Blue Snow, Blurry Photos? ... Just Put it in Auto
May 18, 2013 07:56:48 #
If you have an opportunity, you should read "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan (Brian?) Peterson. Mr. Peterson breaks the exposure process down in layman terms and takes you through several exercises to reinforce the information. I learned a lot and am no longer intimidated by "manual" mode. The book also covers how to determine if AP or SP modes would be a better choice. If you love photography, then keep on clicking! That's what I'm doing, and thanks to this book I have a much broader understanding of exposure.
May 18, 2013 08:19:38 #
I think you use whatever mode is appropriate for the situation. I don't believe that, flat out, any one mode is better than another.
I do agree that manual forces you to make a ctitical evaluation of the ambient light, decide what you wish to accomplish and then make the appropriate settings to do so.
Hoewver, just considering what mode ignores other critical settings - ISO for one and others dependent upon your camera.
I do agree that manual forces you to make a ctitical evaluation of the ambient light, decide what you wish to accomplish and then make the appropriate settings to do so.
Hoewver, just considering what mode ignores other critical settings - ISO for one and others dependent upon your camera.
May 18, 2013 08:24:01 #
May 18, 2013 08:52:57 #
spit
Loc: Ackworth West Yorkshire uk
im like you want to be in control of the camera not the camera in control of me you go girl put that auto in the past
lorraine
lorraine
May 18, 2013 08:55:26 #
rpavich wrote:
Uh...I think SwampGator was saying that a little tongue-in-cheek...
Chill a bit.
Chill a bit.
Bad hair day.
May 18, 2013 08:58:36 #
I grew up in manual, as in light meter in one hand, I appreciate all the auto I can get, just have to know when auto needs a bit of guidance, also like not having to change a roll of film to get a different film speed(ISO),
Bob.
Bob.
May 18, 2013 09:02:26 #
I use full manual for tricky lighting, and often when using flash where I want to illuminate people in the foreground and where an interesting background would go dark otherwise. I did this recently. I took the straight flash shot, (with diffuser off-camera), in aperture priority mode, then put the camera in manual, dialed down the shutter speed for the aperture I wanted to use to have the people in focus and the background soft, and then took the shot.
Using anything other than manual would not have worked for me for this type of shot.
For "normal" shooting I tend towards using aperture priority, and dial in +/- compensation. For studio, I go full manual, because once the lighting is setup and dialed in for the subject and aperture, it is fixed, and should stay fixed.
Using anything other than manual would not have worked for me for this type of shot.
For "normal" shooting I tend towards using aperture priority, and dial in +/- compensation. For studio, I go full manual, because once the lighting is setup and dialed in for the subject and aperture, it is fixed, and should stay fixed.
May 18, 2013 09:02:38 #
Nightski wrote:
Every time I run into trouble with my DSLR, and I ... (show quote)
You want to learn Manual mode. Good for you. It lets you get more creative. If you shoot in aperture or shutter priority you are still shooting in auto mode and the camera is making the decisions.
Remember that aperture controls depth of field and shutter controls movement.
Also, the camera meter is telling you to adjust all settings to neutral grey (18% grey). So if you have a scene that has a lot of white or bright areas, you have to open up your settings from what the meter in the camera is telling you. readjust aperture or shutter speed so the meter reads to the plus side, 1/3, 2/3, or a full stop depending on the scene. If you are shooting something dark, then you want to move the meter to the - side again depending on how much you think you might need. The benefit of digital here is you can take many shots of the same scene and change your settings. Then review in your editing program and see the settings on the shot you like. Deleting the poor ones. :)
May 18, 2013 09:24:24 #
Moving up from compact cameras is always good, yes use auto when you feel the need, but keep unsing manual mode try all the settings and enjoy your photography. Good luck
May 18, 2013 09:27:53 #
why is no one mentioning metering mode? White Balance? try an "incandescent" wb to "warm things up". Go take a bunch of shots of the same thing, changing the white balance settings, iso, etc., until you get the results you desire. That is the beauty of digital. Blue values are most likely a white balance issue....
Hope it helps!
Rob
Hope it helps!
Rob
May 18, 2013 09:28:48 #
Put it on auto and hand the camera to someone else to presss the shutter.
I use manual for shooting special conditions: long exposures for fire dancing shots, studio work with flash and sunrise/sunset. The rest of the time I use Aperture mode or (only if shutter speed is important) shutter priority. As you said, mistakes are free. Set the camera and shoot. Then, look at the result and adjust. In time, you'll make fewer adjustments.
I use manual for shooting special conditions: long exposures for fire dancing shots, studio work with flash and sunrise/sunset. The rest of the time I use Aperture mode or (only if shutter speed is important) shutter priority. As you said, mistakes are free. Set the camera and shoot. Then, look at the result and adjust. In time, you'll make fewer adjustments.
Nightski wrote:
Every time I run into trouble with my DSLR, and I ... (show quote)
May 18, 2013 09:39:48 #
Nightski wrote:
Every time I run into trouble with my DSLR, and I ... (show quote)
Hi Nightski, good comment. I feel there is a time and a place for each... Auto and/or manual, program, etc. To be truthful, I use Auto when I don't have time or care to take the time to set the camera,and (usually) it will deliver a pretty good photo. But, it's great to learn how making changes can affect the results, and when you can take your time, to try to achieve various results in the alternate settings. But, you are correct; why have all those adjustments, if one doesn't at least learn how they can create a variety of results? Must my humble opinion....
May 18, 2013 09:49:39 #
Nightski wrote:
Every time I run into trouble with my DSLR, and I ... (show quote)
There is a free online camera course available through Practical Photography magazine, all you have to do is go to www.camera-school.com and signup, it's all FREE!. You don't have to subscribe to the magazine you can purchase copies at Hastings or Barnes & Nobles. The course will run over the next 6 issues, the first issue covers Landscapes and is on the shelf now. This a great opertunity to expand your skills for only the purchase price of a magazine the rest is FREE! Click on the link and check it out.
May 18, 2013 10:00:30 #
Whatever equipment one uses, whether a camera, paint brush or a hammer, I strongly believe to be proficient enough with it to make it a part of you, to a point that you use it practically without thinking.
The problem is, most of us want that to happen without a lot of trial and error, which is nonsense. No one learns to walk without crawling first.
Just keep taking pictures in manual mode until it becomes a sixth sense of what works and what doesn't....What would you have to lose?
The problem is, most of us want that to happen without a lot of trial and error, which is nonsense. No one learns to walk without crawling first.
Just keep taking pictures in manual mode until it becomes a sixth sense of what works and what doesn't....What would you have to lose?
May 18, 2013 10:04:05 #
I'm new here, but will throw my 2cents in anyway. Everybody has their own path but learning full manual was the best way for ME . I use other settings for specific purposes once I've mastered manual but I can't seem to learn the other way around, and every camera is different. When I got an m43 camera I had to relearn a lot, but now I'm fairly "camera bilingual" and can switch between standard DSLR and m43. In my DSLR to m43 transition I had to go back and forth between settings and resulting pictures to learn where the safe aperatures are for the camera and the new lenses, because diffraction became a problem at a different f stop and ISO had different limitations. One camera's 3200 ISO is very different from another's. So I'd encourage you to stay the course on learning full manual for your camera and in the process, you'll be learning the other settings too. Books help with getting overall concepts but specifics about settings in books and articles can mess you up because they tend to be about the writer's camera, not yours
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