Something daunting about "Manual" mode for beginners (Page 3): I take it you used those charts for negative film, which has a pretty good latitude for exposure. Digital is more like...

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

whwiden wrote:

Here is a link to an exposure chart that I made fo... (show quote)

I take it you used those charts for negative film, which has a pretty good latitude for exposure. Digital is more like slide film, which requires a more precise exposure. Even if you memorize those charts, you still have to do the conversion if you want to use a different ISO and shutter speed. It 's really faster and more accurate to just use the meter in the camera.

whwiden

JohnSwanda wrote:

I take it you used those charts for negative film, which has a pretty good latitude for exposure. Digital is more like slide film, which requires a more precise exposure. Even if you memorize those charts, you still have to do the conversion if you want to use a different ISO and shutter speed. It 's really faster and more accurate to just use the meter in the camera.

Yes, it is faster. In most cases, it will be more accurate. But, if you want to learn about full manual shooting, I find them a helpful refresher. And, yes negative film can have a wide exposure range, particularly B&W films like Tri-X or HP5. But RAW files also can have a wide latitude if you under expose--rather the opposite of film which tends to do better if one misses with an over exposure.

Yankeepapa6 Loc: New York City

Just Fred wrote:

Automatic isn't automatically (sorry, no pun inten... (show quote)

It was a reception hall. There were 15 tables and 10people per table plus the main table bride and groom also 8 attendants total plus the bandstand. I was not concerned he was in Auto. I merely responded to the post about manual mode.

fotoman150

gvarner wrote:

There seems to be something daunting, too challenging, about Manual mode. I'm not a novice but I still don't use it. However, besides allowing complete control over your camera, I think that it is the best training tool for beginners who want to learn the technical side of photography - how things work. Become familiar with capturing your artistic vision using manual controls and all the other options in modern DSLR's will make much more sense.

I can't believe that there are people on this forum and elsewhere that say learning manual mode is not necessary. Even Scott Kelby in his Digital photography books says that there is no need to shoot in manual if you don't want to.

In my humble though accurate opinion, if you shoot in auto/program mode exclusively you are not a photographer. You are a button pusher. I can teach a Rhesus monkey to press a shutter button.

Those here that make those statements about why is manual mode so important will hopefully one day become real photographers and then they will be embarrassed that they ever thought that way and actually made that statement on UHH.

I'm not generally an opinionated guy. I actually shot on program for years out of shear laziness and am mortified that I even shot many early weddings on program. But I feel very strongly about this one.

whwiden

fotoman150 wrote:

I can't believe that there are people on this foru... (show quote)

I do not follow your comment. I would have thought the button pusher was the person using a full automatic setting.?

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

fotoman150 wrote:

I can't believe that there are people on this foru... (show quote)

I would be careful about presuming to know who's a photographer and who isn't. There are types of photography where manual is a good choice, such as landscapes or studio, and if someone does those types they are justified in using it. You may be able to teach a monkey to push a button, but can you teach one to take a proper meter reading and decide which combination of ISO, shutter speed, and aperture that will give them the results they desire? When I am in conditions that are changing faster than I can take a meter reading and do manual settings, then I use one of the auto modes. But for people who don't shoot in those kind of conditions and shoot manual, they are indeed photographers.

fotoman150

whwiden wrote:

I do not follow your comment. I would have thought the button pusher was the person using a full automatic setting.?

Thank you. I corrected my post.

fotoman150

JohnSwanda wrote:

I would be careful about presuming to know who's a... (show quote)

Sorry, my post was confusing. My point was shooting auto/program mode was inferior.

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

fotoman150 wrote:

Sorry, my post was confusing. My point was shooting auto/program mode was inferior.

Then I also disagree that people who use auto modes are not photographers. Especially shooting action and moving subjects, it can be valuable to use auto exposure modes and concentrate on accurate focus, composition, and precise timing.

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

fotoman150 wrote:

I can't believe that there are people on this foru... (show quote)

So, how long will it take you to teach that monkey which Auto Focus mode to use on a 1Dx/D5??? LoL
That's so difficult, it's the reason most manual shooters shoot Manual!!!
SS

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

gvarner wrote:

There seems to be something daunting, too challenging, about Manual mode. I'm not a novice but I still don't use it. However, besides allowing complete control over your camera, I think that it is the best training tool for beginners who want to learn the technical side of photography - how things work. Become familiar with capturing your artistic vision using manual controls and all the other options in modern DSLR's will make much more sense.

Interesting thought. At one time the popular cameras were the Nikkormat series and the FTb. Both 100% manual in that you had to make the settings yourself. But once a novice who was moving from an instamatic was shown that all they had to do was match the meter needle seen in the viewfinder as required for the suggested proper exposure they found very quickly it was actually very easy. It is when some know it all made it sound complex with all kinds of BS that a beginner does not need to hear is what made it intimidating. Once the basic match needle was second nature then the exploration of more theory or whatever would then be explored.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

gvarner wrote:

There seems to be something daunting, too challenging, about Manual mode. I'm not a novice but I still don't use it. However, besides allowing complete control over your camera, I think that it is the best training tool for beginners who want to learn the technical side of photography - how things work. Become familiar with capturing your artistic vision using manual controls and all the other options in modern DSLR's will make much more sense.

For camera's with an EVF nothing could be simpler. For all others just watch the moving cursor on the + and - emblems, again nothing could be simpler. Nice thing with digital is that you can see the results right away, this way you can learn your way to a nice photo.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

gvarner wrote:

There seems to be something daunting, too challenging, about Manual mode. I'm not a novice but I still don't use it. However, besides allowing complete control over your camera, I think that it is the best training tool for beginners who want to learn the technical side of photography - how things work. Become familiar with capturing your artistic vision using manual controls and all the other options in modern DSLR's will make much more sense.

I think the best way for a beginner to learn a new camera is to start on Auto and see how it performs. Practice composition and shooting in different lighting situations. I use Aperture and sometimes Auto. My car has auto trans, cruise control, electric windows, and the controls for the radio are on the steering wheel. I have no desire to buy a 1950s car and use that as my daily driver. My advice is use Manual if you want, but don't knock Auto.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

jerryc41 wrote:

I think the best way for a beginner to learn a new camera is to start on Auto and see how it performs. Practice composition and shooting in different lighting situations. I use Aperture and sometimes Auto. My car has auto trans, cruise control, electric windows, and the controls for the radio are on the steering wheel. I have no desire to buy a 1950s car and use that as my daily driver. My advice is use Manual if you want, but don't knock Auto.

Retina Loc: Near Charleston,SC

gvarner wrote:

There seems to be something daunting, too challenging, about Manual mode. I'm not a novice but I still don't use it. However, besides allowing complete control over your camera, I think that it is the best training tool for beginners who want to learn the technical side of photography - how things work. Become familiar with capturing your artistic vision using manual controls and all the other options in modern DSLR's will make much more sense.

“How things work” was easier to see with most older film cameras. Rather than adjusting camera’s electronics, you handled the camera mechanically. The iris diaphragm was adjusted with a large aperture ring and the shutter speed with a dial that was part of the mechanical shutter itself. DOF preview was probably used more often. You didn’t want to waste exposures and had to plan more because of the waiting and limited number of shots. With no stabilization you had to be more careful selecting shutter speed. No one complained and we just learned. A camera with a 36 picture memory card that you had to turn in at a drug store and wait a few days to get one or two small prints would not fly today. Even rolling, developing, and printing at home (uphill both ways) was an investment in time, so we took extra care gto try to get it right. In that sense, manual mode was actually easier with film.