For those who use M all the time...

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I was just wondering, for those of you that use manual setting all the time on your camera - how can you guarentee great exposures on quick time events e.g a flash of lightning , a bird flying etc?

I only ask because if you tak that shot and you have the settings wrong, you have missed the opportunity. Obviously when you can take your time there is trial and error.

I basically wanted some suggestions on how to get your settings right first time.
 
For lightning it is easiest to have the camera shutter on B and try to anticipate the flash. Have the shutter held on until the lighning occurs.
As for other subjects that may crop up quickly, and for which Manual is desired, then it is best to be prepared.
I.E. keep in touch with light conditions and meter the scene in advance then have your camera set up.
If it is the sort of day when light is varying then you need to meter often and adjust your camera.
 
Anyone who uses manual all the time is missing the point of their fantastically sophisticated equipment.

All good photographers will switch between the various tools available depending on what they need at the time.

So if they need spot metering, single af point, aperture or shutter priority and there in manual ..they'll change everything very quickly to get he shot.

That’s photography, knowing what settings to set and why your setting them.

practice , practice, practice ...tis the only way...after a while you'll have a head full of alternatives for each type of shot and you'll be able to quickly dial in the perfect exposure every time
:thumbs:
 
Practice, Practice, Practice...

A flash of lightning? A time exposure on a tripod - bird in flight? High-ish shutter speed with the exposure set properly against the sky...even on an auto-setting you'd have to dial in some compensation in that scenario...

We used to get drilled on assessing exposures in any given light...the boss would say "F-8 at 200 ISO!" and we had to supply the correct shutter speed off the top of our heads...
With practice it can be done, it's just that with exposure meters in cameras being so good now, it's a lost art... though I still have to underexpose about 2/3 stop with matrix metering for my images...

Up until five years ago I still carried a seperate light-meter - a Minolta Flash-Meter V, I think - it's sat in a drawer somewhere now.
 
Arkady said:
We used to get drilled on assessing exposures in any given light...the boss would say "F-8 at 200 ISO!"
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I used to have to do this at college, but alas I have forgotten most of it!

I think I was just interested in what people said, only because I remember a thread about settings and a lot of people on here said M all the time, and it made me think but surely there are situations where you do want to use shutter priority (football, tennis) - I guess it is all relative to the individual...
 
The only time I use any of the auto settings are when we have to do air-to-ground shots - with no sky in the frame, shutter-priority works fine - from 800 feet the ground is a uniform 17% tone and depth-of-field isn't a problem at that distance: in the 'old' days we used to tape the lens set to infinity...lol
Stick it on 500th sec and carry on...
 
I would not dream of using Manual all the time.

Though I use it where it is the best option like doing Pans and exposure fusion. Even then I take a shot in AV and examine the histogram before setting manual.

This is the equivalent of using a sophisticated exposure meter.

For the first ten years of my Photography I did not own a meter I bought my first in about 1955. Estimation is in fact far easier than one might suppose.
 
If you have had formal photography training or started when 35 mm SLR's had no or primitive meters you'll be much more comfortable with Manual.
If you used colour transparency film then you only had an exposure latitude of about one third of a stop and that made mistakes expensive.
 
arclight said:
If you have had formal photography training or started when 35 mm SLR's had no or primitive meters you'll be much more comfortable with Manual.
If you used colour transparency film then you only had an exposure latitude of about one third of a stop and that made mistakes expensive.
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That's true (about trannies having little latitude) if all you do is project them. If you scan them there's a surprising amount of detail you can retrieve from shadows that look blocked out in a projected image. Of course it helps (a lot) if the exposure's correct at the time of taking but an underexposed slide can still be rescued by introducing another step. To some extent, the same can be said for negatives - for a perfect exposure, you'll want a neg exposed to within about 1/2 a stop. The printing process can rescue shots from under or over exposure.
 
Pete Bristo, our old Command Master Photographer, would occasionally check our camera bags and if the camera wasn't set on manual you'd get a good thumping - "It's NOT P for Professional!" was his mantra - one that's still bandied about...

His take on things was that a 'true' professional has complete control over his image-taking, though nowadays we're allowed to make our own decisions as to how we take photographs...metering options are there for a reason and it's up to the photographer to choose which suits his image-taking process better...
 
One of the advantages of shooting on manual is that you are not going to forget that some shots are going to need exposure compensation. Meters are very good these days though and I would be surprised to find anyone who uses manual all the time
 
AV on a Canon is A (aperture priority) on a Nikon yeah? Sorry if this is a stupid question!

I agree the histogram is handy (I use it frequently just to double check), ONLY if you have time to check. I guess my main point was that with manual you could easily mess up a picture and the opportunity has been and gone.
 
Because most of the shots i do require Strobist lighting of some sort, i allways shoot in M to get complete control over the look of the picture. I got used to using when i was at college and we were shooting film. TBH i don't feel very comfortable now letting the camera do ALL the work for me, so i kind of trust my own judgment.:)
 
artona said:
One of the advantages of shooting on manual is that you are not going to forget that some shots are going to need exposure compensation. Meters are very good these days though and I would be surprised to find anyone who uses manual all the time
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We all do - by 'we' I refer to Military Photographers (esp. the Royal Navy and Army phots) - it's how we're taught and most of us stick with it - only lazy, incompetents use anything else and will get ridiculed if spotted doing so...

My first cameras only had manual - a Pentax Spotmatic and Nikon F2AS - my first 'Pro' camera - I've never used anything else from the example mentioned earlier...

Many Pros shoot exclusively on manual - if the light is relatively constant there's very little need for altering your exposure if you set it correctly to begin with...

With studio work there's no need to use anything but manual...
 
Nod said:
That's true (about trannies having little latitude) if all you do is project them. If you scan them there's a surprising amount of detail you can retrieve from shadows that look blocked out in a projected image. Of course it helps (a lot) if the exposure's correct at the time of taking but an underexposed slide can still be rescued by introducing another step. To some extent, the same can be said for negatives - for a perfect exposure, you'll want a neg exposed to within about 1/2 a stop. The printing process can rescue shots from under or over exposure.
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I am out of date with that. When I used transparency film there were no scanners.
 
artona said:
I would be surprised to find anyone who uses manual all the time
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I do!!

I decided to teach myself how to use manual as I have a streak in me that needs to know how everything works. I told myself that once I had learned then I would go back to AV mode.

But I never did, and am very comfortable in full-time manual... (but dont do fast sports or aeroplanes or anything though)
 
Janice said:
I do!!

I decided to teach myself how to use manual as I have a streak in me that needs to know how everything works. I told myself that once I had learned then I would go back to AV mode.

But I never did, and am very comfortable in full-time manual... (but dont do fast sports or aeroplanes or anything though)
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yeah ive always used manual as well (for the last 4 or 5 years anyway - i used to be a big apeture priority fan up until then), and i dont really do anything sports or fast moving so dont really need the speed.

after you've been taking photos for quite a while you do get into the habit of 'knowing' the light. often used to get talked about conditioning your eye to be a lightmeter and i suppose that speeds things up a bit.
 
i use manual all the time, you just get to know what to use over time
 
I shoot manual all the time, I used to be Av but it's so inconsistent when the lighting is tricky - e.g. backlit, dark scene, etc - exposures change from one frame to the next.

With manual you get it right once and keep firing and you know every shot will have the same exposure. You just have to be more aware of the light.
 
Forbiddenbiker said:
Anyone who uses manual all the time is missing the point of their fantastically sophisticated equipment.
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True to an extent, but the amount of technology you actually use on your camera is totally personal - anyone use that little direct print button on their Canons? ;)

To the OP, I'm starting to use AV and TV more and more for speed these days (when shooting must-have shots) but a lot - maybe 75% - is still done on manual mode because I find it's quite easy to use thanks to the permanent histogram /overexposure warning on the rear LCD of my D200. If it's hot then it's not going to work so I dial in a faster shutter or narrower aperture - simples.

Manual shooting is daunting because I suppose you aren't neccessarily guaranteed a 'perfect' exposure each click; but then again, digital doesn't cost money to run so unless you have to shoot for the moment (where program modes come into play) you just delete the shot, change the settings and keep shooting.

When I'm using two flashes then I'm always in manual - no mode will work well with those cheapo ebay triggers apart from M. Studio stuff is all done in manual too. It's more common than you think ;)

As for start out settings; dial in the aperture or shutter you want and work from there....
 
I didn't even realise my 40d had anything but manual until I accidentally put it on Av and got a blurry picture. :p

Yes I could set it up to how I want and get it spot on but I am pretty good with estimating exposures now and M is far more versatile for me.
 
Forbiddenbiker said:
All good photographers will switch between the various tools available depending on what they need at the time.
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I agree 100% with this.

I would advise everyone to learn how to use the camera in manual. it will give you a better idea what other modes are doing for you and how best to use them. It will also give you an extra option as there are times when semi auto modes will not work as you want them to.

I use Manual as much as I can.. but on a cloudy/sunny/windy day when the lighting is changing quickly as the sun is in and out of clouds, to the point where you could point and compose a shot then before you hit the shutter the sun pops out... then I tend to go for Av mode myself. But constant light usualy means manual for me :)

these options are there for a reason. I paid a lot of money for my cameras.. I use whatever option produces best results.. if I stuck to manual all the time I would miss a lot of shots ... if I stuck to semi auto modes and no manual I would miss shots.
 
I've only been in the game a month and use manual ALMOST all the time now. If I have enough time to snap a test pic then there's no reason not to use it (varying light conditions as the obvious exception).
 
I always use manual with spot metering... ie the zone system sort of.

does anyone use manual with matrix metering and how does this work because you have to spot on one tone and then up or down the meter .. so I cant see how you can if it is taking in tones from lots of different places.
 
Using manual is second nature now, you just ''know'' and can react very quickly to changing settings.
When I do switch to either priority mode, I find myself taking more time adjusting the one setting I do have control of plus the EV+/- stuff. it's just quicker in M. Odd huh..

Saying that, I switched the D3 to P mode the other day, for kicks. Nowt wrong with the photos either. I should hope not, Mr. Nikon spent several billion Yen developing the ideal electronics to cope with the situations :o)

I don't see it as a brag to say I use manual either, it's just the way I was taught and have stuck to it for the main part of my work. :shrug:
 
manual rocks, but if the light changes all the time Av can be more useful. IMHO you should know every mode inside out with M and Av being the biggest two Tv is still useful sometimes as are the other modes if something is happening and you can't be in control a lotta money has gone into making tools for the camera to help you
 
I use manual 99.9% of the time.

It's a habit that I have grown into in the past few months. I have got to know tha camera and flash so i can almost judge what's required within a stop or two.
 
After reading this I have been using M, hard work at first, but getting there.
 
Janice said:
I always use manual with spot metering... ie the zone system sort of.

does anyone use manual with matrix metering and how does this work because you have to spot on one tone and then up or down the meter .. so I cant see how you can if it is taking in tones from lots of different places.
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It does come down to what ones shooting Jan. Yeah sure in a studio, or for modelling when skin is everything spot is a good reliable tool.

But if like me your wandering around with no agenda what so ever, then getting that first shot can be the only chance I'll get. So if conditions are changeable and tricky (which is most of the time when outside) and If I’m using manual I'll most likely be using matrix too ...unless its a bird or something similar and I want isolated meter readings.

See Matrix isn't so much taking tones from lots of different places, its referring all of the scenes light readings against a data base of tens of thousands of pre-determined light metered scenes and then calculating the most suitable exposure. (Its like having TP standing next to you offering exposure solutions!!)

Its pretty damn good I think, reliably better out doors than any photographer can be I like to suggest.

However, I do find nowadays I've got a good grip of how to expose on a digital sensor, which is essentially quite different to film or transparency I think, and although I often use the matrix system to lead, I'll inevitably use the histogram and highlight tool to adjust and gain as much information from the part of the scene that I feel needs it most.

Which is along the same lines as using the spot in a way …

Hmm, shouldn’t have said that last bit eh. :thinking: :)
 
Buy a light meter or start using a fully manual film camera and I can almost guess what exposure will be correct given the light conditions, I am sure many other people can as well.
 
I've never used D-SLR on anything but manual in my entire life, I don't understand what those wierd auto settings even mean so I'm pretty quick at using the meter in the camera and experience also tells you how to expose different scenes correctly!
 
davidbridges said:
I've never used D-SLR on anything but manual in my entire life, I don't understand what those wierd auto settings even mean so I'm pretty quick at using the meter in the camera and experience also tells you how to expose different scenes correctly!
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Yip - I find all those scene modes on some cameras ridiculous.
Learn to meter and you don't need to learn what all the silly symbols mean.
 
Janice said:
I always use manual with spot metering... ie the zone system sort of.

does anyone use manual with matrix metering and how does this work because you have to spot on one tone and then up or down the meter .. so I cant see how you can if it is taking in tones from lots of different places.
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I do - almost exclusively - matrix simply registers all the colours, patterns, shapes and tones in the scene, takes note of your focus-point, compares all of that information to algorithms based on millions of sample images (according to Nikon/Canoon etc.) and bases the exposure on that... I've found it to be reliable 99.9% of the time with the caveat that I generally underexpose 2/3 stop anyway as I prefer low-key images...
 
I used to just shoot on M, which is fine if light conditions are constant.

However I have learned that when shooting sports on sunshine and showers type days, where the light is changing constantly, it makes much more sense to shoot on aperture priority or shutter priority, depending on the desired effect.
 
Arkady said:
I do - almost exclusively - matrix simply registers all the colours, patterns, shapes and tones in the scene, takes note of your focus-point, compares all of that information to algorithms based on millions of sample images (according to Nikon/Canoon etc.) and bases the exposure on that... I've found it to be reliable 99.9% of the time with the caveat that I generally underexpose 2/3 stop anyway as I prefer low-key images...
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if all those things are taken into consideration.... wont the resulting exposure be perfect? i e, what benefit would manual have in that situation?

couldnt you just use av or tv and use exposure compensation forthe -2/3, Rob?
 
When I read threads like these it often appears that people say things like "I only use M, coz I'm a Pro" but are they actually using M as it should be... to put you in control? How many are actually using M and adjust the aperture and shutter speed bringing the meter to bang on '0' on the meter, thinking they've done a great job at balancing those two variables as they hit the shutter release? I'm sure it's not just a few.
I often use aperture priority for my out of studio portrait work, using the meter to do its thing with the shutter speed, which I monitor for acceptable limits, and dial in any +ve or -ve compensation according to conditions. Fine, if I'm using off camera flash (which is probably 75% of the time) I'll be on manual, but I'm not a 'manual is the only way' preacher. Modern DSLRs now have great electronics in them, not to take advantage of that is a bit odd I think :shrug:

Just my thoughts of course :)
 
I only started using manual recently, after reading "understanding exposure"

It made it all click into place.

Would say if i was after a very fast shot setup, i would use Auto, or shutter/aperture priority
 
Janice said:
if all those things are taken into consideration.... wont the resulting exposure be perfect? i e, what benefit would manual have in that situation?

couldnt you just use av or tv and use exposure compensation forthe -2/3, Rob?
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No, because I still have to decide what ratio the shutter speed to aperture is going to be for each individual photo - not just for the whole shoot...and It's only when shooting 'Guys in Green' that I have to use the 2/3 under - sorry for that bit of misinformation...
If I'm shooting a portrait or a model shoot, then the exposure will be tailored to the end product...i.e. high-key/low-key etc.

After 35 years of shooting on manual, I find it just as quick to use it all the time...

Yesterday, I photographed an art-nude shoot and only about 4 of the 850 images taken were off in terms of exposure...and they were deleted and corrected as I worked...insead of shooting away and getting back to the computer only to discover that the shadow areas were all a bit dark or the highlights were a bit blown-out (for example).
I like to have total control over every aspect of the process...the only automated procedures in my work-flow are actions that I've recorded myself and even those have the boxes ticked that enable me to fine tune each stage...
 
When I progressed to a DSLR, I tried taking a few photos on 'Auto' mode and found they weren't up to the quality of my P&S!

So I stuck it in 'M'. It was great - I had full control, could get the exact effects that I wanted, could change settings quickly, etc.
I used only 'M' for a couple of months, and didn't see the point of 'A' and 'S' modes.

Then I practiced... And realised that actually I could achieve almost everything I wanted in those modes, and a lot quicker and more consistently. Yes sometimes there are mistakes, but that's my fault for not setting the compensation/ISO correctly.

I'm not a professional, and shooting in 'M' won't make me one. The pros use 'M' because they can get good shots in any mode - it's not the other way round :)
 
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