BobWorrell
Senior Member
How many of you shoot totally Manual (and why) as opposed to A/P/S?
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What Mode do you shoot?
- Thread starter BobWorrell
- Start date
It's not totally manual as I make extensive use of auto ISO. I want control over the shutter speed and aperture when I shoot action which is most of my shooting. I have gotten so used to this I just use it for every thing else except landscape and portraiture where I set the ISO also,
T O Shooter
Forum Pro
M - total control. Sometimes A with exposure compensation. ( landscape ) Some times M or A with auto iso. But mainly M.
The issue with M and auto iso is that you no longer have full control over exposure. Shooting landscape A with exposure compensation is fine. But for BIF, when tracking a bird, as long as it's just M with no auto ISO as long as the bird stays in the same light, backgrounds can change affecting the meter, but it doesn't affect the exposure. With A or S or P or auto ISO the exposure would change unnecessarily as the backgrounds change, and each of those modes will change the exposure because it perceives a change is required. But in fact if, in my case of shooting BIF, the bird stays in the same light, no exposure adjustment is necessary. So only full M handles that.
Aperture priority when on the go, want to keep things moving quickly
M when set on the tripod, in particular when I want to lock in the exposure for a metered foreground or background, and not have to worry about the meters turning off by the time I get the cam back up and mounted on its tripod
P I've honestly never explored, or frankly really seen a need for, and S I don't use much since I don't do much panning, or things of that sort. Where I really want to ensure a given min shutter speed, I use a combination of Auto-ISO presets (in the settings bank, I basically save and rename A,B,C,D according to what my Auto-ISO settings are, so I can quickly switch between normal, bias in the high direction, bias in the slower direction, and the 4th setting where I fix the min at 1/400), and aperture to control
Perhaps not optimal, but have always just 'done it this way'
StillLearning
Senior Member
Indoors mostly M with A picking up the slack. Outdoors mostly A with exp comp. Macro M with or without flash.
talmy
Senior Member
Always M.* I don't use auto-ISO either.
Reason: it's the only mode I truly understand! I'm guaranteed to get exactly the exposure I ask for.
* I do use P for "waiter mode" and when I'm using the flash (which isn't often) I use A.
Reason: it's the only mode I truly understand! I'm guaranteed to get exactly the exposure I ask for.
* I do use P for "waiter mode" and when I'm using the flash (which isn't often) I use A.
Backlight
New member
I'v been told that the secret of incredible images is P- (Professional-) mode... ; - "
Despite this, I use 99% aperture priority mode, just to controll the depth of field and also to reach the fastest shutter speed.
Despite this, I use 99% aperture priority mode, just to controll the depth of field and also to reach the fastest shutter speed.
Tharaphita
Senior Member
With Speedlight Full Manual with TTL
In studio strobes full manual without ttl
Without flash indoors and outdoors
Either Aperture priority with Auto ISO or Manual with Auto ISO. I use exposure comp with them aswell. Auto ISO settings depends on lens and shooting situation.
(If i suddenly need faster shutterspeeds at event in Aperture mode with Auto ISO i just Toggle to manual ISO with Dials or Raise Base ISO for Auto ISO with Dials quickly)
In studio strobes full manual without ttl
Without flash indoors and outdoors
Either Aperture priority with Auto ISO or Manual with Auto ISO. I use exposure comp with them aswell. Auto ISO settings depends on lens and shooting situation.
(If i suddenly need faster shutterspeeds at event in Aperture mode with Auto ISO i just Toggle to manual ISO with Dials or Raise Base ISO for Auto ISO with Dials quickly)
I shot manual for lots of years with film but even then most of the time was setting aperture and then finding the right shutter speed to match exposure. Today, most of my shooting is A priority with easy exposure comp. I reverse my main and sub dials and use back dial for aperture and front dial for exp comp but that's just a matter of habit. I do find myself playing around with ISO a lot more with the D750 since I went from about a 3 stop range for usable ISO on D300 to easily 6 stop range on D750. Auto ISO irritates me sometime but manual ISO setting is just too cumbersome IMHO. I'm considering using easy ISO rather than easy exp comp. In film days, if you want slightly higher shutter speed than your lens and film would allow, then you underexpose a bit and push during processing or printing. That's what I was use to so that's why I use easy exp comp. Not so different when I went to D300 because it had limited usable ISO range, so shoot in raw, underexpose and correct in post. I'm starting to realize that with the wide ISO range of the D750, ISO actually becomes a usable third dimension to exposure rather than just something you had to work around.
I remember how grainy the ISO 1600 and ISO 3200 film was and it's hard to get past that ingrained fear of high ISO. Every time I press the shutter and see 2000 come up in the viewfinder, I have a twinge of panic that I have to suppress.
I remember how grainy the ISO 1600 and ISO 3200 film was and it's hard to get past that ingrained fear of high ISO. Every time I press the shutter and see 2000 come up in the viewfinder, I have a twinge of panic that I have to suppress.
Osvaldo Cristo
Senior Member
I divided my shots into four categories, actually my cameras have configuration banks with each of them:
- Tripod mode: always full manual M control for shutter speed, aperture and ISO settings. I use this mode for my landscape, stills and macro shots
- Low light mode: exposure at M mode and auto ISO. According to the subject I can use more or less speed as well aperture to control the DoF required for my needs
- Action mode: I use either M or S mode always with auto ISO on. I use this mode for wildlife and some sports shots I make
- Travel mode: I use A mode and auto ISO. This mode is restricted to my travel "snap shots", usually at reasonable light
--
O.Cristo - An Amateur Photographer
Opinions of men are almost as various as their faces - so many men so many minds. B. Franklin
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mootaineer
Leading Member
BobWorrell
Senior Member
I know what you mean, I havent shot film for at least 15 years or more, and I still think of 400 as high ISO.I shot manual for lots of years with film but even then most of the time was setting aperture and then finding the right shutter speed to match exposure. Today, most of my shooting is A priority with easy exposure comp. I reverse my main and sub dials and use back dial for aperture and front dial for exp comp but that's just a matter of habit. I do find myself playing around with ISO a lot more with the D750 since I went from about a 3 stop range for usable ISO on D300 to easily 6 stop range on D750. Auto ISO irritates me sometime but manual ISO setting is just too cumbersome IMHO. I'm considering using easy ISO rather than easy exp comp. In film days, if you want slightly higher shutter speed than your lens and film would allow, then you underexpose a bit and push during processing or printing. That's what I was use to so that's why I use easy exp comp. Not so different when I went to D300 because it had limited usable ISO range, so shoot in raw, underexpose and correct in post. I'm starting to realize that with the wide ISO range of the D750, ISO actually becomes a usable third dimension to exposure rather than just something you had to work around.
I remember how grainy the ISO 1600 and ISO 3200 film was and it's hard to get past that ingrained fear of high ISO. Every time I press the shutter and see 2000 come up in the viewfinder, I have a twinge of panic that I have to suppress.
On my D300 i keep it under 800 now with the D810, I cringe at 3200 and have to (push myself as opposed to the film) and the shots come out great.
PHXAZCRAIG
Forum Pro
I often shoot manual, but mostly shoot A priority.
When I shoot manual, it's usually because I have one of two conditions:
a. Long lens where I need to control both shutter speed and aperture without one falling out of a narrow range. In this case I usually have Auto ISO enabled.
b. Flash in studio, where I dial in all the settings I want, and stay within a pretty narrow range there.
Occasionally I run into situations where I can't trust the camera to meter correctly and use manual there too.
When I shoot manual, it's usually because I have one of two conditions:
a. Long lens where I need to control both shutter speed and aperture without one falling out of a narrow range. In this case I usually have Auto ISO enabled.
b. Flash in studio, where I dial in all the settings I want, and stay within a pretty narrow range there.
Occasionally I run into situations where I can't trust the camera to meter correctly and use manual there too.
leicaman
Senior Member
Depending upon the subject matter I shoot manually using a LUMU incident meter and for street work I shoot A mode with pattern metering.
riman
Senior Member
I use Manual with auto ISO... I get more control easier and quicker this way..
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