Shooting Full Manual.

[Dirt_Bike_Ryda]

Hey guys laterly i've been seeing alot of the Big "M" (manual mode) as i've come to understand light a bit more, how-ever i've been finding it a real chore to change my aperture setting 'on-the-fly' w/o..

pressing the center button > scrolling to aperture > selecting my aperture > looking back into the viewfinder

is the anyway to "swap" the finger dial to Aperture rather then shutter speed on the 5D mk2 ???

it's P***ing me off...

[inkista]

Dude.
Thumb dial = aperture.
Finger dial = shutter speed.

Ditto the quick setting buttons on the top LCD: finger dial for the setting on the left, thumb dial for the setting on the right.

I almost never use the main menu on the LCD. This is the reason that I like dual wheel control.

[Dirt_Bike_Ryda]

Originally Posted by inkista

Dude.
Thumb dial = aperture.
Finger dial = shutter speed.

Ditto the quick setting buttons on the top LCD: finger dial for the setting on the left, thumb dial for the setting on the right.

I almost never use the main menu on the LCD. This is the reason that I like dual wheel control.

hmmm.. maybe i need to change my technique now and revert back to dual wheel, just its confusing, cause i rarely use Tv and the finger dial is aperture in Av, so when i go to manual it swaps (i think that makes sense) and i can't just keeping "assuming" that i can just click the finger and Aperture will change. The main issue is, that i rarely care what my Shutter speed is, so i would rarely mind a bit of a hassel to adjust it manually to suit.


EDIT: i use the thumb wheel for focus point selection, so making that aperture in manual would cause me to loose the thumb wheel as being focus point.

[daft_biker]

Originally Posted by Dirt_Bike_Ryda

EDIT: i use the thumb wheel for focus point selection, so making that aperture in manual would cause me to loose the thumb wheel as being focus point.

Press the button with the pic of the focus points on it if you want to change the focus point? Unless there's something different on the 5D2? (Canon have been a little experimental with focus mode buttons lately but I'd expect there's a number of way you can set it up for how you like it)

Why make life difficult by using manual if all you end up doing is chasing the meter though. Manual has it's uses but don't feel obliged to use it all the time. Mostly I use it on lenses where Av mode doesn't work and in situations where the light won't be changing but changes in composition will fool the meter.....like down the bike track....if there's no clouds the light will be fairly constant for a while so you can get more consistant exposures in M than Av. I tend to use it a lot with flash too.

[Dirt_Bike_Ryda]

Originally Posted by daft_biker

Why make life difficult by using manual if all you end up doing is chasing the meter though. Manual has it's uses but don't feel obliged to use it all the time. Mostly I use it on lenses where Av mode doesn't work and in situations where the light won't be changing but changes in composition will fool the meter.....like down the bike track....if there's no clouds the light will be fairly constant for a while so you can get more consistant exposures in M than Av. I tend to use it a lot with flash too.

Manual is good when using Flash in tricky situations when 1/200th is far too slow, but you need some Fill light.

As to adjusting the focus, yes that works too, but, its easier to change with simply rotating the thumb dial whilist composing, makes life REALLY REALLY easy, in Av i have finger for aperture, thumb for focus point, not a huge amount you want to change whilist you have you eye in the view finder, and when im in manual, Shutter speed still isn't (usually) something i want to be able to change instantly cause i'm either using a tripod (slow compsition as it is) or, i'm in manual because of the reason above


all i want to do is swap the wheels around (for aperture and shutter speed, was hoping that could be done... but maybe a firmware update from canon is needed first...)

[inkista]

Ah, I use the joystick (C.Fn.III.3: "1. Multi-controller direct") for AF point selection--faster for me to choose the point directly than cycling through with the wheel.

For me, I'm usually in Manual to ignore where the meter wants me to be, so I choose the aperture I want, and then dink about with the shutter speed to get where I need to be, so the layout of the wheels makes sense to me.

[Dirt_Bike_Ryda]

arr yeah, fair enough. i'll have a go with the joystick, can't say that i've noticed that option before.



EDIT: i like, i like. No more scrolling, just hit what i want. Although, at first glance, seems to be a bit "hit 'n' miss" getting the center point, but practise makes perfect i suppose.

[OsmosisStudios]

Switch to Nikon. One wheel at your index, one at your thumb: super simple to use.


/SARCASM

[beatles2]

Originally Posted by OsmosisStudios

Switch to Nikon. One wheel at your index, one at your thumb: super simple to use.


/SARCASM

Say what,,,one step forward and two steps back. LOL.

[beatles2]

So where is it written that you have to shoot in manual to get a great shot. Do you think the pros all shoot in manual. I did in the 70s, but like the add says we come a long way babe.