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Why shoot in manual mode?
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Jun 15, 2012 16:10:25   #
Roger Hicks Loc: Aquitaine
 
Why? It depends on whom you think knows more about photography: you, or the fellow who designed the metering/automation program. After 45 years or so, I back me.

Cheers,

R.

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Jun 15, 2012 18:21:59   #
gessman Loc: Colorado
 
Roger Hicks wrote:
Why? It depends on whom you think knows more about photography: you, or the fellow who designed the metering/automation program. After 45 years or so, I back me.

Cheers,

R.


Lots of good one-liners and pieces to the puzzle being offered, but assume for a minute that you are a beginner and you're looking for a reason to shoot in manual mode - then answer the question, please:

'What have you gained if you take the meter reading from the camera, go to 'M' and use the reading to set the aperture and shutter speed? How, without any further knowledge or action on your part with respect to making judgement calls about settings, have you enhanced your images?'

You obviously enjoy teaching, so if you would please, elaborate briefly on some of what else needs to be understood for there to be some gain in the pursuit of shooting in 'M.'

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Jun 15, 2012 19:25:47   #
Swamp Gator Loc: Coastal South Carolina
 
When I shoot in M mode I don't pay any attention to the camera's meter.

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Jun 15, 2012 20:32:34   #
gessman Loc: Colorado
 
Swamp Gator wrote:
When I shoot in M mode I don't pay any attention to the camera's meter.


So, you're obviously a long time practitioner, what's your technique when you don't rely on your camera's meter? Do you use a handheld meter or do you gestimate the light or use some rule of thumb like the 'sunny 16' or just how do you arrive at your settings in a fast moving situation like birds in flight at which you are obviously so great?

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Jun 15, 2012 20:47:51   #
steve40 Loc: Asheville/Canton, NC, USA
 
When I started taking pictures over a half century ago, manual was the only way to go. That is - unless you wanted to be limited, to a Brownie Hawkeye.

But today Auto is fair, if you don't know any better. Aperture Preferred, and Shutter Preferred, are both semiautomatic settings that still leave the photographer ways to depart, from the meters basic exposure. Its called Exposure compensation.

So I only use manual for really special reasons, like when shooting IR. Then you will need shutter speeds, that simiautomatic on most cameras will not allow.

As far as depth of field, I learned how to do that with my first real point and shoot auto only - digital camera. Its called stand back and use your zoom, that gives you somewhat a selective depth of field, on any digital camera.

So I am not saying never learn to shoot manual, because to do that well - you have to understand exposure. Which every competent photographer, should!.

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Jun 15, 2012 20:54:28   #
lesdmd Loc: Middleton Wi via N.Y.C. & Cleveland
 
Pop Photography, not the ultimate authority on anything, debunks the myth that it is better to shoot in manual in the most current issue I received today. I shoot in aperture priority when my primary interest is depth of field. If the subject is sports, I switch over to shutter priority. Since my D300 allows for independent exposure compensations it is easy enough to check the histogram to see if it needs to be applied. For me it makes sense to modify one variable rather than two or three. For all the newbies, this is not rocket science. The camera records light. The photographer controls the amount by varying the size of the lens opening and/or the shutter speed. Depth of field is determined by aperture. Most people new to photography are looking for rules to apply when what they want to do is apply the reasonably simple concepts behind the rules.

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Jun 15, 2012 21:12:41   #
ckcougar Loc: NATIVE FLORIDIAN
 
I use both as I learned on a P&S. I find that when I discovered how to actually USE my camera on manual I am getting better shots & like the end results better. Sometimes when shooting landscapes I take several shots using different settings, as well as the "auto" feature. The differnt results are usually pleasing to me & often a manual shot pleases me best (especially when it changes the mood of the shot). BTW Never been fond of being told what to do, why would I let a camera?

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Jun 15, 2012 21:18:18   #
RaydancePhoto
 
This is a good question and lots of good answers. I use M sometimes, depends on what I am doing. I shoot the house concerts here in town and the light is terrible, well, dark. The only lights are red, blue and 1 small white spot. The camera refused to shoot in auto except at shutter speeds that are way too slow. Difficult to focus as well. So I shoot in M and set my SS to 1/60 and usually f/2.8 to 3.5 and use RAW format. The camera will tell me that I am under exposed 2-3 stops, but that is easy to compensate for in Lightroom or any editor.

Another instance is shooting birds at the feeder. I always use M. Camera is on a tripod, set the focus to M, focus to the middle of the feeder, f/16 and 1/250 with speedlight, even in sunlight. I use a long shutter release cable to get far enough away so I don't scare the birds. I usually shoot JPG for these shots.

Will post 2 pics as examples.

1/60 f/2.5 ISO 1600
1/60 f/2.5 ISO 1600...

Dont have the EXIF data - from memory, 1/250 f/16 ISO 400 + speedlight
Dont have the EXIF data - from memory, 1/250 f/16 ...

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Jun 15, 2012 21:47:21   #
RMM Loc: Suburban New York
 
gessman wrote:
Roger Hicks wrote:
Why? It depends on whom you think knows more about photography: you, or the fellow who designed the metering/automation program. After 45 years or so, I back me.

Cheers,

R.


Lots of good one-liners and pieces to the puzzle being offered, but assume for a minute that you are a beginner and you're looking for a reason to shoot in manual mode - then answer the question, please:

'What have you gained if you take the meter reading from the camera, go to 'M' and use the reading to set the aperture and shutter speed? How, without any further knowledge or action on your part with respect to making judgement calls about settings, have you enhanced your images?'

You obviously enjoy teaching, so if you would please, elaborate briefly on some of what else needs to be understood for there to be some gain in the pursuit of shooting in 'M.'
quote=Roger Hicks Why? It depends on whom you thi... (show quote)

Roger can respond, and do so more knowledgeably than me. I don't like shooting at high ISO, so I'll either set my camera to ISO 200 or set an upper limit. While I'll often shoot in Aperture mode to control depth of field, which allows the camera to pick the speed and ISO (assuming I haven't locked in to ISO 200), manual lets me apply judgment to the lighting. A reading in Aperture mode, for example, tells me what the overall exposure should be. If, in my opinion, the subject - let's say my granddaughter - may be incorrectly exposed that way, I can alter speed or aperture to over- or underexpose the overall photo to improve the lighting on my granddaughter.

Some photographers on here use a separate light meter. Most photographers with experience get pretty good at judging a scene to decide whether the overall reading will work well for the primary subject, and if not, how to adjust speed or aperture to compensate.

Sometimes, you don't have the time to make these adjustments, so you try to make up for it in post-processing. But the better your initial exposure in the camera, the better your final result.

Over to you, Roger.

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Jun 15, 2012 22:00:45   #
bull drink water Loc: pontiac mi.
 
the only time ii use manual is when i have a lens the camera won't recognise.some of my lenses don't have aperture control rings.

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Jun 15, 2012 22:03:11   #
Wabbit Loc: Arizona Desert
 
gessman wrote:
I've seen repeated statements that it is better to shoot in manual mode and I have also noticed a couple of efforts to instruct users how to do it. I would like to hear some different opinions why a person should shoot manually, bearing in mind that if you are going to use the on-board camera meter for your reading and set the aperture and shutter speed by that reading, you would most likely be setting the same settings the camera would set. With that in mind, why is it better for you to set your camera than to let the camera do it for you, recognizing that the camera can and will normally do it a lot faster than you can, especially in the beginning?

My experience goes back beyond when cameras first had built-in meters so I am not asking how to shoot in manual mode, just asking why it should be done.
I've seen repeated statements that it is better to... (show quote)


Hey Doc ..... manually choosing your exposure settings insures consistency. Focus point change, cloud overhead, etc. causes the camera to change the exposure when in an auto mode.

Same thing for manual focus, once you choose focus that's it, done. With auto focus it could change when you don't want it to.

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Jun 15, 2012 22:04:32   #
RaydancePhoto
 
Wabbit, are you a buggs fan?

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Jun 15, 2012 23:08:20   #
lesdmd Loc: Middleton Wi via N.Y.C. & Cleveland
 
Hey Doc ..... manually choosing your exposure settings insures consistency. Focus point change, cloud overhead, etc. causes the camera to change the exposure when in an auto mode.

Same thing for manual focus, once you choose focus that's it, done. With auto focus it could change when you don't want it to.[/quote]

Huh? The consistency you describe, when the conditions change, would result in consistently incorrect exposures. If I have everything set manually and a cloud passes over the sun I'd rather have the camera take a guess on what has changed than be locked into the settings I made before hand.

Auto focus changes as the subject moves, and probably faster than a human (perhaps not a wabbit) can refocus. Alternately the focus point can be locked and then remain stable.

I use manual mode for flash photography when it becomes easier for me to change settings than to rely on what the camera thinks I want.

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Jun 15, 2012 23:15:17   #
ianhargraves1066 Loc: NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Florida
 
gessman wrote:
I've seen repeated statements that it is better to shoot in manual mode and I have also noticed a couple of efforts to instruct users how to do it. I would like to hear some different opinions why a person should shoot manually, bearing in mind that if you are going to use the on-board camera meter for your reading and set the aperture and shutter speed by that reading, you would most likely be setting the same settings the camera would set. With that in mind, why is it better for you to set your camera than to let the camera do it for you, recognizing that the camera can and will normally do it a lot faster than you can, especially in the beginning?


Every commentator here has it right. To me (I have an elderly Rebel XT) it is very easy to just turn the seratted wheel and get a few stops extra exposure or less of course than messing with the automatic ways. No camera yet can decide wether a particular shot needs enourmous depth of foeld to make the perfect shot or maybe a very narrow depth of field to tsolate your subject. Its so eay wih digial, you can mess around ans see on the screen exactly what you captured and alter the exposure to alter the image.

Keep practising you will get to do it within a few exposures and it will become second nature.

Ian

My experience goes back beyond when cameras first had built-in meters so I am not asking how to shoot in manual mode, just asking why it should be done.
I've seen repeated statements that it is better to... (show quote)

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Jun 15, 2012 23:30:30   #
gessman Loc: Colorado
 
Wabbit wrote:
gessman wrote:
I've seen repeated statements that it is better to shoot in manual mode and I have also noticed a couple of efforts to instruct users how to do it. I would like to hear some different opinions why a person should shoot manually, bearing in mind that if you are going to use the on-board camera meter for your reading and set the aperture and shutter speed by that reading, you would most likely be setting the same settings the camera would set. With that in mind, why is it better for you to set your camera than to let the camera do it for you, recognizing that the camera can and will normally do it a lot faster than you can, especially in the beginning?

My experience goes back beyond when cameras first had built-in meters so I am not asking how to shoot in manual mode, just asking why it should be done.
I've seen repeated statements that it is better to... (show quote)


Hey Doc ..... manually choosing your exposure settings insures consistency. Focus point change, cloud overhead, etc. causes the camera to change the exposure when in an auto mode.

Same thing for manual focus, once you choose focus that's it, done. With auto focus it could change when you don't want it to.
quote=gessman I've seen repeated statements that ... (show quote)


I'm not sure how you arrive at those conclusions but hopefully you can explain them so we'll better understand what you're saying and why. Locking into readings and focus would almost never work for the kinds of subject matter I like to shoot, i.e., moving targets.

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