par4fore Loc: Bay Shore N.Y.

Shooting Manual to Me..
Shooting Manual in Aperture Priority- When shooting birds I shoot in aperture priority and adjust my ISO to control my shutter speed. As the light changes I will raise and hopefully lower the ISO so long as I get a speed that is acceptable or better. Add to this exposure compensation if needed.

Shooting Manual in Manual Priority- When shooting in manual mode I will set my ISO to auto-ISO and add to this exposure compensation if needed. To me this is what I consider “manual priority” but not fully manual.

Shooting Fully Manual- The only time I do this is on a tripod (landscapes) when I will set my ISO to 100, my f/stop to what is needed for the scene and dial in the shutter speed that satisfies my meter. If I need a slower shutter speed I will add ND filters. Still not sure but I guess this is fully manual?

I am not an expert, I am still learning and enjoy hearing other opinions. Thanks..

johneccles Loc: Leyland UK

I use Manual quite often, but sometimes I go to Aperture and leave the rest to the camera, so it's semi Auto in reality. I also set the ISO to 200 which seems to be the best setting in my Olympus.

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

When shooting birds in flight I will shoot in Manual at a Shutter Speed of 1/2000 and an Aperture of f/8 or f/11 and use Auto-ISO to keep the exposure correct. That way I don't have to make adjustments while shooting.

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

If you can attract birds within range try flash. A Better Beamer will narrow the beam and add about 2 stops to the exposure. You can still use auto ISO to increase the range.

I routinely shoot at 1/250, f11, ISO 64. The colors are greatly improved in less than perfect light.

Here is an example.

(Download)

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Give it some thought... for each of the three "modes" you've described, you'd be best to use the middle one, with exposure set to Manual mode and Auto ISO enabled. You set both aperture and shutter speed as needed. The light meter sets ISO, and you can tune it by setting Exposure Compensation to darker or brighter images.

There are other times though... when you want a set ISO, but either the aperture or the shutter can be allowed to wander a bit. Those are times to use Shutter Priority (to let the aperture change) or Aperture Priority (to let the shutter change). And in those modes Exposure Compensation does exactly the same thing, it changes how bright or dark the image is, but in this case by changing exposure instead of ISO sensitivity.

tsilva Loc: Arizona

Jesus, The only manual mode is full manual. The rest of the modes you listed are NOT manual, the camera is controlling the final output.

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

But Manual Mode is an exposure mode. Auto ISO is not.

Rongnongno Loc: FL

As usual the whale gives the wrong information.

The exposure value is a triangle. Change one parameter and you change the EV.

ISO displace the scale, it does not change it which seems to be why the whale is confused.

Auto ISO (even with a limited range) is part of all modes except full manual.

Use Program Mode and set ISO manual and you have the ISO manual mode. Just not advertised.

Rongnongno Loc: FL

You have the camera exploitation down pat.
Caveat, while you use different modes only one is truly manual, assuming you are not using auto-focus...

In reality when it comes to modes you have hybrids*.
A perture priority (ISO auto = hybrid ~ + S)
S peed priority (ISO auto = hybrid ~ + A)
ISO fixed (P mode = ISO Mode = hybryd ~ A + S ~)

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* Hybrid, for lack of other word (on my part) means that two parameters are adjusting not just one.

Jim Bob

Manual mode means the user sets all parameters, i.e., aperture, shutter speed, ISO and any enhancements desired. If you leave any parameter to the camera, it is semi-manual at best. And like Forrest Gump, "That's all I have to say about that."

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

Fully manual means just that; that you control the exposure parameters; aperture size, shutter speed, and ISO.

Shooting in manual mode doesn't mean that you can't dial in as low a shutter speed as you need, it just means that you are controlling things...not allowing the camera to control or partially control them.

The biggest reason (to me) to shoot manually is consistency. It's incredibly consistent shot-to-shot and so you aren't ever surprised by what the camera did to you. You don't ever have to wonder "what happened to this one?"

If you are shooting birds and you shoot some sort of darker colored bird against a marsh (just pretending) you will get X exposure as decided by your camera.

When you notice a nice white egret floating on the water also, you turn the camera towards that scene and your meter changes it's mind about how much light is falling on the subject so it gives you a completely different exposure than the previous one just 1 minute ago.

But really...nothing has changed about the light...right? It's not as if the sun went away or anything, the exposure SHOULD be identical.

That's why I like to shoot manual. I like to only have a steering wheel on the driver's side of the car :)

Rongnongno Loc: FL

Off topic

You mean you do not wish to have your own when on the passenger seat when someone else is driving????
:shock: :mrgreen: :lol: :lol: :lol: :XD:

Jim Bob

Didn't I just say that? Well if it makes you feel better to repeat it, more power to you. This is a common practice for many on this site. If I ask what time it is, 50 million posters will provide the same answer. :thumbdown:

Rongnongno Loc: FL

Off topic

Just so you know what I think of your 'discontent'.

tainkc Loc: Kansas City

Well, I have a $3,000.00 camera and only shoot in manual. Not by choice mind you. One day I was taking some pictures in manual mode and started sneezing real hard and phloem got all over the camera. I wiped off as much snot as I could with the sleeve of my shirt, but some of it got deep into the buttons and dried up. Now my dial to change modes is stuck in manual mode and I am too embarrassed (and cheap) to send it in for repair. It has been in this condition for about 3 years now. Can't even change lenses anymore. This is why I shoot in manual.