modes are not the same as the metering pattern.

 

[Battou]

I shoot in Manual

 

[reg]

I think you're confusing two different things here - the exposure modes are not the same as the metering pattern.

No, he's saying that he tried Tv with spot metering and he had issues with the exposure changing when the camera pointed at different objects, where as in Manual it would have stayed the same. He wonders if it would be different in matrix mode.

 

[Chris of Arabia]

No, he's saying that he tried Tv with spot metering and he had issues with the exposure changing when the camera pointed at different objects, where as in Manual it would have stayed the same. He wonders if it would be different in matrix mode.

That has absolutely nothing to do with it being in shutter priority though. If you are spot metering black and white items with it, you are going to get the exposure wrong regardless of the mode (Tv, Av, Auto or Manual) - unless your skills are such that you know how to compensate for the readings you are getting.

 

[reg]

But... if you're exposing for the foreground and you manage to slide your camera the extra few mm over before the shot, it's ruined. That's the type of scenario he's conveying.

 

[Chris of Arabia]

OK, I'm off to knock some nails in - now, where's my rock... :er:

 

[kellylindseyphotography]

holy smokes i give up...

the first link shows how to read a histogram..... what does this have to do with what mode you shoot?... you can view a histogram when you shoot aperture priority... you can make exp comp changes if your meter is out a tad and from there you don't have to make any setting changes for the rest of the shoot.

the second link goes nowhere....

it is clear to me now that you have no idea what you are talking about. this thread must be embarrassing to you....

on the contrary friend. it's embarring to BE embarressed on your behalf. I'm sorry your incapable of reading the article or understanding the more complex areas of photogrpahy.. I really am :hugs:

 

[dEARlEADER]

I shoot in manual mostly. The problem I find with shutter priority is that if you accidentally meter off of something that's black or white you'll have a useless photo (maybe matrix metering is a different story). Exposure compensation works, but wouldn't you have to tweak that around a lot for a perfect exposure just as you'd need to tweak around manual settings for a perfect exposure?

If whatever you meter in aperture priority is causing the exposure to off by -2ev you will also be off by -2ev shooting in manual mode because it's the same meter.... you would a have to make a +2ev adjustment in either mode and your original shot would have been blown either way. The only difference is when using a priority mode you can make that +2ev adjustment and then forget about any other environmental change. Using manual you have to remember to meter +2 ev over every shot and when that cloud comes you have to make further adjustments.

Another bonus with manual is knowing what type of shutter speed and aperture I'm at all the time for obvious reasons (motion blur, depth of field....)

Doesn't your cameras display show you what your aperture/shutter settings are?

and aside from the principle purpose of your shot who cares what the setting is?? If I decide to create a shallow DOF and use aperture priority at f2.8 I couldn't care less if the shutter speed is 1/1000th or 1/2000th... all I care about is creating shallow DOF at f2.8..

even still... i would say if the reason you shoot manual only is because you achieve a poor result when you spot meter something black or white is still creating extra steps.... what about all the other photography you do?

 

[Bifurcator]

What a very funny thread.

Chris, you can use my nails if you want. You gotta find your own rock though - I never lend mine out!

 

[Chewbecca]

Finally.





I honestly think it's part of the development of the new "serious" photographer:

Stage one: Full auto, bad pictures
Stage two: Rebellion against any automation, belief that full manual is the only choice for "real" or "pro" photographers
Stage three: Realization that the camera is simply a tool to capture images, and that what you get matters more than how you get it

It doesn't matter what settings you use. It matters what your images look like.

hahahahahahaha, so true. This is what I went through, but not for the same reason. I didn't shoot all manual because I thought of it as the only "real" way to be a photographer. Manual helped me learn the different settings, because I had to set them.
But the stages are in correct order for me, personally.


I shoot manual a lot (because I set the settings and it has allowed me to learn what settings I like for different situations), but if I shoot landscape/cityscape/whatever, I shoot in "A" mode, generally.

 

[kellylindseyphotography]

and aside from the principle purpose of your shot who cares what the setting is?? If I decide to create a shallow DOF and use aperture priority at f2.8 I couldn't care less if the shutter speed is 1/1000th or 1/2000th... all I care about is creating shallow DOF at f2.8..

even still... i would say if the reason you shoot manual only is because you achieve a poor result when you spot meter something black or white is still creating extra steps.... what about all the other photography you do?

Since I'm feeling generous today, I thought I'd do some quick examples. They are both SOOC and I have not altered or doctored them in any way. The first shot I shot in AV mode. I had my ap at 3.2. AV told me that my shutter should be 1/2000 but would widely leap at guesses at the slightest change of hand. I metered in the EXACT SAME SPOT for the shot I took in manual. I then fiddled with the 3.2 to try to get it out of underexposure and took about 5 pictures with the camera getting it wrong every time . Here is the closest it came. (No, I didn't bother with exposure comp)

The next shot I did the same exact picture in manual. I metered off the same spot and it gave me a wild exposure. Obviously trying to take into account how bright it was on the right side of the frame (the window) and the darker (inside) [I spot metered for BOTH these shots, did not change metering modes, but with the Rebel, it has a very wide "spot", which is like 9%, makes spot metering harder). Here's where I say, um nope, I definitly know better than that and I went from an exposure suggestion of around 1/1000 down to 1/200! That is a HUGE difference and anyone can see why it is the better picture. This mode took me less than a minute, and 2 pictures taken.

 

[dEARlEADER]

What a very funny thread.

Chris, you can use my nails if you want. You gotta find your own rock though - I never lend mine out!

So.... I gather you use Rock Priority mode instead of Hammer Priority??

 

[manaheim]

and aside from the principle purpose of your shot who cares what the setting is?? If I decide to create a shallow DOF and use aperture priority at f2.8 I couldn't care less if the shutter speed is 1/1000th or 1/2000th... all I care about is creating shallow DOF at f2.8..

Have you ever taken a picture of something that is very well illuminated, but surrounded by things less well illuminated... at a large aperature and very high shutter speed? It has an interesting effect, which is only desirable if you want that effect... so yeah, you really should care.

You know, I really think you should learn more about your camera before proceeding on with this conversation. :er: