crazydaddio Loc: Toronto Ontario Canada

I am a straight manual shooter since I got off Auto within the first month of getting my first dslr 4 yrs ago. Looking to experiment with other "settings" for very specific situations. Will be making a plan for myself to try new situational settings for sports, BIF etc.

Example: "use aperature priority when backing out of a church during a wedding as the couple exits so you dont blow-out the first 2 shots going from dark to light. " (yep...happened to my 2nd shooter)
Example2: use expanded-spot focus for overhead BIF with face-tracking "on" in liveview (made that one up...not sure that is any good :-)

You get the idea- be specific about the situatio and specific about the settings.

Thanks in advance for the tips :-)

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

I've had success with Live View and zoom focus when working with macro. I may not have the terms correct so let me describe the process. You can use the view finder and a single focus point set to the exact focus point. I've achieved even better results using the Live View and zooming the display to the max and letting the AF set the focus or manually tweaking. Models with a tilt screen really excel in the process.

crazydaddio Loc: Toronto Ontario Canada

Have you ever done any focus-stacking in macro? How do you make sure focus-breathing impacts or exposure drift does not mess up the final result. Focus stacking is something I want to try for the bridal accoutrments shots. I use macro but the DOF isnt great even at high aperatures and then you need to fiddle with a bunch of speedlights to get what you want.....

illininitt

Life is too short to worry about settings. Just put it in auto and forget about it! If the picture does not come out right.....just hit the button with a picture of a trash can!

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

After I read about using auto-ISO here on UHH, I've been enjoying that feature while setting the aperture and shutter speed manually for the look I want. A specific example in which this is handy is taking photos of clearing ground fog at sunrise, where the light changes rapidly from moment to moment - not just because of the rising sun, but how quickly the fog dissipates. Two samples are below.

I had an angle of view comprising about 45 degrees, from shooting straight towards the rising sun to an area "off to the side" with trees as background + I had many choices for composition since I was using a 75-300 mm lens. I set shutter for 1/500 to 1/750 sec, aperture at f/13 (though I learned later, after more experience with this Olympus m4/3, that it probably could have been f/8) and auto ISO. I also shot in raw for ease of manipulating the white balance for my artistic interpretations

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

crazydaddio, I've done some focus stacking, but I work outdoors on flowers and bugs where options on getting a useful stack are limited. My tripod, wired-remote and single speedlight with diffuser are my favorite complementary tools.

Blenheim Orange Loc: Michigan

I just started stacking the last month or so (meaning I am not an expert) and was surprised at how well Zerene aligned and stacked up images from both using a rail and from changing focus.

Mike

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

That’s easy to say if your income and professional reputation do not depend on which pictures end up in that trash can.

Blenheim Orange Loc: Michigan

Yet life is not too short to take the time to post something like that...hmmmm.


Mike

FreddB Loc: PA - Delaware County

Ergo, (don't often get to use that one), we have Professional Photograpers, snapshooters, and a thousand layers in between. 😈😈

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

Good thought. Maybe we shouldn't put snaphooters at the bottom, e.g., pros, nine hundred layers, sharpshooters and a hundred layers below.🤔🤔🤔

traderjohn Loc: New York City

You have this camera for four years and you have tried any other option than manual. Why not??

crazydaddio Loc: Toronto Ontario Canada

I have 3 cameras now over the 4 years and have not really shot anything other than manual...dabbled with the other settings but results were always
variable (ie the camera just didnt know what I wanted). Just found that I can get what I want and can adjust the camera settings fast enough with the buttons programmed for the exposure triangle
and I can adjust my settings without lifting my eye from the Optical viewfinder.

However...

there are certain SPECIFIC situations where I or my partners have been "caught" and missed the moment. (I noted 1 instance in my post. If thinking, any of the semi-auto modes would not have been needed
as the person backing out of the church would know that going from dark to light as xx stops and simpy cranked the shutter BUT Aperature mode would have saved the day and probably a better choice than full manual
if you are dealling with too many variables (Compostion, doors, "where are the stairs as I back down from the church", angles, framing....info overload)

(BTW, Eye-AF with the new Sony A7iii is an example where that AF auto mode is a game changer....)

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

That's why you have custom settings on your camera, once you establish some ways you like to shoot certain "situations", you "set" them in the custom settings. That way, if that certain "situation" arrives before you, you're ready with a single click of a button!

crazydaddio Loc: Toronto Ontario Canada

Exactly,
I do have C1 pre-programmed for the "aisle walks" at weddings based on some test shots so if I get distracted while
waiting for the bride and start fiddling with the settings while shooting candids of the guests and the bride cometh, I crank back to C1 and fire away...

Other than that exact moment, I am always on manual.
(to be precise, C1 is programmed to manual also but all the settings are pre-set for the lighting situation)