gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

Similar to a good wine, a good manual exposure takes time. You also have to know what you want in the final photo. Shooting in manual is not the choice of snap shooters. You can take a quick snapshot if you’re experienced enough but it still takes some thinking ahead to be in the exposure ballpark.

photoman43

I stopped using manual mode over 25-30 years ago when I switched to Aperture Priority on my Nikon film cameras, and now my Nikon DSLRs. I use Matrix metering, check the histogram, adjust exposure if needed with exposure compensation. I adjust aperture as needed. For most of my nature situations involving action, I also use Auto ISO in Aperture Priority mode.

For me in manual mode, I had more bad exposures. As light changed, I did not change my manual settings and I lost shots. Manual mode just complicated things for me.

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Insight ? Please state which version of “manual” is in question:

• A. “Manual” = “M” on a Mode Dial.
or ...
• B. “Manual” = Practiced Skill at closely estimating exposure settings by eye, no metering involved.

Please specify A or B.

(Personally rooting for B !)

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

Use a light meter. Either the one in your camera or a handheld exposure meter. I've been using them since 1977. You are over thinking this. Once you understand any exposure meter and your camera tweaking to perfection is easy.

Also you might find a good book about Exposure and later The Digital Zone System.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

I choose a shutter speed fast enough to freeze the action and/or camera shake, the aperture for the DOF I need and let auto ISO take care of the ISO. I may occasionally then modify/compromise on the shutter speed or f stop if the ISO is too high (generally over 12,800 for my FF or over 6,400 for my crop body)

genocolo Loc: Vail and Gasparilla Island

Thank you

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Simple. I can visualize more clearly with less intrusion by devices.

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I visualize best with no device at all, but I’ll need two devices if I choose to share that vision with others, a camera plus some type of image processor.

yorkiebyte Loc: Scottsdale, AZ/Bandon by the Sea, OR

~ Trial and error will get you going. Soon, your instincts will keep you moving along. And, soon, you will learn how many images you miss by having to fiddle with camera settings. Unless, of course, all of your image subjects will stay and wait for you to set your camera settings properly.

I Don't Shoot in Manual Mode, I Shoot in Depeche Mode....

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Use what works best for you. I actually use different exposure modes on different cameras. Sometimes, it's the camera that makes one mode better than other (better being 'efficient' for capturing images).

On an EOS 5DIII (DSLR), I find manual exposure 100% the time is the best approach, that follows maybe 5 years of Aperture Priority on the same camera. I manually select the ISO in all situations.

On an EOS 1v (film), I mix between Program and Aperture Priority with some Manual. The ISO is fixed so it's really a question of how much or little I want to manage between the Aperture and the Shutter Speed.

On a Sony a7II with manual focus / manual aperture lenses (MILC), I'm 95% Shutter Priority with 5% Aperture Priority always in AUTO ISO. Because the apertures have to be selected on adapted film lenses, I'm really in Manual w/ AUTO ISO when shooting in Shutter Priority. When I'm in good light and want the camera to just sit in ISO-100, I use Aperture Priority where the camera is really just dynamically managing the shutter speed while I adjust the aperture and focus.

selmslie Loc: Fernandina Beach, FL, USA

You can't use any form of auto exposure if you are going to make a panorama.

R.G. Loc: Scotland

I fully agree with suggestions to use aperture as the starting point. The depth of field (DOF) requirements change from one scenario to another so there is no single rule to latch on to. Using a camera in auto mode will teach you nothing about depth of field and it's an important thing to get right so it's worth giving it whatever effort it takes to get a handle on it. You probably already know that DOF is affected by aperture, focal length and distance to the focus point so it's a bit of a moving target, but it won't be long before you get a feel for it. Start off with the short focal lengths because they're the most forgiving as far as DOF is concerned.

My suggested method of operation is to use Manual + Auto ISO. Decide what is the widest aperture (the lowest f-stop) that still gives you sufficient DOF for your purposes, and settle for that value. Then play off shutter speed against ISO. If your camera is capable of M+AutoISO you'll see that as you change shutter speed the ISO changes with it - couldn't be simpler.

You probably already know that to keep ISO as low as possible you're looking to keep the shutter speed slow - but not so slow that motion blur or camera shake are possibilities. And if your ISO bottoms out at its lowest value (which varies from camera to camera), just raise the shutter speed to get ISO floating again. You need to watch for the ISO bottoming out because the camera may not warn you that it's happening, and it can cause serious overexposure if you don't notice that it's happening. There is that one thing to look out for, but it's the only way you could be caught out, and in its favour I can't think of a simpler way to use Manual mode than M+AutoISO.

Metering is another important aspect of M mode. There are some scenarios where centre weighted or spot metering will be more likely to give a good exposure, but it's also very easy to get bad results if you're not careful how you use those modes. In general terms if you're looking for a general purpose metering method to get a handle on, I'd recommend getting used to matrix metering (sometimes called evaluative metering). It's not perfect and it can be caught out but the times when it can be caught out are fairly easy to spot and the answer is fairly simple - exposure compensation (EC).

Matrix metering is relatively consistent, which makes it easy to get a handle on it. As an added benefit, M+AutoISO+EC gives you full control over the exposure, and it's not difficult to get to that point in your learning process.

RichardTaylor Loc: Sydney, Australia

The above statement is incorrect.
I have shot indoor, hand held, panoramas of concerts whilst in aperture priority mode.

MrBob Loc: lookout Mtn. NE Alabama

Professional mode has a lot going for it.... enable program shift and spin the wheel to prioritize what you desire... Aperture or shutter. You already have set your ISO. Easy peasy; but as always, use what you like and am comfortable with...

Picture Taker Loc: Michigan Thumb

"Ysarex" Good, that is what photography is all about, we each do what we want and that is why our photographs are all different. Have fun!

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Special circumstances do arise but those don’t create a global rule. OTOH it does seemto me, by occasional observations, that in-camera pano modes lock their AE at the beginning of the sweep.