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Do you ever shoot in manual and forget to look at settings while adjusting for exposure?
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Apr 13, 2019 09:48:31   #
home brewer Loc: Fort Wayne, Indiana
 
I am review photos I shot using a D500 and a zoom lens in a Berlin museum and now find that I shot at too high ISO, shutter and not wide enough f/stop. Thus I shot using ISO that are so noisy I can not make the photo look good. Has any one else got so caught up in composing that they move the settings to adjust the exposure without paying attention to the iso. I was trying to keep up with family so I was rushed.
How a week later at home I think I should have set the f/stop and shutter and let the ISO float.
Also what metering is best in a museum? What should I have done?

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Apr 13, 2019 09:54:26   #
via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP
 
One thing all of us should do is reset our camera each time prior to a shoot or after a shoot. It's important to get mind-muscle going that reminds us to check all settings before we shoot. Then, after the first shot, to recheck again. This prevents heartache later on. Hope you can figure out how to save your shots.

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Apr 13, 2019 09:55:55   #
Shutterbug57
 
To answer your title question - yes, with film. Expensive lesson that taught me to check the camera settings when I pull the camera out of the bag.

With the D500, you can chimp on the first shot or two and ensure that you are set right. I hear you on keeping up with the family when they are not into photography. Sometimes I go by myself and take my time.

Frequently, museums have dramatically different light in different rooms. As you said, you could set the shutter and aperture and float the ISO. Your aperture settings will vary depending on what you are shooting and how you want the background to look. Shutter should be pretty straight forward at 1/focal length or faster. Metering style will vary depending on the subject and how it is lit. You have the screen on the back, I would play with the meter settings to see what looks best for the particular shot. A spotlit statue in a dark room will be different than a well lit room and a painting on the wall.

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Apr 13, 2019 09:59:55   #
Plieku69 Loc: The Gopher State, south end
 
Yes, a year ago I photographed an old tractor parade. Every shot looked great in live view, but was seriously overexposed when I downloaded them.
Next month I am going to a once in a lifetime museum of old trains. Getting it right is vital. I have been reading everything I can find, including the camera manual, to understand exposure and camera settings. Auto, P, TV, S, which are the most important for the situation and lighting.
I have 3 weeks to learn it all.
Ken

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Apr 13, 2019 10:05:22   #
boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander
 
home brewer wrote:
I am review photos I shot using a D500 and a zoom lens in a Berlin museum and now find that I shot at too high ISO, shutter and not wide enough f/stop. Thus I shot using ISO that are so noisy I can not make the photo look good. Has any one else got so caught up in composing that they move the settings to adjust the exposure without paying attention to the iso. I was trying to keep up with family so I was rushed.
How a week later at home I think I should have set the f/stop and shutter and let the ISO float.
Also what metering is best in a museum? What should I have done?
I am review photos I shot using a D500 and a zoom ... (show quote)


Easiest fix when you are in a " run and gun" situation is get out of manual. Sometimes even auto--GASP- is a better choice.

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Apr 13, 2019 10:43:48   #
DaveO Loc: Northeast CT
 
boberic wrote:
Easiest fix when you are in a " run and gun" situation is get out of manual. Sometimes even auto--GASP- is a better choice.




If I can remember.

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Apr 13, 2019 10:47:16   #
CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City
 
When you choose to shoot in manual, you take ownership of all aspects of the image-taking process, for good or for ill.

Continue to practice using the meter and details displayed within the viewfinder. You might also consider your priorities when determining your exposure settings. Are you considering ISO first or last or shutter first? Although your D500 is excellent at higher ISOs, a best practice in digital photography is to keep the ISO as low as possible. If you approach your exposure based first on the depth of field (aperture) and then shutterspeed (fast enough to handhold? or freeze motion?), you might then let the ISO climb to what is just needed for the other settings. This approach also fits with your idea of AUTO ISO in Manual.

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Apr 13, 2019 11:22:53   #
RV Loc: Chicago
 
My best advice is to force yourself to develop a HABIT of checking the settings in your camera every time before you go out to shoot and then constantly while you are shooting different scenes or venues throughout the day. I have done this back in the day and lost many good images. I learned quickly to continuously check my settings throughout the day because so many variables change from shot to shot. Especially in M mode.

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Apr 13, 2019 12:41:09   #
JD750 Loc: SoCal
 
home brewer wrote:
I am review photos I shot using a D500 and a zoom lens in a Berlin museum and now find that I shot at too high ISO, shutter and not wide enough f/stop. Thus I shot using ISO that are so noisy I can not make the photo look good. Has any one else got so caught up in composing that they move the settings to adjust the exposure without paying attention to the iso. I was trying to keep up with family so I was rushed.
How a week later at home I think I should have set the f/stop and shutter and let the ISO float.
Also what metering is best in a museum? What should I have done?
I am review photos I shot using a D500 and a zoom ... (show quote)


It is all too easy to do that with a DSLR. Frequent chimping to check exposure is required when shooting manual. Or you could switch to a mirrorless camera body.

Sorry about the lost photos.

What metering is best? That depends on the scene and you intent but a good rule of thumb is for wide scenes where you want normal exposure and the best latitude, not high or low key or dramatic result, use matrix metering. But for specific subjects, with uneven lighting, or if you want a moody dramatic image, or a high/low key image, spot metering might work better.

What should you have done? You choose to shoot manual. When shooting manual using a DSLR and you are moving about, scenes are changing, light is changing, you have to check exposure frequently, every time the scene or the light changes or when you change perspective. And don't just look at the viewfinder, use the Histogram as well, it can be helpful when checking exposure. But given the situation where I am moving about a lot, and do not have much time to make adjustments, light is changing, scenes are changing if I am using A DSLR, I might choose one of the auto-exposure modes, with matrix metering, instead of M.

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Apr 13, 2019 14:50:11   #
User ID
 
via the lens wrote:

One thing all of us should do is reset our camera each time prior to
a shoot or after a shoot. It's important to get mind-muscle going
that reminds us to check all settings before we shoot. Then, after
the first shot, to recheck again. This prevents heartache later on.
Hope you can figure out how to save your shots.


Thaz not bad advice. Works for some. There's many ways to
skin a cat. I never do a reset. I just use the camera controls
as-needed, and that always works for me.

In bright outdoor light I do image reviews in the EVF cuz the
rear monitor is difficult to view. Histograms are useful as well
but I seldom choose to have them display in the EVF. But you
were in a museum, so even without an EVF the rear monitor
should have been sufficient.

.

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Apr 13, 2019 15:14:48   #
mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey
 
home brewer wrote:
I am review photos I shot using a D500 and a zoom lens in a Berlin museum and now find that I shot at too high ISO, shutter and not wide enough f/stop. Thus I shot using ISO that are so noisy I can not make the photo look good. Has any one else got so caught up in composing that they move the settings to adjust the exposure without paying attention to the iso. I was trying to keep up with family so I was rushed.
How a week later at home I think I should have set the f/stop and shutter and let the ISO float.
Also what metering is best in a museum? What should I have done?
I am review photos I shot using a D500 and a zoom ... (show quote)


While I won't say never, it's an issue that I rarely have. I tend to be a disciplined shooter and understand that my camera's settings can be every bit as important at my composition. In addition, because I use a Canon 7D Mark II, it's intelligent viewfinder has all the shooting information I need, comfortably visible at all times. I would have to ignore the settings right in front of my eyes to make any serious exposure error.

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Apr 13, 2019 15:17:48   #
CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City
 
mwsilvers wrote:
While I won't say never, it's an issue that I rarely have. I tend to be a disciplined shooter and understand that my camera's settings can be every bit as important at my composition. In addition, because I use a Canon 7D Mark II, it's intelligent viewfinder has all the shooting information I need, comfortably visible at all times. I would have to ignore the settings right in front of my eyes to make any serious exposure error.


I thought I made a mistake once, but I was wrong ....

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Apr 13, 2019 15:18:57   #
home brewer Loc: Fort Wayne, Indiana
 
exposures were correct. I just let the iso creep up. I was not paying attention to the shutter speed and aperture. After reviewing at home I find many shots at f10 and 1/250 or more when f 8 and 1/100 would have worked. Thus the iso could have been much less.

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Apr 13, 2019 15:46:28   #
kskarma Loc: Topeka, KS
 
My advice...FWIW..(For What It's Worth)...is to
1. Rely on the K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple System..) Unless you have a goodly amount of experience, it's really best to not get into making multiple changes to your camera settings AND...before ANY photo session, take a few minutes to make sure that your camera settings are as you prefer them to be...of course, this would mean keeping to the "Auto" settings for the most part. Remember that you have probably paid Big Money for an advanced camera, and the goal of the manufacturer is to make a product that CAN make all of the decisions for you.
2. Do all of the 'dry firing' that is possible in a no-stress situation. "Dry Firing" is the term that was used in film days where you would practice using your camera with NO film in it...to get used to holding it steady, releasing the shutter slowly and generally getting familiar with your camera. With today's digital cameras, you have the additional advantage of being able to see immediately if your photos are as you want them to be....so shooting photos in your own living room, pix of your pet, flowers in the garden...all of these 'controlled' situations can both give you confidence in your knowledge of your camera and allow great feedback immediately.

3. The previous advice to take a few shots and 'chimp' them carefully is a practice that is always good, no matter how confident or experienced we might be as photographers. It's all to easy for a knob to be turned or a button to be pressed before you take any critical photos.

4. The 'theme' of my comments here has pretty much been, "Practice, Practice, Practice"..!! Make your mistakes in the 'privacy' of your own home, then you will be ready for those 'one time' opportunities..!

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Apr 13, 2019 15:56:20   #
mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey
 
CHG_CANON wrote:
I thought I made a mistake once, but I was wrong ....

That's me. What can I say. To err is human but for those of us who are gods it happens less often.

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