Manual Shooting

[Rae]

I hope I ask this question correctly. I have recently begun shooting manually. What I would like to know is, do you have any starting points with your settings. I mean, depending on the situation (daylight, shade, etc.), do you have specific settings you begin with. Do you end up taking several shots before getting the correct settings or do you automatically know what the settings should be for any given situation. Will this get easier for me as I practice more and become more familiar with the relationship of the settings together. I keep reading about ISO, shutter speed, f#, exposure compensation, etc. but........ Please tell me that someday it will all make sense and I will understand it.

TIA for any helpful insight you might have. -Rae

[mdwsta4]

depending on what i'm shooting i typically set the aperture first, then adjust the shutter speed accordingly.
when i need to catch fast paced items i'll set my shutter speed first and adjust the aperture accordingly.
a helpful hint before diving directly into manual mode is to play around in aperture priority and shutter priority. the camera does most of the guess work itself, you only have to select one setting. if you do that and pay attention to what the other settings are for the shot, it'll help you judge proper settings when shooting in full manual.

[PnwGuy]

Reading Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson would be a tremendous help. It's the most helpful book on photography that I've read.

Since each situation is unique and I'm still trying to get the hang of it I typically bracket my shots, and I'll meter off different areas in my shot to experiment. I also use some of the auto modes for comparison. That's when I have the time for multiple shots. Otherwise I'll meter off something neutral or flip it to Program or Aperture or Shutter Priority modes.

Oh, and like MDW, it depends on what I'm going for but typically I set the aperture first and adjust as needed.

[hpebley3]

Someday it will all make sense and you will understand it... if you keep working on it. ;-)

For those rare times I use manual mode, usually I'll start with aperture priority, look at the settings it thinks is correct and use that as a baseline to start with; usually this will get me close. Also, on my camera in manual mode, the indicator on the Ev graph moves to show how close the camera's metering thinks I am to the correct exposure.

Typically though I use aperture priority and then change the Ev compensation if I want something different than the camera picks.

[Saralonde]

I did something similar when I first tried manual mode, but I'd see what the camera in basic mode suggested, then I'd use that as a starting point. It helped me understand it better.

[rootshell]

Also, depending on what you are shooting, you can dig around for some recommended settings from others. When I first started shooting night football (high school), I realized that I needed to shoot manual to have better control. Talking with others about their manual settings and this article (http://www.siphoto.com/?canon20D.inc) (specific to 20D and sports) helped point me in the right direction. It took some time to get used to manual, but don't let it overwhelm you, you'll catch on.

[NaturesPixel]

PnwGuy beat me too it but here is the link to Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera (http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0817463003/104-4447686-1215958?SubscriptionId=02ZH6J1W0649DTNS6002)

[Saralonde]

I agree. Understanding Exposure by Peterson is one everyone should read.

[Rae]

Thanks to everyone for your wonderful suggestions. I will give them a try continue to practice. Thanks to PnwGuy for the book suggestion and to Leisa for the link to same. I have ordered the book ($10.00 off to boot) and look forward to reading it. Hpebley3 - I am taking you at your word that someday it will make sense and I will understand it. In the meantime, back to reading and practicing.

[PnwGuy]

Thanks to everyone for your wonderful suggestions. I will give them a try continue to practice. Thanks to PnwGuy for the book suggestion and to Leisa for the link to same. I have ordered the book ($10.00 off to boot) and look forward to reading it. Hpebley3 - I am taking you at your word that someday it will make sense and I will understand it. In the meantime, back to reading and practicing.


Once you understand how to use your camera's built-in meter, shooting in manual mode gets much easier. Set your aperture, check the meter and adjust the shutter speed until your meter is in the middle. That's the basics.


Good luck and have fun with it.

[mdwsta4]

i 3rd the understanding exposure book. won it here on DPS as a matter of fact. some basic stuff, but also some good informational stuff. definitely worth a read.

[topslakr]

I'm a jump in and get dirty kid of guy when it comes to gadgets. When I bought my D40 I put it into Manual mode and have not shot in anything else since. For me it's been the best way to learn how everything interacts. I set up some initial settings and snap a shot to see how it looks and then go from there. My biggest problem now is that I setup my camera for a shot and them stop checking the screen. I then end up 200 shots later on the same settings as the first. Bit my bit though I'm learning more about the camera and more about how each setting interacts with the others.

Robert