Shooting Manual Mode

[kabur]

I originally posted as a reply. Meant to post as a New Thread.

I am doing more and more or this each day and was wondering if anyone knew of a book (s) out there that have some pretty good information about shooting manual. Especially outside. Indoors works out ok after a few test shots. I actually like the control much better when shooting manual.

Thanks
Keith

[inkista]

Try Bryan Peterson's Understanding Exposure.

[autofocus]

Keith, what exactly is it that you want to know that's not already there for you in the view finder? I think first you have to consider what it is you need or want to accomplish...are you most concerned about depth of field, or blurring or stopping action? Obviously, you can have full control over those variables when shooting in manual. By looking at the guide / meter scale in you view finder, you can adjust both the shutter and the aperture based upon what it is you're trying to accomplish. Where your adjustments in either, or both functions center on the scale, then you will know it's giving you what the camera thinks is the proper exposure for your lighting conditions. From there, you can easily adjust up or down on the scale by making your adjustments if you think you need to over or under expose the image. That's pretty much it....

Vince

[Elmo]

This makes me want to say Why Manual for everything. Manual has it purpose but not necessarily for everything. (Speaking here of Exposure) If DOF is the important issue set use Av mode and select the f-stop you want to control the DOF. This lets the camera select the SS. This is exactly what happen when you center the meter. If you need a little over/under exposure just hit the comp dial. The reverse is true if SS is the key factor and use Tv. If neither really matters P is a great mode. this is quicker and you get auto adjust when the lighting changes.

[kabur]

Thanks folks! Lots of good info both for manual and the other modes. And Auto-Focus you are correct. Its in the view finder and it helps tremendously
Regards

[PWhite214]

Try this for something to get you going. A simplified zone system for making good exposures

Phil

[kencaleno]

Originally Posted by Elmo

This makes me want to say Why Manual for everything.

Total control over image making-you aren't letting a silicon chip do your thinking for you.

[kencaleno]

My intro to Manual exposure metering and the "Zone System"

Manual Exposure Metering


Your camera uses reflected light readings for exposure-light reflected from different subjects, will result in a range of tones, which your camera’s meter will try to average to give an overall exposure. It may not matter sometimes, but because any little deflection of lighting will give a different reading, and if you are photographing a wedding, for instance, it could look as if photos were taken on different days!

Incident light-light falling on the subjects is always constant.

Start using your in-built Incident exposure meter- Your eyes!

This is how us oldies who started in the late 1950’s/60’s learn to read exposure: You will often hear the term “The sunny 16 rule”, or Basic Daylight Exposure” here it is explained:

Basically four apertures are used: F16; F11; F8; and F5.6

Shutter-speed is based on Equivalent ISO#

Watching the shadows, the base settings are: ( for ISO 200)

Hard-edged shadows …………………….1/200 sec @ F16

Soft-edged shadows………………………1/200 sec @ F11

Barely visible Shadows…………………..1.200 sec @ F8

No Shadows……………………………….1/200 sec @ F5.6


Remember, these are the base settings: so variants would be:

1/200 @ F16
1/400 @ F11
1/800 @ F8
1/1600 @ F5.6
These all give the same exposure (But with different depths of field)
The other 3 settings use the same spatial relationship, the settings you choose are based on subject movement and/or depth of field desired. For instance If you want to keep the Aperture at F8:


Hard shadows……………………………1/800 @ F8

Soft shadows…………………………….1/400@ F8

Barely visible shadows…………………1/200 @ F8

No shadows………………………………1/100 @ F8 (As shadows fade, more light is required)
Heavily overcast…………………………..1/125 @ F8

Deep Shade………………………………1/60 @ F8

Pre-thunderstorm…………………………1/30 @ F8
Brightly lit store interior……………………1/15 @ F8

Well-lit stage/sports arena…………………1/8 @ F8

Well-lit house interior……………………….¼ @ F8

(Of course you would vary the F stop and shutter speed combinations to whatever would be most appropriate. )


To get more exact exposure readings, you may want to bracket exposures. As you can’t use exposure compensation button when in manual made, this is what I do on my Nikon, your Dslr will have a similar action:

I set aperture to F16, and shutter-speed to 1/200, ( for Hard shadows) Take a shot, then:

2 clicks of the thumbwheel to the left-take a shot- this gives me a + 2/3 exposure
1 click to the right now, gives me + 1/3 exposure

1 more click to the right brings me back to the basic (meter as read) setting, then:

1 more click to the right gives me -1/3 exposure, and finally ,
1 more click to the right gives me - 2/3 exposure-so I have 5 exposures from 2/3rds over, to 2/3rds under exposure.

Looking at these, I choose the one that gives the most detail in the shadows and also in the highlights, without blowing the highlights-and after a while you will find you are able to guess just about right with your exposures-It is all very simple, and I hope I have explained in words that make it easy to understand.

I believe a basic understanding of The “Zone System” will be of benefit here, so I have included my intro to this:
Edward Weston/ Ansel Adams developed the “Zone System”
To control exposure and contrast for black and white film photography
And To pre-visualize finished image after post processing in the darkroom,

There are11 zones black to white-each zone represent 1 EV (exposure value) stop:

0 Total black

I Almost black-no detail

II Dark grey-black -very dark detail in shadows

III Very dark grey-shadow detail-dark animal fur

IV Medium dark grey-dark green foliage, shadow side of Caucasian face
Dark stone-landscape shadow-dark skin-details plainly visible

V Medium grey-green grass-grey stone-dry tarmac-excellent detail

VI Rich mid-tone grey-Caucasian skin in sunlight-light stone and sand

VII Bright light grey-white with texture-silver hair

VIII Almost white-Delicate texture-no detail-reflected highlights on Caucasian skin

IX Nearly pure white

X Absolute white


Each zone is a tone between black and white

Each zone is either half or twice the exposure of it’s neighbour, depending on whether you are going up or down, For example Zone III is 2 stops darker than zone V, and zone VII is 2 stops lighter than zone V-As you move your exposure one stop (ev) say, from f 8 to f 11,or from 1/60sec to 1/125sec, you will have moved the exposure one zone
Although developed for black and white film, it can still be useful for digital imaging, and once you get used to using it, your resulting images will be superior to anything you have done before..

It can be difficult to understand that when working in color, that black and white and tones of grey can apply. Your camera’s meter sees in black, white and tones of grey in between.

So to help you understand:

Your camera’s built-in meter will average everything it sees as mid-grey (18% or 13%-whichever you believe to be correct) > ZONE V!
The camera’s light meter will measure and average everything it’s pointed at

So it becomes necessary to switch to spot metering-a spot meter will measure only a very small angle (1-2 Degrees)-spot metering will let the camera know the most important part of the scene in front of it.

Ok. Let’s assume you have a Caucasian model against a relatively dark background-So you assess the scene before you, and decide that the model’s face is the most important part of the scene.

Usually Caucasian skin registers at Zone VI or Zone VII, (Even though we are looking at a color scene, the camera only sees light and dark.) When we spot meter for model’s face, this will register on camera as Zone V

We have decided to rate the model’s skin at Zone VII, and this means we must open up 2 EV stops to achieve this:

If we are in manual shooting mode, this will require us to either a) Decrease the shutter speed from, say 1/250th sec to 1/60th sec, or b) 0pen up aperture from, say F8 to F4.
If you are in auto mode/scene exposure mode, set exposure compensation to +2

Always do a final check using your histogram: In some situations, by placing the subject at a certain zone, could result in other areas of the image being under or over exposed.

From this you can see that the camera’s Dynamic range is from zone III to zone VII ; with Zone V being middle grey.

[kabur]

Thanks Ken! Excellent information. Exactly what I was looking for.