Which "M" to Master first??

[TomWatson]

Hello All,

Well, master may be a strong word but I'm trying to step up my game. The past few years I've shot mostly in aperture priority. Would it be better for me to focus next on learning how to shoot in manual focus or the manual mode? Does it really matter which one I work on next?

Thanks for your help!
Tom

 

[robbins.photo]

Hello All,

Well, master may be a strong word but I'm trying to step up my game. The past few years I've shot mostly in aperture priority. Would it be better for me to focus next on learning how to shoot in manual focus or the manual mode? Does it really matter which one I work on next?

Thanks for your help!
Tom

Well it might just be me but I don't see much purpose served in manually focusing - unless there's actually some benefit to the final product that I'm unaware of or might not be considering. I mean if I look at a photo I can't tell if it was manually focused or auto focused unless someone tells me and frankly when I'm looking at photos that's pretty much the very last thing that I really want to know or care about. So unless you've got some lenses that won't autofocus for whatever reason, just doesn't seem like something worth taking th time to "master". Just my 2 cents worth of course, YMMV.

 

[Designer]

TomWatson; I agree with robbins.photo regarding manually focusing.

Now to the other: I think the mode you use will more properly depend on the subject, conditions, desired effect, limitations, equipment, your own skill, and perhaps other considerations. Arbitrarily sticking to only aperture priority mode seems like self-flagelation when there are all those other modes available.

 

[TomWatson]

You bring up a good point. I suppose I do not plan on continuing to use manual focus for the long term (unless I learn that it is better to do so) but I would want to use the manual mode on a more regular basis. I was thinking about learning to use the manual focus just for the sake of knowing my equipment better than I do now.

 

[TomWatson]

TomWatson; I agree with robbins.photo regarding manually focusing.

Now to the other: I think the mode you use will more properly depend on the subject, conditions, desired effect, limitations, equipment, your own skill, and perhaps other considerations. Arbitrarily sticking to only aperture priority mode seems like self-flagelation when there are all those other modes available.

It wasn't really an arbitrary choice as much as at first I wanted to control DOF more than other factors. Now I'm just wanting to step up my amateur game and learn other parts of my gear.

Equipment: Canon 70D, EF 24-105mm f/4L, EF 35mm f/1.4L (this is all new equipment to me where my aperture priority shooting was done on my old Canon Rebel XS).

 

[hirejn]

You don't have to master any modes you don't want to. Manual mode is just a matter of understanding the exposure triangle. How you shoot is up to you. I find manual useful most of the time, but I don't use it for everything. The modes I use least are P and S; however, a guy like Joe Buissink uses mostly P. Practicing with M may help you understand more the crafting process, metering and flsh. Each mode has its purposes and uses.

 

[KmH]

There are many shooting situations where auto focus cannot do the job.
If you do not know how to manually focus but need to, you're going to be SOL.

The same applies to using Manual shooting mode, if you need to use it but don't know how to use it effectively, again you'll find yourself SOL.

We see this situation today with airline pilots. There are various fundamental flying skills pilots used to have, like detecting and recovering from a stall, that today's airline pilots can't handle because that type of emergency can't be duplicated in the simulators used to train airline pilots today.

 

[robbins.photo]

You don't have to master any modes you don't want to. Manual mode is just a matter of understanding the exposure triangle. How you shoot is up to you. I find manual useful most of the time, but I don't use it for everything. The modes I use least are P and S; however, a guy like Joe Buissink uses mostly P. Practicing with M may help you understand more the crafting process, metering and flsh. Each mode has its purposes and uses.

I shoot mostly wildlife and at the zoo myself - so I use A mode more often than not. I find it extremely useful in that I can very quickly adjust my aperture or ISO to get the shot I want. I will use S mode on occasion, usually if I'm shooting at something small that moves fast, just so I can be sure that my shutter speed is set where I need it to be and if I run into an exposure issue I can normally fix it in post. I probably use M the least, mostly if I just want to get a desired effect or if I know I have the time to setup the shot and I want to expose to the right for noise reduction purposes, but normally I just don't have the time to adjust that many settings if I want to get the shot I want on the critter I'm shooting at.

 

[SCraig]

If you're going to use manual mode to "Step up your game", as you put it, then you have to do it right. That means not using the meter in your camera to check exposure with. If you use your camera's metering system then all you are doing is using a different form of "Automatic" mode and turning dials until the meter lines up right.

So many people think that using manual mode makes them a better photographer. It's not the case because the vast majority still use their camera's metering and are simply twiddling different dials. Learn to use your CAMERA and ALL of the useful modes, not just one specific mode. Learn to use aperture priority, shutter priority, and manual depending on the situation. That's WHY there are different modes, so that you can take advantage of the capabilities that each one has for varying situations. Learn the limitations of the metering system and why it will frequently lie to you. Learn the limitations of the autofocus system and why it doesn't do what you expect from time to time. Using any particular "Mode" exclusive of the others is counterproductive.

 

[astroNikon]

Manual Focusing may help your eye a bit in learning how to focus. But learning the "focusing system" on your camera would be more important.

As Derrel, one of the info guys here pointed out, the dSLRs today don't actually have the items needed for proper easy manual focusing. I had to pull out old film camera to remember the focusing screens that used to be used that are absent from dSLRs. Quite different. Anyways, I do alot of manual focusing as my larger lenses and telescopes are all manual focusing anyways, so I have no choice.

But put more effort into the Focusing System anyways, you can always test your manual focusing vs the auto focusing by flipping a switch or two back and forth.

But I would look into the Modes (P,S,A,M) more, such as the Manual Mode where you can control ISO (instead of Auto), shutter and aperture. It really helps your photos when you start getting it. But I do use the metering system, then make adjustments.

 

[robbins.photo]

There are many shooting situations where auto focus cannot do the job.
If you do not know how to manually focus but need to, you're going to be SOL.

I don't disagree in principle persee, just not found myself in a shooting situation where manual focusing was required, or indeed even desired. As far as learning "how", I wouldn't think it would really be that difficult to master - I mean it is a pretty straight foward process. Now it might require some practice to be able to do it quickly, I can't imagine it's a skill that I would be able to keep "current' on enough that if I ever did run into a situation where for some reason I might need to manually focus in a matter of seconds odds are good even if I had spent time practicing it 6 months or a year ago I still won't be able to pull it off. Like I said, just my 2 cents worth, YMMV

 

[Meeskephoto]

I've found that Manual focusing is useful when the subject you are trying to focus on is in a darker part, or not the center of the picture. The auto focus doesn't focus well in these types of conditions. And even doing that is not really a skill that is difficult. Just make the image look sharp and/or reference the meter on the lens for distance. On the other hand Learning Manual function of a camera takes a lot more time and effort to "master", but in the long run is much more useful. I learned both pretty much at the same time with some effort. It's not too difficult.

Good Luck!

 

[table1349]

There are many shooting situations where auto focus cannot do the job.
If you do not know how to manually focus but need to, you're going to be SOL.

I don't disagree in principle persee, just not found myself in a shooting situation where manual focusing was required, or indeed even desired. As far as learning "how", I wouldn't think it would really be that difficult to master - I mean it is a pretty straight foward process. Now it might require some practice to be able to do it quickly, I can't imagine it's a skill that I would be able to keep "current' on enough that if I ever did run into a situation where for some reason I might need to manually focus in a matter of seconds odds are good even if I had spent time practicing it 6 months or a year ago I still won't be able to pull it off. Like I said, just my 2 cents worth, YMMV

Try Macro.

 

[robbins.photo]

There are many shooting situations where auto focus cannot do the job.
If you do not know how to manually focus but need to, you're going to be SOL.

I don't disagree in principle persee, just not found myself in a shooting situation where manual focusing was required, or indeed even desired. As far as learning "how", I wouldn't think it would really be that difficult to master - I mean it is a pretty straight foward process. Now it might require some practice to be able to do it quickly, I can't imagine it's a skill that I would be able to keep "current' on enough that if I ever did run into a situation where for some reason I might need to manually focus in a matter of seconds odds are good even if I had spent time practicing it 6 months or a year ago I still won't be able to pull it off. Like I said, just my 2 cents worth, YMMV

Try Macro.

Not my cup of tea really. I don't shoot macro, at all. I did some back in my 35 mm days, eons ago. If I were doing macro I might find more need for manual focus, but since I don't.. eh, not so much really. But then again if I were doing macro I wouldn't have to go out of my way to give myself a crash course on manual focus because it's something I would be using already, right?

 

[vintagesnaps]

I usually use all manual settings; I shoot film and often use a vintage lens on my digital camera. I learned how to focus manually and am good at it so it works for me. I don't know if it will help you to learn and practice it or not, but if you ever think you'd use it then it might be worth trying and getting in some practice.

I like to use manual settings to control the settings myself instead of the camera determining the settings, along with using the meter to determine a proper exposure. If you learn manual settings or try other modes it could probably give you other ways to use your camera but it seems like different techniques work for different people.