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Feb 12, 2018 13:44:32   #
PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA
 
lianetdiaz wrote:
Hi all,

I am new in the photography world and I am experiencing some challenges and I was wondering if I can get some feedback from all of you who are pros in the subject. I have the Cannon 5D mark III and the cannon 50mm 1.2 but I am still getting used to use it. I have read the manual but certain things do not make sense yet. Here is one, I have the camera set to manual mode and I select the aperture and Sutter speed but if I move from place to the other where there is change in light I have to set the shutter speed again in order to get a correct exposed image. I was wondering if this is normal.
I am also having some focus issues. I know I have to focus on the eyes if I am shutting portraits but sometimes the pictures come up kind of blurry.
I also signed up for Lightroom to be able to edit the pictures taken and I've been watching some youtube videos to learn how to edit.

What do you all think I should do to get better? I will post some samples of what I've done so far. Any positive or negative feedback will be appreciated.
Hi all, br br I am new in the photography world ... (show quote)


First, WELCOME to UHH!

If you click "Add Attachment" and check "(store original)" we can download your image and see the EXIF data. This allows us to see all your camera settings so we can better advise you.

Reply
Feb 12, 2018 14:01:55   #
canon Lee
 
lianetdiaz wrote:
Hi all,

I am new in the photography world and I am experiencing some challenges and I was wondering if I can get some feedback from all of you who are pros in the subject. I have the Cannon 5D mark III and the cannon 50mm 1.2 but I am still getting used to use it. I have read the manual but certain things do not make sense yet. Here is one, I have the camera set to manual mode and I select the aperture and Sutter speed but if I move from place to the other where there is change in light I have to set the shutter speed again in order to get a correct exposed image. I was wondering if this is normal.
I am also having some focus issues. I know I have to focus on the eyes if I am shutting portraits but sometimes the pictures come up kind of blurry.
I also signed up for Lightroom to be able to edit the pictures taken and I've been watching some youtube videos to learn how to edit.

What do you all think I should do to get better? I will post some samples of what I've done so far. Any positive or negative feedback will be appreciated.
Hi all, br br I am new in the photography world ... (show quote)


Hello.. To answer your first question, I am a full time commercial photographer, in my own business for over a decade. The answers I give come from experience not guesses. I use Manual mode in a studio where the lights can be changed not the camera settings... But when outdoors where the lighting changes I use Aperture priority, as this will adjust the shutter speed to compensate for the Aperture setting...
Manual is used ,most often, in a fixed lighting setting. I use Shutter Priority when shooting movement. Setting the shutter very fast freezes motion. So there are shooting modes for every different shot... ISO is also used for correcting exposure, but it is a slight difference compared to a full stop of Aperture. So I use ISO to tweak not make large adjustments...
One more suggestion, learn about the Histogram, as this will guide you graphically to make the right adjustments..

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Feb 12, 2018 14:14:26   #
amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA
 
Do yourself a HUGE favor and buy Bryan Peterson's book "Understanding Exposure". Study it and you'll get a good feel for how cameras work and learn most of what you need to know. https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-Fourth-Photographs-Camera/dp/1607748509/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1518462330&sr=1-1&keywords=understanding+exposure

Download the user manual from the Canon website, too, if you don't already have it. https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/support/details/cameras/dslr/eos-5d-mark-iii?tab=manuals

I'd also highly recommend picking up one of the guide books for your 5D Mark III. https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Canon+5D+Mark+III

The guide book will expand upon what's in the user manual with hands-on, real world info about your specific camera. I always get one of those guide books to help me get up to speed using any new camera as quickly and painlessly as possible. Among the authors I see listed at Amazon, I'm familiar with David Busch's, Charlotte Lowrie's and Doug Klostermann's books and they are all good. I bet some of the others are good, too.... so check out the buyer reviews.

I agree with some previous responses... You've got a good eye. Cultivate that and learn to use your camera so that it becomes second nature.

I disagree with some other responses... Your camera has a number of exposure modes, most of which can be the "right choice" for given situations. Some people think they are "purists" and will only use fully manual exposure mode (M without Auto ISO). I just think that's silly. But, yes, if that's what you are doing you will need to make adjustments for variations in the light. There are three things you can adjust: the shutter speed (how long the shutter stays open to allow light in), the lens aperture (how large an opening allows light in), and the sensitivity of the sensor or "ISO". That's called "the exposure triangle" and you vary them interactively to arrive at a correct exposure that will render an image the way you want to see it.

You probably already know, exposure modes are set using the "Mode Dial" on the camera's left hand "shoulder". In addition to fully manual mode, there are also:

M with Auto ISO, where you select both lens aperture and shutter speed, the camera chooses an ISO. This is actually just another auto exposure mode!
Av or "aperture priority" where you select the lens aperture and the ISO and the camera chooses an shutter speed that it thinks will make a correct exposure.
Tv or "shutter priority" (think of "T" as "time") where you select the shutter speed and the ISO and the camera chooses an appropriate aperture.
P or "program" where you select the ISO and the camera chooses a combination of both shutter speed and aperture that it thinks will render a correct exposure.
B or "bulb" is a means of making fully manual, extra long exposures... more than 30 seconds on your camera. ("Bulb" refers to the fact that squeeze bulbs were used to fire a camera this way in the distant past.)

Your camera also has a "green box/A+" setting which is sort of "super auto, point-n-shoot" mode. It basically uses "P", but also automates a lot more: autofocus settings, how the camera will work with flash, the type of image file it will save, and more.

Auto ISO is not on the mode dial, but is instead set in the menu. It's actually usable in all modes... But I'd recommend only using it with M, because it will just be confusing and make for sort of a "double auto" mode if use with any of the other methods of exposure.

Finally, there are C1, C2 and C3 settings on the Mode Dial... which are all "user customizable". You can save a group of settings that you commonly use in one of those. I'd recommend you wait a while to see what you tend to use and just be aware those are available.

All the exposure modes have their uses. Fully manual M (without Auto ISO) is great when light is steady and consistent and you have time to figure out your settings. I like to use it as much as I can... but it's just not always possible. I'd miss a lot of shots if it was the only mode I used. All the auto exposure modes are useful when light is variable, or when the subject is moving through different lighting conditions such as in and out of shadows and full sun. Av is used when you want a specific aperture that will render certain depth of field characteristics in images. Tv is what you use when you either need to freeze fast movement with a fast shutter or want to allow some motion blur with a slow shutter speed. P is good when you simply need to act fast and aren't too concerned about either shutter speed or aperture size. M with Auto ISO is good when you are concerned about both shutter speed and aperture size, but can live with the camera picking higher ISOs (more image noise), if needed.

To make good use of the auto exposure modes takes some practice and knowledge of how to use another feature called Exposure Compensation. I won't get into that now, though, other than to say E.C. only works with auto exposure (AE) modes... it doesn't work with fully manual mode. I also don't know if on your camera E.C. works on M with Auto ISO (it didn't on a similar age Canon DSLR I uses, which makes auto ISO pretty much useless!)

There are also other things you'll need to learn, such as the auto focus system settings. Basically, I recommend the "KISS" approach... Keep It Simple, Stupid!... at least at first. So I use a single AF point much of the time. There are multi-point patterns and advanced settings, to learn over time.

Your camera also has Picture Styles, which allow you to set up various parameters that effect image appearance (these mostly apply to JPEG files... not to RAW/CR2 that your camera can save).

And there are White Balance settings. Used AWB "auto" for now. Eventually learn to make a Custom WB setting... that's by far the most important. There are also various presets, but those have their limitations and are only "best guesses". Custom WB is far more accurate a lot of the time.

Hope this helps. Have fun and give yourself some time to learn the camera. It gets easier... so that the camera is a familiar tool that doesn't get in the way of making your images!

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Feb 12, 2018 14:15:10   #
Shel B
 
Now, listen up. Forego manual settings for the time being. God created auto exposure to make things easier for beginners. Plenty of time to worry about manual settings later. Now, here's the good part. Set your ISO on 200. Mode selector to A...aperture priority. Set your aperture at f8. Now start banging away. Just make sure your shutter speed is staying up around 1/250. If you find your ss dropping lower, boost your ISO to 400 or 800. The vast majority of your photos will be exposed well...and you can concentrate on light and composition. When it gets way later in the day...use a tripod. I reckon it's ok to boost your ISO up to 1600 or 3200 or even higher but I'm not a fan of that. Trust me on this one. It's a lot more fun when you can quit worrying about exposure and concentrate on the photo.

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Feb 12, 2018 14:22:40   #
canon Lee
 
Shel B wrote:
Now, listen up. Forego manual settings for the time being. God created auto exposure to make things easier for beginners. Plenty of time to worry about manual settings later. Now, here's the good part. Set your ISO on 200. Mode selector to A...aperture priority. Set your aperture at f8. Now start banging away. Just make sure your shutter speed is staying up around 1/250. If you find your ss dropping lower, boost your ISO to 400 or 800. The vast majority of your photos will be exposed well...and you can concentrate on light and composition. When it gets way later in the day...use a tripod. I reckon it's ok to boost your ISO up to 1600 or 3200 or even higher but I'm not a fan of that. Trust me on this one. It's a lot more fun when you can quit worrying about exposure and concentrate on the photo.
Now, listen up. Forego manual settings for the ti... (show quote)


Hi Shel.. I must disagree with you about using Auto exposure.. For a beginner I feel "P" (program mode) is better. Why? because, in P mode it is a "semi" auto mode, in that it has an "exposure compensation" dial, which will enable a tweak. It doesn't make sense to use full auto, because the OP didn't buy an expensive camera to "point and shoot", but has the courage to use Manual, which tells me that the OP wants to learn about exposure, not framing... However I do agree with you about using Aperture Priority.

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Feb 12, 2018 14:37:58   #
leftj Loc: Texas
 
canon Lee wrote:
Hi Shel.. I must disagree with you about using Auto exposure.. For a beginner I feel "P" (program mode) is better. Why? because, in P mode it is a "semi" auto mode, in that it has an "exposure compensation" dial, which will enable a tweak. It doesn't make sense to use full auto, because the OP didn't buy an expensive camera to "point and shoot", but has the courage to use Manual, which tells me that the OP wants to learn about exposure, not framing... However I do agree with you about using Aperture Priority.
Hi Shel.. I must disagree with you about using Au... (show quote)


There is always a time and place for full auto. Thst’s why even high $ cameras have it as a menue option.

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Feb 12, 2018 14:48:03   #
SharpShooter Loc: NorCal
 
lianetdiaz wrote:
Hi all,

I am new in the photography world and I am experiencing some challenges and I was wondering if I can get some feedback from all of you who are pros in the subject. I have the Cannon 5D mark III and the cannon 50mm 1.2 but I am still getting used to use it. I have read the manual but certain things do not make sense yet. Here is one, I have the camera set to manual mode and I select the aperture and Sutter speed but if I move from place to the other where there is change in light I have to set the shutter speed again in order to get a correct exposed image. I was wondering if this is normal.
I am also having some focus issues. I know I have to focus on the eyes if I am shutting portraits but sometimes the pictures come up kind of blurry.
I also signed up for Lightroom to be able to edit the pictures taken and I've been watching some youtube videos to learn how to edit.

What do you all think I should do to get better? I will post some samples of what I've done so far. Any positive or negative feedback will be appreciated.
Hi all, br br I am new in the photography world ... (show quote)


Lianet, welcome to the Hog!
Yes, that’s normal!
Nice work. I think you’re doing everything right just keep adding to it.
Take some professional photography classes at a college or jr college, they will move you to the next level, no matter the level you’re on.
Good luck
SS

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Feb 12, 2018 15:05:07   #
srt101fan
 
lianetdiaz wrote:
Hi all,

I am new in the photography world and I am experiencing some challenges and I was wondering if I can get some feedback from all of you who are pros in the subject. I have the Cannon 5D mark III and the cannon 50mm 1.2 but I am still getting used to use it. I have read the manual but certain things do not make sense yet. Here is one, I have the camera set to manual mode and I select the aperture and Sutter speed but if I move from place to the other where there is change in light I have to set the shutter speed again in order to get a correct exposed image. I was wondering if this is normal.
I am also having some focus issues. I know I have to focus on the eyes if I am shutting portraits but sometimes the pictures come up kind of blurry.
I also signed up for Lightroom to be able to edit the pictures taken and I've been watching some youtube videos to learn how to edit.

What do you all think I should do to get better? I will post some samples of what I've done so far. Any positive or negative feedback will be appreciated.
Hi all, br br I am new in the photography world ... (show quote)


Hi lianetdiaz - Nice shots! You've got the eye; by adding to your knowledge and practicing you should move along nicely.

You've gotten lots of good advice from this group. Some have suggested Auto, which is fine for many situations. However, if you use it, be aware of its limitations (as I tried to point out in an earlier post).

Good luck and enjoy your photographic journey.

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Feb 12, 2018 15:10:19   #
amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA
 
canon Lee wrote:
Hi Shel.. I must disagree with you about using Auto exposure.. For a beginner I feel "P" (program mode) is better. Why? because, in P mode it is a "semi" auto mode, in that it has an "exposure compensation" dial, which will enable a tweak. It doesn't make sense to use full auto, because the OP didn't buy an expensive camera to "point and shoot", but has the courage to use Manual, which tells me that the OP wants to learn about exposure, not framing... However I do agree with you about using Aperture Priority.
Hi Shel.. I must disagree with you about using Au... (show quote)


I think it's more accurate to say that Av, Tv, and P are all Auto Exposure modes (hence subject to Exposure Compensation, AE Lock, etc.). For that matter, M with Auto ISO is yet another AE mode. (Only M w/o Auto ISO and B are truly "manual" modes.) I've heard and read these called "semi" auto modes... I think that's misleading and confusing. There's nothing "semi" about them. They are all Auto Exposure (AE) modes, pure and simple.

The "green box/A+" is more of a "Super Auto" mode... "point-n-shoot" style, as you say. It not only utilizes "P" Auto Exposure, it goes much further by automating/dictating a number of other camera settings (such as focus setup, white balance, picture style, flash, even the type of file that will be saved and more).

But I do agree with your point that the green box/A+ probably not a good thing for anyone who is at all serious about their photography to use. I honestly don't recall ever using this mode on any Canon camera I've owned that had it.

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Feb 12, 2018 15:14:56   #
Shel B
 
I have no problem with using P mode. I personally prefer knowing that my aperture is set at f8...and I like f8. P works just as well...not the same but well. Seemed to me the guy was a beginner and that learning to watch the light and composition would benefit him. Actually, just going out and taking photos is a great teacher. And with a digital camera, film is cheap. Just my humble opinion.

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Feb 12, 2018 17:22:21   #
r.grossner Loc: Rockford IL & Sarasota FL
 
PHRubin wrote:
First, WELCOME to UHH!

If you click "Add Attachment" and check "(store original)" we can download your image and see the EXIF data. This allows us to see all your camera settings so we can better advise you.


How do you display the EXIF data when downloading a "store original"?

Reply
 
 
Feb 12, 2018 17:44:58   #
Dennis833 Loc: Australia
 
Yes, that's normal. You have to change the shutter speed to adjust for different lighting or subject changes. You might be best to start out with aperture priority mode. That way you can set the aperture that you would like to use for each shot and the camera will automatically set the shutter speed for you. If your first exposure is to light or dark set the exposure compensation dial to + or - to adjust for the correct exposure.

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Feb 12, 2018 18:02:18   #
gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast
 
What to do to get better? You're new to photography? Simplify things. Use Program mode for awhile and let the camera select the correct ISO, shutter speed, and aperture. Using Program mode you can also change one or all of the others before a shot and the camera will adjust accordingly. YouTube videos can help with this concept. YouTube can also help nail down the different focusing modes. It took me a while to figure those out with my Nikon D7000. Most DSLR's have Single shot and Continuous focusing modes plus an array of focus points to choose from. That was probably the hardest part to get used to.

You could also try some of the camera's Scene modes and then look through the menu choices to see what features it's using for those. So much to learn, so little time.

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Feb 12, 2018 18:46:30   #
mclsr Loc: Ohio
 
Look for your nearest camera club. They are great and lessons are very reasonably priced.

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Feb 12, 2018 19:43:39   #
lianetdiaz
 
Thank you all for your replies.!!

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