# Advice for Manual Mode



## Jade16 (Nov 2, 2015)

finally made the switch to using manual mode. ! what is your best advice when starting to use it? Also..What is the biggest mistake you think people make when first learning to use it?


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## JacaRanda (Nov 2, 2015)

Mistake would be forgetting  to pay attention to the meter.  Advice would be,  always check your meter.


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## Bebulamar (Nov 3, 2015)

Yes! It sounds stupid but it's true. Many when switched to manual think why would they want to follow the meter because that would be the same as auto. Then they feel free to set the aperture for DOF and shutter speed for motion and don't care about exposure then get horrible exposure then quit using manual.
Follow the meter at first but you can still choose among many different combination of shutter speed, aperture (and even ISO nowaday) .


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## astroNikon (Nov 3, 2015)

The best thing you can do now is start thinking more about which Aperture - Depth of Field is best for the image.  And what Shutter Speed is best for the image.  You now have control versus letting the camera decide for you.

I normally set my ISO to auto adjust to a MAX amount when shooting sports.


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## Jade16 (Nov 3, 2015)

astroNikon said:


> The best thing you can do now is start thinking more about which Aperture - Depth of Field is best for the image.  And what Shutter Speed is best for the image.  You now have control versus letting the camera decide for you.
> 
> I normally set my ISO to auto adjust to a MAX amount when shooting sports.


I have found that when I set my ISO to auto that some of my images come out too dark so I feel like I can't trust using it? maybe I should be using it anyway? maybe it is supposed to look a bit dark in the camera? what camera do you have?


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## SCraig (Nov 3, 2015)

Jade16 said:


> ... What is the biggest mistake you think people make when first learning to use it?


Not asking themselves why they feel compelled to use manual mode all the time.


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## wfooshee (Nov 3, 2015)

I like that last post. Unless the camera is doing something you don't like in an auto-exposure mode, what are you accomplishing by shooting manual?

If the frame is difficult to meter, maybe you want to override the camera's chosen setting. Maybe you're after an "artistic" effect. Maybe you're just trying to learn the effects of the different settings.

99.9999437% of my shots are shutter-priority, because I want absolute control of perceived motion in the image. Motion blur, or lack of it, is my priority, so shutter is my priority. Switching to manual would slow me down as I'd have to be consulting the meter, however briefly, before each shot.


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## astroNikon (Nov 3, 2015)

Jade16 said:


> astroNikon said:
> 
> 
> > The best thing you can do now is start thinking more about which Aperture - Depth of Field is best for the image.  And what Shutter Speed is best for the image.  You now have control versus letting the camera decide for you.
> ...


Can you provide an example ?
You still have to expose properly for the amount of available light (or add more).

If it's too dark then something is amiss such as not enough light, too small an aperture, too fast a shutter speed.  Essentially a setting that won't work in a certain situation which may require more light but aperture, shutter or ISO.

fyi
Aperture mode lets you select the Aperture and the camera does the rest
Shutter mode lets you select the Shutter speed and the camera does the rest.
Manual Mode on a Nikon lets you do a couple things.  Set Aperture and Shutter and ISO by yourself.  Or set Shutter and Aperture by yourself and use AUTO ISO.  Canon has a different mode for Auto Iso with Aperture & Shutter Control.

But you are still limited by the available light and have to adjust one of those 3 based on that if the photo is coming out dark.

I use manual most of the time because I want a specific Aperture, and a specific Shutter.  By use AUTO ISO with a MAX I don't have to look at the meter which is helpful in Sports as how do you look at the meter when you are shooting in Continuous ?  When I'm not shooting sports I'll use ISO normally but still want control over Aperture and Shutter.


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## imagemaker46 (Nov 3, 2015)

Try shooting something on full auto, look at the exposure, if it looks good take note of what the exposure is, re-set the camera to the same settings manual and shoot it again, see if the exposures are close to the same. Keep trying this until you feel comfortable enough to skip the auto. Shooting manual comes with time and mistakes.   I always shoot full manual all the time.


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## sabbath999 (Nov 3, 2015)

Histograms are your friend. Learn what they are and how to use them.


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## SCraig (Nov 3, 2015)

Just to clarify, my comment was NOT meant to indicate that manual is not a useful mode, it most assuredly is.  I use manual mode a lot, but I also use aperture priority and shutter priority.  The mode I choose is dependent on the situation and what I want to accomplish.

My comment was meant to indicate that people who choose to shoot manual mode simply because they feel it makes them "Better" should reconsider their motives.  Making a decision to "Shoot Manual" will not make one a better photographer than they were a few seconds prior to making that decision.  Likewise, parroting the meter and simply "Centering The Needle" when the camera is set to manual does not mean that one is shooting in manual mode it simply means that they are twisting the wheels in the same direction as the camera could have done for them.

Learning when and why to shoot manual is a good thing.  Learning what affects what the metering system is telling one and then compensating for inaccuracies based on knowledge is important.  Simply setting the camera to manual "Just Because" is a waste of effort and of no benefit.

What Scott Grant said above is good advice.  Take a shot in manual and then a shot in one of the automatic modes.  Compare the two and learn from the difference between them.  Once the reason for the differences is understood, once knowledge and experience tell a photographer WHY they should be using manual mode, THAT is the time they should be using it.


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## 480sparky (Nov 3, 2015)

Jade16 said:


> I have found that when I set my ISO to auto that some of my images come out too dark so I feel like I can't trust using it?.........



That right there may be the issue.  Auto ISO is fine, but if you have your camera set to a limit for a maximum ISO, you may end up choosing an aperture/shutter speed combo that requires a higher ISO than you're allowing the camera to use.

For instance, if you have the max. ISO set to 1600, and choose 1/500 and f/22 for a rather dark scene, the camera WILL underexpose if ISO 6400 is needed to get a 'correct' exposure.

Even with Auto ISO, you need to watch the meter to make sure you're not underexposing and, in some cases, overexposing.


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## Patrice (Nov 3, 2015)

In manual aperture and shutter but with auto ISO doesn't the camera still rely on the meter to set the ISO. Thus, the metering mode used will affect the exposure.

Edit: What I mean is that with Auto ISO on the camera is not really in 'manual' mode.


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## JacaRanda (Nov 3, 2015)

Patrice said:


> In manual aperture and shutter but with auto ISO doesn't the camera still rely on the meter to set the ISO. Thus, the metering mode used will affect the exposure.



Unless I am missing something, the metering mode should always affect exposure.


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## astroNikon (Nov 3, 2015)

Patrice said:


> In manual aperture and shutter but with auto ISO doesn't the camera still rely on the meter to set the ISO. Thus, the metering mode used will affect the exposure.
> 
> Edit: What I mean is that with Auto ISO on the camera is not really in 'manual' mode.


Yes
But you can determine the DOF & Shutter
then let the camera set the ISO automatically

BUT if you do something odd to the situation, then it's going to be under/over exposed.

For instance, outdoor soccer I'm at f/2.8 (for subject isolation) and 1/640 (to stop action or less for a bit of leg/ball blur) .. with clouds rolling in and out covering the sun .. or overcast, etc. lets me shot away without having to worry about changing ISO by myself.  I did that once with patchy clouds on a really sunny day .. kept me really busy with the camera but a good learning experience .. once, just once.


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## dennybeall (Nov 3, 2015)

With the camera in Manual mode I can be in Shutter Priority just by not changing shutter speed or I can be in Aperture priority by just not changing the f-stop. With ISO in Auto it makes it easy to shoot and a glance at the histogram and the back screen gives an indication of how it's working.
Want a stop hot?, or darker, just let the meter be a little to the right(or left) of center......


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## Derrel (Nov 3, 2015)

I think the biggest "mistake" people make when shooting in Manual exposure mode is using _evaluative metering_ instead of center-weighted metering; Nikon refers to its evaluative metering system as "Matrix metering", while other camera makers call it something else, like multi-segment metering, and so on. I think it makes more sense to use center-weighted metering, so that you can swing the camera to the desired area to meter off of, and then set the exposure manually, with you, the user, making the decision on what area to base the reading off of. Matrix metering evaluates the entire frame area, and may give undue emphasis to the sky tones, or the ground, or to shadowy areas--when the real, desired exposure might better be determined off of something else.


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## sabbath999 (Nov 3, 2015)

SCraig said:


> My comment was meant to indicate that people who choose to shoot manual mode simply because they feel it makes them "Better" should reconsider their motives.



People actually DO this... they brag "I shoot fully manual, all the time, therefore I blah blah blah..." when all they do is match the needle.

To Mr. or Ms. "I Shoot Manual!", I say yeah, whatever. I don't give a rats hind end what mode you shot a picture in, all I want to do is see what the picture looks like... it's all about what the shot looks like, the rest is just frou frou.

Photography is ALL about the image.


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## Derrel (Nov 3, 2015)

If all one does is  "zero the meter to 0.0" then they are in effect, doing what Aperture Priority or Shutter Priority modes could do, only they are doing it more slowly!


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## gsgary (Nov 3, 2015)

sabbath999 said:


> SCraig said:
> 
> 
> > My comment was meant to indicate that people who choose to shoot manual mode simply because they feel it makes them "Better" should reconsider their motives.
> ...


What if all your cameras only shoot in manual and don't even have a meter


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## Derrel (Nov 3, 2015)

The OP asked for advice when _*starting to use*_ manual mode, so that means advice for a new or beginning user of manual mode. I'll add another comment to this thread based on that assumption, that of a new user.

First, stay away from extremes on the lens aperture and shutter speed. Speeds of 1/8000 and 1/4000 second are seldom needed, and they force you to use very wide apertures like f/1.4 or f/1.8 or f/2 quite frequently. Similarly, using f/stops like f/1.4 and f/1.8, and even f/2.8 on an f/2.8 zoom--these extreme aperture settings bring with them a number of 'issues', like softness, lots of vignetting, shallow depth of field, and a need for exceptionally precise and exceptionally accurate focusing.

In either AUTO ISO mode, or in manual ISO selection mode with Manual exposure, one is basically setting either an f/stop, or a shutter speed, and then moving the opposite control until the meter is zero'd, so, don't start out by setting the lens wide-open, or the shutter at its fastest, or slowest speed. Similarly, in most cases, stay away from the smallest lens apertures like f/16. Instead of the extremes, look at ways to get moderate aperture values and moderately fast shutter speeds, like f/stops of f/4.5 or f/4.8 or f/5.6, and shutter speeds of 1/640 to 1/320. In these moderate ranges, the lens will be very sharp, focus will not be ultra-critical, and shutter speeds of 1/640 to 1/320 second will stop the majority of hand movement, camera shake, and normal human activity, and you'll get good images most of the time.

The above is advice for outdoor conditions in decent light levels. When the light levels are very low, hand-held photos call for wide f/stops like f/2, and slow speeds, like 1/30 to 1/60 second, OR they call for timed exposures made while shooting off of a tripod, with exposures ranging from 1/8 to 30 seconds.


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## Dao (Nov 4, 2015)

If you really like to shoot manual, take a look at the EV (Exposure Values) table and EV for various conditions.
Exposure value - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Glossary: Exposure: Digital Photography Review



Also, take a look at Sunny 16 rules
Sunny 16 rule - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## Jade16 (Nov 4, 2015)

480sparky said:


> Jade16 said:
> 
> 
> > I have found that when I set my ISO to auto that some of my images come out too dark so I feel like I can't trust using it?.........
> ...


do you recommend against setting a max ISO? in general?


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## Jade16 (Nov 4, 2015)

Dao said:


> If you really like to shoot manual, take a look at the EV (Exposure Values) table and EV for various conditions.
> Exposure value - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
> Glossary: Exposure: Digital Photography Review
> 
> ...


I noticed in the sunny article they make a brief mention of backlighting in the chart. that brings me to this question: 
what would be a reasonable or good fstop/shutter speed to work with IN MANUAL MODE when doing backlit photos (side note: I know to use spot metering).


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## 480sparky (Nov 4, 2015)

Jade16 said:


> do you recommend against setting a max ISO? in general?



Depends on what I'm shooting, and what the lighting conditions are.  It also depends on how well your particular camera deals with higher ISOs, what you have in terms of software to mitigate noise, and what your acceptable level of noise is.


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## k5MOW (Nov 5, 2015)

I do not have a meter and probably not ready for manual mode yet but would like to buy a meter to have and use when I'm ready. Could someone recommend a meter that would be good for a beginner. 

Roger


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## 480sparky (Nov 5, 2015)

k5MOW said:


> I do not have a meter and probably not ready for manual mode yet but would like to buy a meter to have and use when I'm ready. Could someone recommend a meter that would be good for a beginner.
> 
> Roger



I'd say start out with the meter that's in the camera.


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## astroNikon (Nov 5, 2015)

k5MOW said:


> I do not have a meter and probably not ready for manual mode yet but would like to buy a meter to have and use when I'm ready. Could someone recommend a meter that would be good for a beginner.
> 
> Roger


I think the ViewFinder lightmeter (or Exposure Indicator) may only show up when you are in Manual mode.
Check your documentation on the Viewfinder display items.


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## dennybeall (Nov 5, 2015)

I have a D5300 and the meter does not show except when you go to manual mode. I think most of the Nikons are that way.  Two kinds of external meters - one you point at the scene and one you hold up at the scene. Modern cameras have negated the need for an external meter for me. I do use spot metering most of the time however.


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## Dao (Nov 5, 2015)

Jade16 said:


> I noticed in the sunny article they make a brief mention of backlighting in the chart. that brings me to this question:
> what would be a reasonable or good fstop/shutter speed to work with IN MANUAL MODE when doing backlit photos (side note: I know to use spot metering).



From the article, it said add one stop of light since the subject is in the shadow.  However, if you are going to spot metering the subject, you may not need need to worry about it.


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## Bebulamar (Nov 8, 2015)

k5MOW said:


> I do not have a meter and probably not ready for manual mode yet but would like to buy a meter to have and use when I'm ready. Could someone recommend a meter that would be good for a beginner.
> 
> Roger



I just got from garage sale a Nikon D70s body for $30. I put some Nikkor AI lenses on it and having a blast. Shooting totally in manual, manual focus and manual exposure control with no meter. It's so refreshing.


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## Mach1320 (Nov 10, 2015)

I've never thought to use the meter, doh. It takes me like four test shots to get the settings where i want. Then last time i went out the sun went down and i forgot to crank my iso up.....


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## timor (Nov 12, 2015)

Bebulamar said:


> k5MOW said:
> 
> 
> > I do not have a meter and probably not ready for manual mode yet but would like to buy a meter to have and use when I'm ready. Could someone recommend a meter that would be good for a beginner.
> ...


Now imagine having film in the camera instead of sensor...  Would be that refreshing ? Or paralyzing ?


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## Bebulamar (Nov 12, 2015)

timor said:


> Bebulamar said:
> 
> 
> > k5MOW said:
> ...



After I sold all my Nikon gears in 1986 I shot with an old Minolta SRT-101 without the battery for the meter for 18 years and had no problem.


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## timor (Nov 12, 2015)

Bebulamar said:


> timor said:
> 
> 
> > Bebulamar said:
> ...


Why not to continue it ? Apparently you like it.


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## EIngerson (Nov 12, 2015)

Best advice I can give is understand your camera and read the manual. Sounds lame but I'll bet 90% of people ignore it and wonder why their pics come out poor. 

And don't get worm holed into thinking you HAVE to shoot manual mode. Sometimes that just means you like to click buttons and turn wheels.


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## timor (Nov 13, 2015)

EIngerson said:


> And don't get worm holed into thinking you HAVE to shoot manual mode. Sometimes that just means you like to click buttons and turn wheels.


That's right. Why to pay big bucks for sophisticated camera and struggle with manual shooting. There is already smartness of other people built in that camera for benefit of the owner.


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## petrochemist (Nov 13, 2015)

I rarely shoot manual as Av & Tv modes used with exposure compensation, allow me to control the important aspects of my images quickly & acurately. There have been occasions where thats not going to work (mainly in very low light) & manual mode has been required. I've rarely found cases where subject movement & DOF where both in need of exact control, one of my cameras has a sensitivity mode (like auto iso in manual but with finer control of the ISO) I've not used it.

However I have found it a useful excercise to go out & just use manual over my lunch hour (I used a manual focus lens too).  Much of which was without using the cameras meter as the subjects I chose allowed a second shot after accessing the histogram. - It's useful to see how close you can estimate the lighting, and helps reinforce the relactionship between speed & aperture.


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## sabbath999 (Nov 13, 2015)

gsgary said:


> What if all your cameras only shoot in manual and don't even have a meter



Nothing wrong with that, at all. My favorite camera only shoots manual and doesn't have a meter.


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## timor (Nov 13, 2015)

petrochemist said:


> I rarely shoot manual as Av & Tv modes used with exposure compensation, allow me to control the important aspects of my images quickly & acurately. There have been occasions where thats not going to work (mainly in very low light) & manual mode has been required. I've rarely found cases where subject movement & DOF where both in need of exact control, one of my cameras has a sensitivity mode (like auto iso in manual but with finer control of the ISO) I've not used it.
> 
> However I have found it a useful excercise to go out & just use manual over my lunch hour (I used a manual focus lens too).  Much of which was without using the cameras meter as the subjects I chose allowed a second shot after accessing the histogram. - It's useful to see how close you can estimate the lighting, and helps reinforce the relactionship between speed & aperture.


ISO "control" of digital camera doesn't change sensitivity of the sensor. It is always the lowest value you can "set" the camera to. Shooting digital by guessing the exposure is a nice game but only that, resembles method of sunny 16, but sensor doesn't have the latitude of film plus you do not control the process of image formation in any degree. The only point might be in exercising quick evaluation of histogram and execute second shot as a correction. With limits to. In manual mode digital camera gives you traditional stops which go at best in 1/3 of a stop increments. Precision  of camera in auto, and that was already before digi-world arrived, controls exposure to 1/1000 of a stop, without even notifing the photographer. No way manual mode can come that close.


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## sabbath999 (Nov 13, 2015)

timor said:


> ISO "control" of digital camera doesn't change sensitivity of the sensor.



While "technically" true, this is kind of a meaningless statement in application.

Unlike film, (and I am stealing this directly from Nikon's website because they state it better than I can), digital cameras convert the light that falls on the image sensor into electrical signals for processing. ISO sensitivity is raised by amplifying the signal. Doubling ISO sensitivity doubles the electrical signal, halving the amount of light that needs to fall on the image sensor to achieve optimal exposure.

SO... while the sensor elements on the camera remain the same, the amount of electrical energy flowing through the sensor EFFECTIVELY changes the overall sensitivity. It is the increase in signal caused by increased electron flow, not the actual structure of the sensor, that changes... but for all practical purposes the end result somewhat duplicates increasing the sensitivity of an emulsion.


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## timor (Nov 13, 2015)

sabbath999 said:


> timor said:
> 
> 
> > ISO "control" of digital camera doesn't change sensitivity of the sensor.
> ...


Hm, I need here clarification, amplification of the gathered signal happens in the sensor ? Or after, in image processing unit ?


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## gsgary (Nov 13, 2015)

sabbath999 said:


> gsgary said:
> 
> 
> > What if all your cameras only shoot in manual and don't even have a meter
> ...


Especially when they a Leicas [emoji6]


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## sabbath999 (Nov 13, 2015)

gsgary said:


> Especially when they a Leicas [emoji6]



Mine's a Fuji 6x8 "Texas Leica"


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## gsgary (Nov 13, 2015)

sabbath999 said:


> gsgary said:
> 
> 
> > Especially when they a Leicas [emoji6]
> ...


I'm looking at one of those or a Mamiya 7


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## Derrel (Nov 13, 2015)

Get the Mamiya 6, or the Mamiya 7...something light, modern, stylish, and meant for shooting hand-held. The Fuji 6x8 system is soooooooooooo big and,well...you know...


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## sabbath999 (Nov 13, 2015)

Derrel said:


> Get the Mamiya 6, or the Mamiya 7...something light, modern, stylish, and meant for shooting hand-held. The Fuji 6x8 system is soooooooooooo big and,well...you know...



It's big, it's a bit heavy, and it's a system that takes AMAZING images... the lenses are EXACTLY perfect for the camera, the whole design is built around lens/camera symmetry. 

Also, they are a thousand bucks cheaper, so there's that.


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## Derrel (Nov 13, 2015)

Like taking a dump truck to the local bistro...but it's PERFECT for hauling gravel, fill dirt, and even scrap iron.


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## weepete (Nov 13, 2015)

Practice.


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## jake337 (Nov 13, 2015)

Derrel said:


> The OP asked for advice when _*starting to use*_ manual mode, so that means advice for a new or beginning user of manual mode. I'll add another comment to this thread based on that assumption, that of a new user.
> 
> First, stay away from extremes on the lens aperture and shutter speed. Speeds of 1/8000 and 1/4000 second are seldom needed, and they force you to use very wide apertures like f/1.4 or f/1.8 or f/2 quite frequently. Similarly, using f/stops like f/1.4 and f/1.8, and even f/2.8 on an f/2.8 zoom--these extreme aperture settings bring with them a number of 'issues', like softness, lots of vignetting, shallow depth of field, and a need for exceptionally precise and exceptionally accurate focusing.
> 
> ...



While I Do agree I have to admit I learned exposure ass backwards.  

In outdoor settings I never went with the sunny 16 rule.  I created my own sunny wide open rule.  Fastest SS, wide open,  and lowest ISO.  Since I liked images between f1.4 and f2.8 I didn't have to work my way down from f16.  Combine that with using old lenses, that did not meter in my D90, I learned exposure pretty quickly just from watching the histogram and clipping screen.


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## timor (Nov 13, 2015)

sabbath999 said:


> gsgary said:
> 
> 
> > Especially when they a Leicas [emoji6]
> ...


 My "Leica" is Koni-Omega Rapid 100. It keeps my biceps in good shape as well.


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## Bebulamar (Nov 20, 2015)

timor said:


> Why not to continue it ? Apparently you like it



Certainly in the digital world I do not use meter because if I make a mistake I can check and readjust.


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## timor (Nov 20, 2015)

Bebulamar said:


> timor said:
> 
> 
> > Why not to continue it ? Apparently you like it
> ...


 World is not digital, world is, what you make out of this. But of course it is easier to flow with the propaganda.
Plus I don't understand, what you say about not using meter in order to check. How light meter would stop you from readjusting ?


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## gckless (Dec 18, 2015)

I find that during the day, shooting in natural light, I'm just fine using shutter or aperture priority with auto ISO, unless I'm trying to do something one of those two modes cannot produce. At night, I'm either in aperture priority with auto ISO if I want to walk around and just take minimal setup shots, or full manual whenever I have time to setup or I need long exposures or something along those lines. I find that at night full frame (not the sensor size, 100% of the frame) proper exposures are not what I want, I want to properly expose just a certain area. That's where spot metering comes in, but even then it's not always what I want. 

Of course everyone shoots different, sees different things, etc. What works for me may not work for you. And I also might be doing it very poorly lol.

But like others have said, some will look down on you because you're not always using full manual, but who cares. If you're trying to learn your camera while you're trying to take photos, you're going to miss shots, get frustrated, and get discouraged. It's much better knowing what buttons you're pushing and what they will do. On the same note, it's also good to read the manual, know your camera, and use the tools available to you when you need them. 

Woodworking is a great example here. I recently dove into it as a hobby. The seasoned guys all say that cutting dovetail joints by hand is the only way to do it (versus a jig, unless you're mass-producing), so that's what I did. Got my dovetail saw, square, chisels, and coping saw, and went to town. Shot those joints in full-manual, if you will. And ya know what? They turned out looking like a 3rd grader cut them. If I would have used a jig and router, they could have been perfect. Of course I persisted, but that's because I wanted to learn.

So what am I saying after all this rambling? I have no idea. But basically, manual has its place. I believe you should at least experiment and know how and when to use it. If you want to use manual full-time, then do so. If you don't, then don't.


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## Gary A. (Dec 18, 2015)

Shooting Manual is another step in becoming the complete photographer.  Understanding how manual works, how aperture-shutter speed-ISO all work together and then completely controlling the settings.  For many, photography isn't just about seeing and releasing the shutter. It is about pre visualization. Seeing the final image in one's 'mind's eye' even before turning on the camera ... then selecting the lens, location and setting to best capture the previsualized image.

Hand-in-hand with this is proper metering. For me, photography is about getting as much right in the field/studio ... At the point of capture. Again, for me, massive photo manipulation is about digital artistry ... Not photography. But nothing is black and white, right or wrong, photographer or digital media artist ... There is miles and miles or tons and tons of gray between photography and digital artistry. 

Back to proper metering. While yes, cameras are now powerful computers and in-camera metering is much more sophisticated than it was back in the film-only days. But, regardless of a modern meter's sophistication, all meter read to medium gray (around 18% gray). If you fill the frame with a white wall, set the meter on auto or center the needle on manual, snap away, no processing and make a print ... The print will be medium gray.  Shoot a black wall, meter set on auto or manual, et cetera and print ... The resulting print will be similar to the 18% gray print of the white wall. 

IMO- the best way to correct for how the meter translates to 18% gray is to override the meter and under or over expose to compensate/correct for what you are capturing.

Granted, few scenes are monochromatic and evenly lighted. But understanding and employing the basic principles of photography, which are manual settings used in conjunction with metering for, and/or, compensating for, the 18% metering ... Will make you a better photographer ... If, for no other reason, because you have a greater and better comprehension of how the camera works and exposure works.  Furthermore, the better and greater that understanding, the less time will be required in post because now you are able to translate the previsualized image, into a proper exposure for the final image.

I shoot manual, mmmhhh, about 80% to 90% of the time and more often than not in spot meter. In a generally evenly lighted scene I'll look for a medium gray object and center the needle off that subject, or I'll read off an object and manually adjust over/under based upon the degree of light/dark of that object.

I often shoot in tricky lighting. Exposing in tricky lighting for a moving subject under uncontrolled and changing lighting and using the light as dramatically as possible ... For me calls for manual settings.


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## beachrat (Dec 19, 2015)

I shoot in manual at all times because I'm an expert.
By that,I mean it was how I was taught and it's all I know.
Priority modes are much more difficult for me.
In the end,all of my photos suck,but I LOVE blasting big giant lights all over the place.
God ,that clown is so stupid looking.


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## Vtec44 (Dec 19, 2015)

Two important things:  Meter mode and where to meter.   It's that simple.  

Okay if you add flashes then it gets a bit interesting, but shooting manual mode in natural light isn't all bad.


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## desertrattm2r12 (Dec 19, 2015)

Jes' gotta love them dudes who always know THEIR way is the best way and any deviation from the Way, the Truth and the Light means the cretins are doomed to Hades. I think somebody here jes' maybe wants to learn something not just toss it on automatic and machine gun away. There's still a role for the brain and the eye, believe it or not. I have a Decisive Moment App in PhotoSlop but hardly ever use it, but that's just me.


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## Bebulamar (Dec 19, 2015)

timor said:


> Bebulamar said:
> 
> 
> > timor said:
> ...



What I said is that I don't need the meter. I simply guess at the settings which I have become quite good at. Then I can simply check the result and if I made a mistake guessing I can always make an adjustment based on that. There is no need for the meter when I shoot digital.


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## Vtec44 (Dec 19, 2015)

In case you guys/gals are wondering, digital cameras also have built-in meter


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## Gary A. (Dec 20, 2015)

I was wondering.


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## petrochemist (Dec 20, 2015)

I learnt photography using a camera (Pentax ME) that had no option for controlling shutter sped directly. I had to control the aperture myself & had the ability to dial in exposure compensation as required. (I was rather jealous of my brothers ME super as that allowed control of the shutter speed, and could set aperture as required) This left my understanding of the exposure triangle , exposure compensation etc  quite workable, getting used to setting an aperture that would give the shutter speed within the range required, and judging EC so that the metering (matrix only) would be close enough for the subject.

A few years back, I spent a lunchtime shooting in the woods on manual without the using meter (Only chimping occasionally when in more difficult lighting) .
It was an interesting challenge that produced some very good results. It may have helped my photography improve but I'm not sure it did.  The experience wasn't that different from using my father's old Pentax MX - though I do tend to use the meter more with that.

I wouldn't want to use it full time, as too much of what I shoot is rapidly changing  (wildlife, motorsport) and there isn't time to play with controls before the decisive moment has gone. All too often in motorsport it's over before you've framed the scene - a screech of tires off to the side & by the time you've looked round there's nothing to see but a cloud of dust & debris... I generally use Av & switch to Sv when panning (or for prop aircraft - though sometimes I use manual for these).

I rarely shoot under studio conditions, where I have full control of the lighting - I get the impression that 's all some people shoot. What I do shoot is under a very wide range of lighting and often shooting only wavelengths invisible to the human eye. Judging correct exposure by eye is not possible for much of this 

Manual certainly has it's place, but I suspect those who get elitist about it's exclusive use shoot a more limited range of subjects.


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## beachrat (Dec 20, 2015)

I think everybody should just shoot with whatever works for them.
Jpeg,RAW,aperture priority,shutter priority,whatever.
I learned on a minolta srt-101 in the early 80's and was amazed at the light meter.
At the time,I thought that was fully automatic because of it. It was years later that I found out I was clicking in full manual.
That's what I'm comfortable doing so I keep doing it.
And believe me,I ain't no elitist. Just a simpleton with an out dated camera and a lot of lights.


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