Manual exposure...

CabanSail

I use Shutter Priority when shooting Marathons. Just have to keep an eye on the Aperture to keep enough DOF & bump up the ISO if it gets too shallow.

On my D70S I used the PASM settings and on my D300 I only have these modes. In all the years I had the D70S I never used one of the "Scene" modes.

P - General all round setting if you don't know what you are going to come across or know what the lighting will be like. It is very adaptable, on the Nikons anyway, so you can respond to variations. Back Dial selects EV Equivalents and Front Dial gives EV offset. Shooting RAW you get a fair bit of leeway.

A - Generally I use when I want to have a fixed DOF.

S - Used when I want to either freeze a subject or blur them.

M - I use full manual in the Studio, where it is the only Mode you can really use. It can also be handy with really tricky light but I tend to use the other modes & Spot Metering with EV Comp.

pixbyjohn

Thanks to everyone, this is a super thread. Very informative.

DougL

I generally use aperture priority. I find it's good for keeping my lens in its sweet spot for sharpness, and controlling depth-of-field. I normally shoot landscapes on a tripod, so shutter speed isn't as important. The exception would be when I'm trying to stop action, or blur something on purpose. Then I normally use shutter priority. I will always check the histogram for exposure to the right after each shot, and adjust and re-shoot if necessary, which obviously works well for landscapes, but not other things.

I'm surprised by the number of people that say they use manual mode. Unless you're not using a modern camera, it doesn't make much sense to me. Clearly understanding exposure and DOF is critically important, but I like to let the camera take some of the pressure off so I can concentrate on other things, like composition. I guess if you've never had exposure to a fully manual camera, it can be a useful learning tool.

Great discussion!

-Doug

Maj Malfunction

I generally shoot in aperture mode to control the DOF and I adjust the ISO settings myself (D700) to get the best speed.

Each mode has their own merits and weaknesses so its a case of choosing the right mode that suits you.

Stuff like HDR you would be shooting using aperture all the way. Shutter priority for sports stuff or your looking to create motion blur with a subject.

Manual to take full control of the camera and composition of the photograph, takes a little time to tweak all the settings, but useful all the same and is a great way to learn. I use this mode from sometimes for landscapes when I'm not under any sort of time pressure. Reminds me of using my old Olympus OM1-N (still have it too!)

Auto/P mode - Point and press. I don't tend to use this myself personally, but I can see where this would be useful when you have only one opportunity to get your images correct such as at a special event/occasion such as a wedding. I always shoot in RAW so you can sweeten up any images that are a little over/under exposed.

At the end of the day its much easier spending a little time on location to compose your photos correctly rather than spend hours fixing images back at your PC. It might be useful to record what settings worked really well for you in a certain situation so you can use them again in the future.

gbee

Sagastipean wrote: »

I'm surprised by the number of people that say they use manual mode. Unless you're not using a modern camera, it doesn't make much sense to me. -Doug

Sometimes the camera does better for sure. And in sport it can be handy when the players come very close or move into the shadows etc ~ however, otherwise I'm in M mode.

A scenario; two teams, one in white shirts the other in black shirts ~ the only time the camera's meter will be correct is if both players occupy an equal amount of the metering frame in an auto mode.

Too much underexposure will occur if both white shirts get close, and massive over exposure if it's two or three black shirts. A manual exposure saves the day ~ provided the other parameters above are also met.

BTW, my colour balance will fixed too ~ very often a custom one at that. I loved my old Nikon F4 for very quick metering mode changes, I'd love a quick handy leaver back.

damiendar

there is simply no need for shutter mode

pixbyjohn

damiendar wrote: »

there is simply no need for shutter mode

Surely there is for freeze and blur effect

jpb1974

The thing with shutter speed is that it can be easily controlled in AV mode by either adjusting the Aperture and/or ISO accordingly.

charybdis

Yeah, I don't really think there's much of a need for program or shutter priority modes but they're easy to add to a camera you're already making with full auto and aperture priority modes. People always say that shutter priority is useful in sports photography (which I admittedly don't do any of) but I'd have thought that there wouldn't be any drastic lighting changes that would make using manual unusually difficult in most sporting situations and if you're doing anything that requires a specific shutter speed, you should probably just use manual mode.

I'd like to see camera manufacturers move away from the PSAM-style exposure controls and move to independent physical dials for shutter speed, aperture value, and ISO with the usual "integer" stops on the dial and an "A" setting that gives control over the dial to the camera. It would allow the user to take control of as many parameters as they wished and give control of the remaining parameters to the camera. You could even add "A+1" and "A-1" settings to each dial to allow a potential 6 stops of exposure compensation and the ability to bias different parameters against others.

It'd also be great if camera manufacturers started making simultaneous metering modes such as evaluative/matrix & spot or centre-weighted average & spot available in metered manual mode that would show two exposure indicators on the meter's scale so you could make decisions with the information available to you and ignore what wasn't important.

mehfesto

I use Manual all the time for gigs. You can't really use anything else in situations like that. You learn it quick enough when you have to!

But I do use the Shutter Priority mode - mostly just for readings, though.

For example, when planning an impromptu outside portrait with strobes, I go with Shutter Priority. I set the camera to shutter speed 1/125 (highest sync speed for my camera) and note the aperture when I shoot the background. Then I take this down two stops if possible. I just bring in the model and adjust the flashes 'til everything looks hunky dory!

I've NEVER used Program mode though. I've never sat down to learn it, really.

Will23

jpb1974 wrote: »

The thing with shutter speed is that it can be easily controlled in AV mode by either adjusting the Aperture and/or ISO accordingly.

can the same not be said of the reverse?!

smelltheglove

Keeping this thread in mind I went out with my camera today on a family outing and took pics on A mode. I know, I know, people usually go out to learn to work with manual but I thought, yes people have given valid reasons on why to use shutter or apereture so I decided to give it a go.

Sorry guys but I lasted a whole of about 20mns and went back to manual, just not for me at all. I may try get in the habit of switching it to apereture for the spur of the moment shots but I just wasnt 100% comfortable with not having full control.

Thecageyone

I used nothing but Manual when I bought the dslr first, as that is all I use on my bridge cam. But with the range being greater on the dslr, I found I was getting it wrong more often. So whenever I wanted quick fire shots I'd flick to A mode and just select the aperture I wanted. And I think I picked up that dirty habit of relying on it over time since. I have been using Manual again, more-so, recently. When you get it spot on you feel so much better.

Barname

I only use manual unless I am shooting for HDR or certain other sequences.

kelly1

damiendar wrote: »

there is simply no need for shutter mode

I find it handy when you panning for cars/motorbikes shots and you want to get good background blur with a sense of speed/motion. But manual would probably be better...

damiendar

kelly1 wrote: »

I find it handy when you panning for cars/motorbikes shots and you want to get good background blur with a sense of speed/motion. But manual would probably be better...

And you cant do that in Aperture mode:) ?

kelly1

damiendar wrote: »

And you cant do that in Aperture mode:) ?

You could but it's hardly a logical choice when it's a consistent slow shutter speed that you're interested in.

DaireQuinlan

damiendar wrote: »

there is simply no need for shutter mode

jpb1974 wrote: »

The thing with shutter speed is that it can be easily controlled in AV mode by either adjusting the Aperture and/or ISO accordingly.

damiendar wrote: »

And you cant do that in Aperture mode:) ?

This is a stupid argument. You could argue the reverse just as easily. "There's simply no need for Aperture priority because aperture can be easily controlled in Shutter priority mode by adjusting the shutter speed accordingly". In EITHER mode you could keep the other setting at a particular value by constantly changing the priority value, but why bother.
Some people have a use for a mode in which the shutter speed is a constant, some people have a need for a mode in which the aperture is kept constant. Both are equally as useful as one another. Arguing that there's "simply no need" for one of the settings just means that YOU have no need for it, and betrays a certain lack of imagination

jpb1974

This is a stupid argument.

How can it be a stupid argument when nobody is arguing (well at least not where I'm sitting)? I never said Shutter Priority isn't required, it is useful for techniques such as panning for example. I just attempted to explain how I control shutter speeds based on the manner I work... but maybe I should have been clear that I was describing my own way of doing things.

I never use Shutter Priority... but I doubt that betrays anything to be quite honest, personally I just don't have any need for it for it.

At this stage the whole thing seems to be going around in circles.

The only thing that's for sure is that everyone has their own way of doing things.

spav

Paulw wrote: »

I'd shoot manual about 90% of the time, and aperture priority 9% (the other 1% would be me experimenting).

With manual, I can control both aperture and shutter speed. There are times, with harsh light/shadows, when the camera will like to set a shutter speed higher or lower than what I personally want. There are times when I don't care about blown highlights or backgrounds.

Obviously, this is all just personal taste, but for the vast majority of cases, I shoot manual.

Same here.

Just prefer controlling it myself, even if a lot of the time I'm just slavishly following the camera's meter. My camera has 2 dials, so adjusting the shutter speed and aperture takes no time at all. It also stops that frustrating thing where the camera selects a very slow shutter speed after metering in the wrong place - in manual, you'd spot this right away.

Horses for courses though, Manual certainly doesn't guarantee better pictures.