burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Manual, (noun) the thing you read thoroughly, two or three times, with camera in hand, in order to learn what everything on the camera is and does.

See also, “RTFM” on the Internet, via Google search. (Warning: possibly NSFW) Kindly translated, it means Read The *Fine* Manual.

Manual Mode: accepting absolute responsibility for the outcome of one’s work, by controlling ALL the variables.

Set ISO (no auto ISO)
Set shutter speed
Set aperture
Set zoom
Set focus
Set custom or manual white balance

Some carry it further to insist you post-process raw data by yourself.

fourlocks Loc: Londonderry, NH

The definition will probably never be agreed upon. I always thought manual means aperture, shutter speed and ISO are "manually" set by the user without any help from the camera. Does manual also require the user to hand-focus as well or does manual only refer to the exposure?

My '70's Nikkormat had the internal exposure pointer that simply had a "+" or "-" to tell me if the exposure was too light or dark. If I trusted the camera's meter, I was relying on the camera to figure out if the exposure was correct, wasn't I. My father had a '60's Kodak "Retina" 35mm camera without any form of internal exposure meter. He used a hand held meter or simply relied on experience for the aperture and shutter speed settings. The film's ISO was, of course, fixed. A purist could argue that any camera that takes a battery isn't a 100% manual camera.

Then there's the comment that on a typical DSLR, the dialed "manual" mode means the user has to select aperture and speed but that setting allows for auto ISO. This gets us to the oft-explored question as to whether "manual" has to include the user setting the ISO. I'm of the school that allows auto ISO to be used and still call it a manual setting. In this case, manual means the user adjusts aperture and speed to get the DOF and movement freeze or blur (s)he wants without worrying whether the ISO can allow for it as we had to in the old SLR film days. In the final analysis, I really don't care what mode I'm in, as long as I get the results I want and if someone comments that I produced a really good picture, they never ask, "but did you shoot it on manual?"

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

If one defines manual as full control over Aperture, Shutterspeed, and ISO, then M mode is the only manual mode. Both A mode and S modes would be considered semi auto since part of the exposure triangle for each of those modes is automated. This assumes that Auto ISO is not being used.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

"Auto" means all you do is point and shoot. "Manual" usually means you set everything - like back in 1950. Some people also use the term "manual" or "part manual," if they change anything. In most cases the camera is a better photographer than I am. I like Aperture mode so I can adjust depth of field.

Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga

When shooting macro, I'm totally manual. I determine the aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and focus. Now when shooting other subjects, I use other modes depending on the situation. But, manual means nothing determined by the camera.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

No, A and S are not manual. M is manual. A and S are called creative shooting modes. P is a semi automatic mode.

jwn Loc: SOUTHEAST GEORGIA USA

who cares, use the camera and its all its features to get the best pic......so it must be RAW ?? as out of camera jpeg is raw image manipulated/adjusted by camera. what about all the other in camera settings that "change' the image?

ole sarg Loc: south florida

Gee am I confused I thought manual meant using your hands or a book like a shop manual! Then again my wife often says Manual is cutting the grass today....

jwn Loc: SOUTHEAST GEORGIA USA

turn off AF ?? it's "all on you" to determine the focus not the camera/lens

CatMarley Loc: North Carolina

Manual: You set the ISO, the f stop, the shutter speed, and focus the lens yourself. NO auto IAS or F. Like I used to do with my Nikon FM!

bweber Loc: Newton, MA

Why does anyone care about the use of manual exposure control or automatic exposure control or anything in between. They should be used to produce a properly exposed image that demonstrates the photographer vision. Unless you are setting everything by eye without the use of any device to help evaluate the light, such as a light meter either hand held or in the camera you are probably not shooting purely manually. The manual setting on all modern cameras is the same process as match needle exposure that was used in the earlier film cameras with built in meters. A good photographer will look at the setting the camera has selected in whatever setting you choose and decide if it will meet your needs. If it does not meet your needs you can always adjust the exposure by changing shutter speed, aperture of ISO. I generally use aperture priority because depth of field is important to me and make adjustments using the exposure control wheel on the back of my camera.
Note - The person who responded by stating that post processing a digital image means that it not a manual image has clearly never worked in a black and white darkroom, or read anything about Ansel Adams and the things he could accomplish in a dark room.

jackm1943 Loc: Omaha, Nebraska

To me, manual = Pentax K1000 (which I learned on).

CPR Loc: Nature Coast of Florida

When I pick up my Nikon "F" from 1959 and look through the Photomic Head there is a little needle moving left and right. I manually focus the lens, manually change the aperture and the shutter speed until the needle is centered. Then push the shutter release and crank the handle to manually advance the film.
That's what "Manual" was for many years.

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

This discussion could be heading in the direction of the Clinton-era and the "what is sex" question (hoping not to offend but that's how it hit me). "Manual" shooting can be perceived in several ways and I actually have no idea if there is a right or wrong way. It's absolute that shooting "manual" would mean you set everything in the camera (i.e., back to the "old days" which people just cannot leave behind), and this would include setting the ISO (old days would mean the film you chose). After that I think it's a bit of a gray area. I can say what I know it is not, though, and the definition of "manual" does not include the "P" or program setting, or any setting for any type of automatic photo-taking where the photographer controls nothing but that setting. I often shoot in aperture-priority but I don't think that is truly a "manual" setting but it's not an automatic setting either as I'm always rolling the controls one way or the other to get what I want. I also do shoot in "full manual."

charlienow Loc: Hershey, PA

Thanks for all the reply’s to my post. Obviously there is no one definition of manual. On UHH I see people who consider A, S and M to all be manual mode. Others who believe You must set everything for it to be considered to be manual...others that possible believe that program mode is a form of manual mode. That the only non manual mode is in the auto mode.

My belief is that true manual mode is where you are in M and set shutter, aperture, and iso yourself without the use of a light meter...I don’t shoot this way...it is slow and a royal pain. I use the cameras meter and A or S mode and usually with a fixed ISO...I usually keep the camera in program mode when not in use or traveling so I can get the quick grab shot that I was not expecting.

Not sure why Nikon, Canon and other manufactures would bother to put the various modes on their cameras if full manual mode was the best exposure mode.

Anyway was just curious as to the answers I would get. Even though I am not that good of a photographer I still love the hobby and will hopefully be able to take pictures until the day I die.

Chuck