Vincejr Loc: Northern Kentucky

So you want to go manual. So set the iso then meter the photo scene manually and set fstop and shutter speed. If shutter speed is too slow see set iso higher so you have what you need.

tcthome Loc: NJ

Correct.

ngrea Loc: Sandy Spring, Maryland

You can (and should) read all the rules, but it really boils down to practice- like playing music. Shoot and then see if you like what you got. Adjust and shoot again. You will start to feel what your setting should be. Another trick is to take a sample on auto to see what the camera recommends and then make adjustments. Every situation is unique so someone (even yourself) can’t accurately predict what will give you the best settings, but with lots of practice you will develop instincts and won’t have to think about it. I also recommend taking a range of pictures. Sometimes the shot with the “wrong” settings gives you s wonderful surprise.
Remember that great photography is art, not just numbers.

Vincejr Loc: Northern Kentucky

To change exposure you only have to change one of the iso or fstop or shutter speed. Not all one at a time.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

If you are going to use manual you will be in total control. That means you select the ISO, shutter speed and aperture to fit the subject. Experience usually dictates that. For BIF I prefer Aperture Priority but I make sure I have the right shutter speed and a higher ISO to go with it.
Setting your exposure meter to "0" only means that you will expose properly for a middle tonality (18%) gray. Using matrix will give you a good exposure that way but not always. With center weighted or spot metering some type of exposure compensation will be necessary if the subject is dark or bright.

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

Keep practicing. Experience will show you the way.

JimBart Loc: Western Michigan

Thanks to each of you for your input as your comments do clear up a bunch of questions.
In response to several of your questions however, I predominately try to shoot sunrises, sunsets, nature, landscape, buildings and, family occasions. I seldom shoot any fast paced activity i.e. sports, racing. I have been shooting in Auto, P, A and S modes for a number of years and always wanted to do manual was too afraid to try since my friends might ridicule me. Being the age I am currently at and realizing life is short I just said to heck with them ….I am going to try this for myself....hence my questions.
In addition I shoot .jpg and have not tried RAW or post processing as yet. This is still on my list but the other half says I'm on the computer enough already
As you can see I am quite an amateur who will never claim to be a pro.
Thanks again guys....You are a great help

BebuLamar

While I shoot manual most of the time I would like to know why do you want to shoot in manual?

agillot

in manual mode , in sun lite , birds , set at 1000 iso , 1000 sec , f11 [ older lens with f8 max ] , go from there , learn to use the histogram , this will show the actual exposure quality of the shot .

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

When you get tired of your birds looking like mounted specimens suspended by fishing line, try panning with slower shutter speeds, 1/125 or even 1/60 second, to show motion blur in the background. Even a sharp subject against a merely out- of-focus background will often look static.

Terrymac Loc: LONDON U.K.

Hi Jim, You are in luck as Steve Perry of back country gallery has a post today regarding ISO. Here is the link I hope it helps. Terry.

https://backcountrygallery.com/all-about-auto-iso-nikon-cameras/

ngrea Loc: Sandy Spring, Maryland

[\quote]was too afraid to try since my friends might ridicule me. [/quote]
That is why we all have well used delete keys.
I heard about a photographer who took 80,000 shots of one bird to get the shot he wanted.

nikonbrain Loc: Crystal River Florida

On a Nikon the way I shoot BIF is to set camera to shutter priority , go to ISO settings set ISO sensitivity to 100 I use 64 because the D810 has a base ISO of 64 , in the same menu drop down to auto ISO sensitivity control set to ON . under that is maximum sensitivity set to 1100 . then under that minimum shutter speed to 1/1000 . This combination will force a 7.1 aperture every time giving you plenty of depth of field from wing tip to eye . The camera will try to first adjust ISO to lowest ISO then it will try to adjust Aperture to smallest aperture to match the minimum shutter speed you set in the top window at or above 1/1000 and you have a perfect combination as the bird is tracked thru light and dark areas I use this in most sun situations .I believe the d 7100 is slightly different using 2 menu areas , but all Nikons can accomplish this from a d7100 and upwards ... good luck . I believe but not sure Nikon has picked 7.1 as the the aperture to base all this on because in my metadata it is always 7.1 . This is the closest I get to manual for birds in flight keeping my focus point on a bird for metering , you can still adjust shutter upwards and not worry about the 7.1 dropping , although I believe shooting in morning and evening light you may have to raise the Maximum ISO.

SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA

Thanks for posting that. I was gonna suggest Steve Perry's video but didn't want to go look it up for the link!

If you have a camera that supports it it's a great way to easily control aperture and shutter speed while still taking advantage of an "auto" mode. I tend to shoot in aperture priority mostly, (a carry over from film when lenses had aperture rings), it was definitely the easiest to use, even if I had a specific shutter speed in mind I could get to it by changing the aperture, but I love this idea and just started playing with it.

SusanFromVermont Loc: Southwest corner of Vermont

The exposure triangle [shutter speed, aperture, ISO] is important to understand. Changing one affects how the others work. Until you get used to thinking in terms of those interactions, you will need to consciously consider your settings. And experiment.

First thing is to decide what setting will benefit the subject most. If light is bright, ISO can be lower than if it is darker. Motion, as in BIF, needs a fast shutter speed, more than 1/500. Even birds on a nest or at a feeder will move a lot, so fast shutter speed is recommended. Wider aperture will let in more light, but it also will reduce depth of field. If the subject does not require a lot of front to back focus, wide open can work. But reducing the aperture size, reduces the amount of light coming in, and in turn results in a greater depth of field.

Keep in mind that you can underexpose or overexpose within limits. This is where the "blinkies" come into play - they let you know where highlights are blown out. The histogram can also help by showing if either bright or dark are climbing the sides indicating total white or black [neither of which can be recovered in post processing].

In order not to miss an important shot, go out and practice. Shoot the chickadees and other birds that come to your feeders or are just in the yard sitting on branches. Experiment with how to get the best overall exposure. There are situations where it is extremely difficult to get everything exactly the way you want without post processing, but you may be able to get the important part of the image right. I have often had images that came out of the camera needing very little editing [none would have been OK, but I can't resist trying to get it perfect!].

Another suggestion - try shooting in both RAW and .JPG. That will give you the option of editing later when you decide to begin that part of your photography experience.