# Using shutter prority



## duehew (Dec 2, 2015)

I am trying to get away from Auto setting and have been using Shutter priority. It seems the ones I take in Auto come out crisp and vivid while the ones in Shutter priority come out subdued. Is there another setting I should use?? Nikon D3200 W/55 mm lens. Very overcast day with white balance set for cloudy and hand held. Looking at nothing specific just roughly framing the shot and taking one in Auto and another in Shutter priority. Any advice helpful. Thanks.

Du


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## Overread (Dec 2, 2015)

Explain how you are using shutter priority mode to take the shot - what settings are you using and can you show us the auto shot and the shutter priority shots side by side.

You might also benefit from the book Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson as it goes into more depth for the beginner eager to learn about exposure.


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## duehew (Dec 2, 2015)

Overread said:


> Explain how you are using shutter priority mode to take the shot - what settings are you using and can you show us the auto shot and the shutter priority shots side by side.
> 
> You might also benefit from the book Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson as it goes into more depth for the beginner eager to learn about exposure.[


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## duehew (Dec 2, 2015)

I tried uploading 4 files through Photobucket but kept getting errors. Very frustrated.


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## killerseaguls (Dec 2, 2015)

duehew said:


> I tried uploading 4 files through Photobucket but kept getting errors. Very frustrated.



Honestly. It's just easier posting directly off your phone or something right on to the site. 

Since I'm a noob. I didn't even attempt to use auto anything. I flipped it to manual and just read on what each setting does. Auto will set your iso to 1600 plus ALL the time. 

And plus it'll help you a lot in taking better pictures...way better


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## dennybeall (Dec 2, 2015)

Auto settings don't just set shutter speed. It sets speed, f-stop and frequently adds some color or temperature settings as well as ISO. When you move from Auto to manual you have to set all of the available settings.
Just upload the file here. See where it says "Upload a File" beside Post Reply.


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## duehew (Dec 2, 2015)

I will try uploading again -

1A  



1B 



2A 



2B 



Hopefully these came through this time. Photobucket did not have them in the order uploaded so I hope I have them right. The first should be in Auto mode and the second in Shutter Priority mode and both were hand held with a 18-55 mm lens. Thank you for your patience.

Du


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## duehew (Dec 2, 2015)

killerseaguls said:


> duehew said:
> 
> 
> > I tried uploading 4 files through Photobucket but kept getting errors. Very frustrated.
> ...


Thanks for your feedback.


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## duehew (Dec 2, 2015)

duehew said:


> Overread said:
> 
> 
> > Explain how you are using shutter priority mode to take the shot - what settings are you using and can you show us the auto shot and the shutter priority shots side by side.
> ...


Thanks for the tips. I think my photos finally came through.


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## killerseaguls (Dec 2, 2015)

I'm confused as to why it auto changes the settings completely different in full auto to shutter auto.  When the only thing logically that would be different is shutter speed.  1/125 seems excessive also for what you were shooting and at iso 400. Iso 100 and a slower shutter would give you better images.   

Auto confuses me more than learning each setting haha. Again, I'm new at taking pictures. But those settings don't make sense to me. Or from what I would use 

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## duehew (Dec 2, 2015)

dennybeall said:


> Auto settings don't just set shutter speed. It sets speed, f-stop and frequently adds some color or temperature settings as well as ISO. When you move from Auto to manual you have to set all of the available settings.
> Just upload the file here. See where it says "Upload a File" beside Post Reply.


I tried uploading here but received a security error. I think the pics came through in my later post.


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## duehew (Dec 2, 2015)

killerseaguls said:


> I'm confused as to why it auto changes the settings completely different in full auto to shutter auto.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I do not know either. The first pic was auto and all I did was change to the "S" setting with "2" and no other settings were touched. Does this mean my camera is not working properly??


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## killerseaguls (Dec 2, 2015)

I'm sure it is. The veterans here will prob give a great answer. But, this is one instance why I use full manual, YouTube is very helpful starting out


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## Derrel (Dec 2, 2015)

killerseaguls said:


> I'm confused as to why it auto changes the settings completely different in full auto to shutter auto.  When the only thing logically that would be different is shutter speed.  1/125 seems excessive also for what you were shooting and at iso 400. Iso 100 and a slower shutter would give you better images.



Problem is....it's overcast...the ISO 100 value for 1/2 second at f/5.6 gave a nice degree of blur to the moving water, with no ISO gain needed. The first shot needed a* Low ISO Gain* value, to reach 400 ISO, but that pulled an exposure of f/5.6 at 1/125 second and a slightly under-exposed rendering--much,much,muuuuch safer for hand-held, automatic shooting.

In a matrix metering scenario, the Nikon's meter read the entire scene, computed the brightness range, the color values, and for the AUTO shot, delivered a good, solid, basic exposure of f/5.6 at 1/125 second at ISO 400...exactly the kind of compromise the Nikon engineers decided was about right, based on the 100,000+ actual scenes that are used to determine the Nikon matrix metering's exposure-making decisions.

When the photographer biases things to a very slow, non hand-holdable speed of 1/2 second in daylight, the camera's going to expose with that user-selected bias as a priority.


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## duehew (Dec 2, 2015)

killerseaguls said:


> I'm sure it is. The veterans here will prob give a great answer. But, this is one instance why I use full manual, YouTube is very helpful starting out
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Manual is what I am shooting for and wanting to learn what settings do what so I can take better photos. I have been downloading vids from you tube. Very confusing as some use total manual, some use Shutter and some suggest Aperature priority. What I am seeing with my experimenting is the Auto setting gives more vibrant colors than the other settings when I let the camera take over such as the Shutter priority I have been trying. Way more to learn.


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## duehew (Dec 2, 2015)

Derrel said:


> killerseaguls said:
> 
> 
> > I'm confused as to why it auto changes the settings completely different in full auto to shutter auto.  When the only thing logically that would be different is shutter speed.  1/125 seems excessive also for what you were shooting and at iso 400. Iso 100 and a slower shutter would give you better images.
> ...


I just looked at your 1st page and WOW, GREAT Photos. I loved the little boy with the water hose. Great shots. You definitely have been doing this for quite some time. These are the type of photos I am striving for. Good job and thanks for sharing.


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## killerseaguls (Dec 2, 2015)

Derrel said:


> killerseaguls said:
> 
> 
> > I'm confused as to why it auto changes the settings completely different in full auto to shutter auto.  When the only thing logically that would be different is shutter speed.  1/125 seems excessive also for what you were shooting and at iso 400. Iso 100 and a slower shutter would give you better images.
> ...





There you go!  


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## sashbar (Dec 2, 2015)

If you shoot shutter priority you need to learn what shuter speed you need to use for any particular scene. The Auto mode used ISO 400 and 1/125 sec. which is absolutely fine.  

With shutter priority you selected 1/2 sec, it is waaaaay too slow for a hand held shot. No wonder the image is so soft, it could be much worse with that speed. 

You could see that f/5.6 was enough for an adequate depth of field for the shot, why stopping it down to f/16 with your second shot?

I would recommend trying Aperture priority mode, simply because controlling the depth of field is most important. You can put a limit on your min shutter speed in your camera, lets say to 1/60 sec, and use auto ISO, set a maximum ISO at either 3200 or 6400, I do not know how can your camera deal with high ISO. (If you shoot street and people then limit your min shutter speed to 1/250). 

The camera will then keep the lowest possible ISO by setting the shutter speed as slow as possible to get to ISO 100, but it will never go slower than that, unless the ISO riches its set maximum. That only happens with really poor light. 

This will free your mind to focus on creative tasks, you will learn to set the right depth of field and your images will always come out crisp.  

Do not be afraid of high ISO, anything below 3200 usually is absolutely fine these days, some cameras handle 3200 and even 6400 just about as well.  A bit of digital noise is always a lesser evil than camera shake and soft focus.


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## duehew (Dec 2, 2015)

sashbar said:


> If you shoot shutter priority you need to learn what shuter speed you need to use for any particular scene. The Auto mode used ISO 400 and 1/125 sec. which is absolutely fine.
> 
> With shutter priority you selected 1/2 sec, it is waaaaay too slow for a hand held shot. No wonder the image is so soft, it could be much worse with that speed.
> 
> ...


Thanks for all your input, give me more things to try. I went with Shutter because I wanted to try blurring water flow. You have given me more ideas. Thank you.


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## Ysarex (Dec 2, 2015)

duehew said:


> killerseaguls said:
> 
> 
> > I'm confused as to why it auto changes the settings completely different in full auto to shutter auto.
> ...



Your camera looks like it's working properly. The two photos look different because they are exposed differently. The second photo has been exposed much more. You camera in shutter priority mode tried to lower the exposure to match the first exposure but it ran into a physical wall that wouldn't allow it to go any further -- that was the f/stop setting. The camera made the f/stop as small as it could but that wasn't enough.

Joe


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## wfooshee (Dec 3, 2015)

Deciding you wanted a slow shutter to blur the water, therefore switching to shutter priority, is exactly the right way to proceed. Shutter time was the important factor in your planning, therefore shutter speed _is_ your priority in the exposure. Unfortunately you haven't quite accounted for the other two legs of the exposure triangle, aperture and ISO, or for being able to hold the camera for that long.

Your first exposure, auto, was 1/125, f:5.6, ISO 400. Changing the shutter speed to 1/2 second to blur the water is a change of seven stops of exposure, so you have to reduce the ISO and/or reduce the aperture to make that difference work.

The lens only goes to f:16, apparently, since that's what was selected by the shutter priority metering. f:5.6 to f:16 is a 4-stop difference, so we still need to reduce exposure by 3 stops.

Either you or the camera (if you have auto-ISO on) reduced the ISO from 400 to 100, again as far as it could go. That's two stops of exposure.

So you slowed the shutter speed (increased exposure) by seven stops, then closed the aperture (decreased exposure) by 4 stops and reduced ISO (decreased exposure) by two stops. You're still a stop over-exposed.

And none of that accounts for camera motion during that half second. You _have_ to steady the camera somehow, either on a tripod or at least a monopod, to use shutter speeds that long.


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## AlanKlein (Dec 3, 2015)

1/2 second is fine for blurring water flow.  Try other speeds as well.  Were you using a tripod?  If not, you have too.  Otherwise there will be movement in all of the photo creating that soft effect you mentioned, not something you want.  

Regarding Auto or Program mode, I've been using Program mode for 50 years for most of my casual shots.  I don't use Auto because I still want to have some control over things like flash and other settings that Auto locks out.  The camera is smarter than me and will get me quicker where I want to be for 98% of my shots when using Program.  You can still offset the exposure in Program mode.  Unless you understand the modes and know why you want to shoot shutter priority or aperture priority, neither those two or full manual will give you better shots than Program.  In the case of moving water as in your shot, shutter priority makes better sense over Aperture priority.  That's because you can select the exact shutter speed you want and the aperture will adjust accordingly.  On the other hand, if you shooting a landscape picture where you want very deep Depth of Field, (DOF), than Aperture Priority or Manual would be the way to go.  Another example where Aperture Priority works well is when you want a narrower DOF when you're taking portraits and want the background to be blurry.  As someone else mentioned, get a book that explains the different modes and where each would be best to use and shows examples.


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## duehew (Dec 3, 2015)

Ysarex said:


> duehew said:
> 
> 
> > killerseaguls said:
> ...


Thank  you for your great feedback.


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## duehew (Dec 3, 2015)

AlanKlein said:


> 1/2 second is fine for blurring water flow.  Try other speeds as well.  Were you using a tripod?  If not, you have too.  Otherwise there will be movement in all of the photo creating that soft effect you mentioned, not something you want.
> 
> Regarding Auto or Program mode, I've been using Program mode for 50 years for most of my casual shots.  I don't use Auto because I still want to have some control over things like flash and other settings that Auto locks out.  The camera is smarter than me and will get me quicker where I want to be for 98% of my shots when using Program.  You can still offset the exposure in Program mode.  Unless you understand the modes and know why you want to shoot shutter priority or aperture priority, neither those two or full manual will give you better shots than Program.  In the case of moving water as in your shot, shutter priority makes better sense over Aperture priority.  That's because you can select the exact shutter speed you want and the aperture will adjust accordingly.  On the other hand, if you shooting a landscape picture where you want very deep Depth of Field, (DOF), than Aperture Priority or Manual would be the way to go.  Another example where Aperture Priority works well is when you want a narrower DOF when you're taking portraits and want the background to be blurry.  As someone else mentioned, get a book that explains the different modes and where each would be best to use and shows examples.


Thanks for the info and your photographs are great. Thanks for sharing.


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## jbrennsk (Dec 4, 2015)

duehew said:


> I will try uploading again -
> 
> 1A
> 
> ...




New to the forum here, but not to photography.  The primary reason you are getting different exposures (light and dark) here with shutter priority is due to your metering mode.  The full auto photos will use 'matrix metering' which does a good job averaging the exposure for the scene.  The photo in shutter priority mode has the metering set to 'spot', so the exposure is set for a very small percentage of the frame.  If you change your metering mode to matrix with shutter priority mode, your shots should be the same 'tone' unless you adjust your metering +/-. 

Joe


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## duehew (Dec 4, 2015)

jbrennsk said:


> duehew said:
> 
> 
> > I will try uploading again -
> ...


Thank you, something else to try.


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## kiwi314 (Dec 4, 2015)

Spend some time on YouTube learning about the exposure triangle and metering. There is a lot of multi-thinking going on when taking a picture, but it will get easier the more you learn and practice. YouTube has been an invaluable tool for me.

I'm guessing you weren't using a tripod. With that slow of a shutter speed, it is going to give you a blurry photo. A general rule when hand-holding is that you don't want to use a shutter speed slower than 1 divided by your focal length. E.g., If you are using a 50mm lens, you don't want to slow it down past 1/50th of a second.

Other differences between the first and second photo were the metering setting and White Balance. Spot metering is pretty finicky, and might not be the best to learn on. But i'm not a pro, so this with a grain of salt. I'd start out using center-weighted or evaluative/matrix metering if I were you.

It also might be beneficial to learn how to set up full manual before you start letting the camera do some of the work. Your ISO probably didn't need to be up that high, as it forced your camera to close the aperture to stop light from getting in. If you lowered that, and had a tripod, you could slow your shutter for even more motion blur in the water if you wanted.

All I know from photography I have gathered from the internet (mainly YouTube). Spend some of your free time there and you will start to master your camera. Good luck


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## Peeb (Dec 4, 2015)

A decent rule of thumb is to take the focal length of the lens to determine when you need a tripod.

30mm= 1/30 second is slowest hand held shutter speed.  Slower?  Tripod it.
50mm= 1/50 second.
125mm= 1/125 second.

Yes, longer lenses are harder to hold stable so you need faster shutter speeds to ensure no blur.

Of course, with image stabilization (nikon calls it VR), these guidelines might be too conservative, but it's a point of departure for considering your options.


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## The_Traveler (Dec 5, 2015)

duehew said:


> killerseaguls said:
> 
> 
> > I'm sure it is. The veterans here will prob give a great answer. But, this is one instance why I use full manual, YouTube is very helpful starting out
> ...



I don't know where the idea comes from that using 'manual' is the expert way to do things; it's not.
Full manual requires lots of fingers and changing lots of settings;  the end result here is to get good pictures not to learn some particular fingering as if you are a pianist.
Learn what the different settings do, learn to manipulate your camera, learn the easiest way to use your camera to get the results you want,  most of all learn to take good pictures.


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## WayneF (Dec 5, 2015)

duehew said:


> I am trying to get away from Auto setting and have been using Shutter priority. It seems the ones I take in Auto come out crisp and vivid while the ones in Shutter priority come out subdued. Is there another setting I should use?? Nikon D3200 W/55 mm lens. Very overcast day with white balance set for cloudy and hand held. Looking at nothing specific just roughly framing the shot and taking one in Auto and another in Shutter priority. Any advice helpful. Thanks.
> 
> Du




What shutter speed are you setting?

It would seem good to compare your pictures by noting the shutter speed and aperture in each (from the Exif data).   If there's a difference, that's where it is, and it would be good to realize which setting does what?

The norm for most people is to use aperture preferred, giving the f/stop the desired value.  Shutter speed priority is normally only used for fast sports action.

If you are using Auto ISO with shutter preferred, then in dim light (any time ISO increases), the aperture will be wide open, not the best or most crisp choice.


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## duehew (Dec 5, 2015)

kiwi314 said:


> Spend some time on YouTube learning about the exposure triangle and metering. There is a lot of multi-thinking going on when taking a picture, but it will get easier the more you learn and practice. YouTube has been an invaluable tool for me.
> 
> I'm guessing you weren't using a tripod. With that slow of a shutter speed, it is going to give you a blurry photo. A general rule when hand-holding is that you don't want to use a shutter speed slower than 1 divided by your focal length. E.g., If you are using a 50mm lens, you don't want to slow it down past 1/50th of a second.
> 
> ...


Thank you


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## duehew (Dec 5, 2015)

Peeb said:


> A decent rule of thumb is to take the focal length of the lens to determine when you need a tripod.
> 
> 30mm= 1/30 second is slowest hand held shutter speed.  Slower?  Tripod it.
> 50mm= 1/50 second.
> ...


Thanks for the input, good to know.


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## duehew (Dec 5, 2015)

WayneF said:


> duehew said:
> 
> 
> > I am trying to get away from Auto setting and have been using Shutter priority. It seems the ones I take in Auto come out crisp and vivid while the ones in Shutter priority come out subdued. Is there another setting I should use?? Nikon D3200 W/55 mm lens. Very overcast day with white balance set for cloudy and hand held. Looking at nothing specific just roughly framing the shot and taking one in Auto and another in Shutter priority. Any advice helpful. Thanks.
> ...


First picture was Auto and the second was "Exposure - Shutter Priority @ 1/2s.


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## Braineack (Dec 5, 2015)

duehew said:


> WayneF said:
> 
> 
> > duehew said:
> ...


Why 1/2sec?  You desperately need to learn and understand that exposure triangle.

In your first shot you told the camera to make the image dark in order to bring the sky down from white to gray.

In the second shot you told the camera to due whatever it takes to make the bridge gray and ignore the rest of the scene. 




using tapatalk.


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## duehew (Dec 5, 2015)

Braineack said:


> duehew said:
> 
> 
> > WayneF said:
> ...


Re-read your reply, especially the first line. I had stated at the very beginning I was here to learn. I do not appreciate being told that I "desperately" need something. I know I need input and that is what I have been getting so far and has been put nicely. If you look I included the camera info with each picture I posted. Up until now I have appreciated all the info received. The first photo was taken on Auto and all I did for the second was to switch to Shutter Priority. AN EXPERIMENT TO SEE THE DIFFERENCE. Thanks to all.


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## duehew (Dec 5, 2015)

I Thank everyone for their knowledgeable input to help me to learn better. You all have given me many things to try and learn. Thank you.


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## Braineack (Dec 6, 2015)

duehew said:


> The first photo was taken on Auto and all I did for the second was to switch to Shutter Priority. AN EXPERIMENT TO SEE THE DIFFERENCE. Thanks to all.



The metering mode changed between the two, otherwise they would have looked identical.

The first you used matrix (evaluating the entire scene), and the second shot you used spot (using only the area around the focus point).  If you're using auto modes -- even S or A -- what the camera does with the settings is all based around what it meters the scene at.

Had they both been shot using matrix, they would have looked identical -- the camera would have changed whatever setting it could on the exposure triangle (shutter, aperture, iso) to make the scene exposed to the predetermined gray it tries to aim for.

But when you start giving it unrealistic settings to work with (like 1/2 sec shutter speed outdoors) then only so much you can close the aperture and lower the ISO, to bring the exposure within reason.  That shutter speed is almost always guaranteed to overexpose when shooting outdoors in the afternoon.


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## bulldurham (Dec 6, 2015)

Proper exposure comes with experience. There is no one program that is a fix all for everyone but shooting using only manual settings will teach you quicker and give you more accurate information as to what works best in a variety of situations. Modern digital cameras are fascinating instruments, but in the long run, they are really no different than a pinhole camera. Time, Light and the Speed of the receptor whether it be film or a sensor determines the final image: what do I want my audience to see - Aperture; what variables are going to come into play - Shutter; how much information can my receptor source absorb - ISO...


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