Why is Manual the most popular setting?

[tsaraleksi]

If the light you are in is constant, then any change in exposure would not reflect a change in light, which would mean the exposure is ticking away from where you want it to be. So putting it in manual lets you lock it down.

 

[In2daBlue]

Manual mode does offer the most control over exposure, no doubt about it. In 95 percent of my shots I am manual mode. After years of working in it, I know pretty much where I need to be and will bracket (manually) one up and one down if I am unable to chimp on the back out of fear of missing the moment.

Now, there are times when one of the auto modes is helpful. Often when I am shooting an event where light is shifting considerably in a matter of seconds I will shoot in an auto mode.

I shoot pro Nikon cameras and find that the auto modes sometimes overexpose for my style and taste. That can be fixed by setting the exposure compensation down a stop or two, but again, at that point it's usually, and I stress the word USUALLY easier just to be in manual.

I spent many years working in auto modes though and always came away with some great photos (most of the time).

 

[Sarah23]

Once I started using manual, I honestly dont think I have ever taken it out of manual. You are totally in control of your exposure, and its so much easier to get what you want. I dont shoot events much or anything like that though, other then weddings, and even then I shoot in manual. If I needed it, I would swtich to AV, but I havent needed to.

 

[epp_b]

90% of the time, aperture priority gives me exactly what I want. The other 10% is for when I need to use manual for something that aperture priority can't do (eg.: bulb mode)

 

[tomhooper]

I started photography when I was 15 way back in 1973. As some have said, all we had was manual. I got used to it. Then came my Canon Elan IIe. I latched onto the auto modes and autofocus but I really wasn't happy with most of my shots. I am personally more comfortable shooting manual. I do shoot "green square" for snapshots and family get togethers but that is just about the only time my camera and lens is on an auto setting. Just my preference. You need to pick your own preference and not worry about what some poll says or what I or anyone else on this or any board does. Take shots that you are happy with. If you're not happy with them, then and only then, try something different.
Keep that shutter clicking.

 

[rufus5150]

Manual is so popular because it's way cooler to shoot in manual than anything else!!!

In reality, people shoot what they need to shoot to get the images they want. For some, that's manual. I shoot in manual a lot just because I use a lot of studio lighting. I know what works with my setup and I can pop right to it in manual. I probably could do it in ap or shutter mode but it would require doing things like adjusting the aperture the way I want it and then adjust the exposure compensation. In Manual, it's just one adjustment, not two.

On the other hand, outside of the studio, I'm usually shooting in Ap or Shutter priority 99% of the time or P if I'm just taking snapshots, but a lot of the time I still shoot in manual after getting the reading in Av or Tv. It's just a matter of using the tools how you can use them.

Also keep in mind that these polls are highly unscientific. I'd bet you'd probably find that people who shoot in manual might be more inclined to answer a voluntary poll.

 

[nikonpreap]

i shoot in aperture priority and if i want to tweak the outcome i switch to manual and do some minor adjustments

 

[EhJsNe]

I have no choice what mode I shoot in.
If i want to use my Fm10, its manual.

If i want digital shots, its full auto.

So untill I get my DSLR in the mail, Ill be using fully manual/auto. When my camera does come, ill probaly use aperture priority.

 

[mrodgers]

In Av or Tv, what happens when you want to meter one area, but focus on another area?

Usually the answer is to set the camera up so that the exposure lock is on a separate button than the focus lock.

Bingo! There's my answer. I don't have the capability to separate the exposure and focus lock. They are both on the half shutterbutton push. Thus, I usually am in manual mode rather than Av.

Example, if I am taking a shot in the backyard of the kids playing with the dog and want to focus on one of the kids, it will also meter said child and on a bright sunny day, my light colored yellow Lab will be completely blown out.

Of course there's always exp. compensation, but I normally run -1.0 anyways and that doesn't leave me much room to move it if I'm in Av. Besides, in my opinion, using Av or Tv and exp. compensation is no different than using manual mode as you are overriding what the camera wants to set anyways. So, why not just use manual anyways instead of messing around with exp. comp?

 

[dxqcanada]

Many User's will state that they shoot in Manual exposure mode because it makes them sound more "professional" or a "guru".

Most of these will just set the Shutter speed and Aperture to match exactly what the light meter is telling them to do.

Manual exposure should be used to set the exposure to a value that is NOT what the in-camera light meter is stating.
Auto mode + Exposure Compensation also performs the same.

Using Manual exposure effectively takes experience, and may not always be the best mode to shoot in.

 

[KmH]

The key message of Bryan Petersons book "Understanding Exposure" is there are several combinations of the exposure triangle (aperture, shutter speed, ISO) that will give a properly exposed image but not all properly exposed images are interesting. There is usually only 1 exposure triangle combination that gives a proper creative exposure.

The more exposure triangle settings that are automatically controlled by the camera the less likely you are to wind up with a properly exposed creative image. The camera is mindless.

If you leave your camera in manual mode all the time it eventually becomes second nature to adjust the settings quickly to give you that creative edge.

:thumbup:Manual Mode, rear curtain sync and RAW forever.:thumbup:

I like manual shift cars too.

 

[Overread]

Manual exposure should be used to set the exposure to a value that is NOT what the in-camera light meter is stating.

Ok in general people can agree that using manual mode allows one to set the camera settings to those which even with exposure compensation might not be possible with aperture priority and shutter priority -- often this is with either a creative idea in mind (long exposure for startrails) or its when your using flash to boost local light levels so you can afford to underexpose on the meter reading and still get a proper exposure because the flash has added light to the scene.

However there is no reason why people should not use manual mode for setting settings just to the meter - it lets them pick the settings and it also lets one retain fixed settings - say if your in an environment with shifing lighting, but where you want a singular metered effect from one point in the scene, without things suddengly changing because the sun just caugh a flash from a bit of jewelry.

As for just using manual mode as like in AV and TV modes again nothing wrong with that - if your in a studio time is on your side - - if your doing sports or wildlife its not the best mode to be in for changing lighting as one is likley to miss the shot as you adjust a setting - so best let the quicker camera work at it..

Again it really does not matter specificaly how or why a mode is used, what matters is that the photographer gets the shot they want from the gear -

 

[Katier]

I honestly don't understand why people waste the time with manual, having to change everything for every shot. If you need to adjust, then KNOWING how to do it is fine.

Actually manual mode doesn't mean this at all.

I shoot Large Format and Medium Format both on full manual cameras. While I'll take a light reading for every shot 90% of the time it's just confirming what my eyes are telling me and I don't actually change the exposure. This is especially true of Medium Format.

I use a YashicaMat TLR for street photography, after arriving at the place I'm shooting I use the TLR's in built meter to get a light measurement. I then choose a setting ( usually trying for 125th or 60th/s @ f8/11/16 or 22) and set a focus that gives a depth of field for the expected distances I will be shooting.

Then when I take the shot I do a quick check glancing at the meter to ensure the light hasn't changed much and click the shutter, wind on the film and ready for the next shot. All done in a time that's LESS than the time it would take a DSLR running on any other mode than manual focus/manual settings would take.

 

[ANDS!]

It all boils down to one thing: time. Do you have the time to adjust EVERY shot, or do you want to simply focus on a certain "setting" and let the camera handle the rest. As someone said, aperture priority mode works very well - I will add the caveat, so long as you know how "retarded" your camera is going to behave. On a Nikon D300, dialing down by .7 or a full stop is enough to get the camera "thinking" the way I need it to so that its not screwing up shots. If however, you are in a slower environment, where adjusting individual settings is not only easy, but preferred - well damn sure go for it.

Actually manual mode doesn't mean this at all.

Your distinction is one of practice; I believe he was making a fundamental distinction.

 

[dcclark]

Of course there's always exp. compensation, but I normally run -1.0 anyways and that doesn't leave me much room to move it if I'm in Av. Besides, in my opinion, using Av or Tv and exp. compensation is no different than using manual mode as you are overriding what the camera wants to set anyways. So, why not just use manual anyways instead of messing around with exp. comp?

I disagree that using exposure compensation in Av or Tv is the same as using manual mode. The difference is that exposure compensation is relative: I know how my camera meters (due to much experience), and I know that (for example) in the current lighting situation, my camera will choose an exposure which is about 1/3 stop brighter than I want. So it's easy for me to dial in a -1/3 compensation.

Were I shooting entirely in a manual exposure mode, I'd have to dial in shutter speed and aperture (and ISO, I suppose) and hope that I had metered it correctly on my own. I don't want to bother taking the time to figure that out and run that risk.

I find it much easier to become familiar with my camera's choices, and apply small tweaks when I need to. After all, on my D40, I can adjust the compensation with one hand in one motion, never taking my eye away from the viewfinder.