AV, TV or Manual, when, where, why?

Probably a simplistic question, but as I am working to learn my camera, I have been using only manual control. It occured to me of that between AV, TV and manual control, I wondered what modes other people use and what circumstances dictate the usage of the different modes. -rick

M when you want to control everything. AV when you want to work faster, and you trust the metering system. AV lets you pick your aperture for creative purposes, for instance maintaining shallow Depth of field. TV when you want to ensure that your shutter speed is high enough, but trust the meter to do an adequate job on the aperture. I usually stick to M mode, because I started photography before automated models were commonplace and I like the control. AV when I'm in a hurry and I know that the light wont fool the meter.

Av: This is my default setting. I use Av for mostly everything because I like to control my DoF and trust the meter for most situations. If the meter is off, I'll compensate with the rear dial. Av is great for portraits and landscapes. For portraits, you usually want a shallow DoF, so you set your aperture to the lowest setting. For landscapes, sunsets, etc. you often want edge to edge sharpness which is usually achieved somewhere between f8 and f11. Also, if there is too much light, you can stop down lower.

Tv: For action, sports or moving objects where you need to freeze the image. I use Tv when taking photos of my daughter running around a playground or dancing and I set the shutter speed to 1/500 or 1/750 to make sure there is no subject blur. If you're on a moving vehicle and need to capture an image, this works well also.

M: I learned on M because, well, because I had no other choice on a manual film camera. Even focus was manual. However, over the years, I learned to trust the metering systems on cameras like I learned to trust their AF systems. I rarely use M now unless a specific situation calls for it. For instance, snow scenes, bright backgrounds, shooting into the sun, night shots, etc. The meter can often be fooled and I need to take over.

P: I use P for "professional" mode sometimes on vacations and when taking family snapshots.

alazgr8 wrote in post #15035640
Probably a simplistic question, but as I am working to learn my camera, I have been using only manual control. It occured to me of that between AV, TV and manual control, I wondered what modes other people use and what circumstances dictate the usage of the different modes. -rick

If I can't possibly keep up with the changing light, then I use Av mode.

I never use Tv mode, but I imagine if you know you need to maintain at a minimum, a certain shutter speed, like 1/500 and faster for example, then Tv might be the way to go.

Obviously, with both modes, you need to be mindful of the variable setting. For Av mode, that would be the shutter speed used. For Tv mode, that would be the aperture used. Of course you would throw in ISO in that mix as well.

When the lighting conditions aren't changing, then I am usually in M mode. The camera's metering system can be easily fooled by bright or dark clothing, glare off windows, or anything in the extremes (black tux, white dress, etc). The actual amount of lighting hasn't changed but if you are in Av/Tv mode, you may get inconsistent exposures since your camera is being fooled. In M mode, you set the camera up for what you would consider the correct exposure, and you will get consistent exposures frame after frame until the lighting changes. This has the added benefit of saving you lots of time in post processing, since you can make changes in one image, then apply to the rest of the series.

If the light is constant then the camera stays on M. In fast changing light it is on AV.

Av most of the time
Tv for the odd foray in to motor sport shooting
M for studio use

Pretty much sums up how/when I use the 3 modes

I learnt manual and good to do so if you're just starting out. I now use 100% AV for street and wildlife shooting.

Sorarse wrote in post #15035885
Av most of the time
Tv for the odd foray in to motor sport shooting

I primarily use Av mode and then M mode when I want to fine-tune things, Tv mode occasionally for panning

Examples on when I used AV and TV modes:

AV: When I'm sitting in a chair on the deck shooting birds. I'm in a fixed location, birds land at a known distance. To get most of bird in focus from known distance, I chose AV mode and set aperture value to f/7.1 In good light, I see 1/640 to 1/1250. Only variable for me is ISO setting, which I try to keep around 500.

TV: When you need a constant shutter speed to adequately stop action. Always used TV setting at outdoor daylight JV football games. Simply set shutter to 1/800 and allow the camera to select aperture value automatically. When the clouds roll through casting both shade and bright sunlight you see either wide aperture values (say f/2.8 - f/4) when it's cloudy or small aperture values, (like f/5.6 - f/8 or even higher) when the sun is present.

Both AV and TV settings allow you to raise or lower exposure value as needed. Both are good in certain situations. The two described above are just examples of how I've used each.

dave

Av: When my greatest concern is DOF or locking in the most light to get as fast a shutter speed as possible while still being handheld, as in when it's so dark and I'm handheld that I know I won't be leaving f 1.4 or 2.8 and I just need to be careful where my focus is at. Going for that bokeh, falls under DOF control. Some flash situations, where I want to carry a background.

TV: When the look I want is dictated by shutter speed. This can be wanting something specifically fast to freeze action, or something specifically slow to blur it. It can be anything from blurring a rotor blade, to freezing a splash of water.

M: When the results I want are not consistently produced by either of the above, or there is variable lighting that the metering is not adapting to well (gymnasiums with cycling mercury vapor lights), and many flash situations shutter to control background and aperture to control exposure in the flashed area.

P: When I want a flash sync'ed to 1/60 and I don't want to mess with the settings because I've got them dialed in in another mode.

Bulb: When shooting start trails or with the $1 10 Stop ND filter (that's actually about $20 by the time it's all done)

I'm yet to touch CA or program anything into C1,C2 or C3, And I've no idea what that green box is for.

Lots of great answers here. Most are similar to mine. I learned on a fully manual camera. I use Av or Tv when I don't want to have to think or in rapidly changing light. Trusting the meter is part of that but also knowing how to use the metering system is critical. If you know how to meter using the spot in the scene that you want to be the mid-tone and use the spot meter, you can meter then compose.

Same with Tv which I use specifically on sports and fast action when I have fast changing light.

Any time I have constant light I use manual. With manual you can fine-tune your exposure as you see fit without having to guess what the meter will do. I also always use manual when setting up shoots with off-camera flash. E-TTL is way too unpredictable and erratic when precision and consistency are critical.

AV - depth of field control. Sometimes you really want to blur a background. You may want to make sure that a certain portion of the photograph will draw the eye.

TV - for action. Either because I want to freeze the action, or because I want to motion blur part of the shot. Useful for blurring the spinning propellers on airplanes, or the spinning of wheels on a car.

P - program. Sometimes when wandering around with a camera will set it here. Then if something un-expected pops up I can just point and shoot. Might not be the exact exposure I'd have preferred, but I would have the shot. This has been a life saver more than once.

I shoot only M, mostly due to the fact that I know what I want. When I switch from shooting say a bird perched in a nice shaded tree and properly exposed and track the bird into the lovely sunny sky, there goes my happy camera meter and out pops a black bird on a well exposed blue sky. Generally I will check exposure before I go out hunting and make minor adjustments on the fly. Knowing how many Stops= x SS = x ISO allows my brain to develop a quick firing solution. But generally I run what settings I need for speed and Dof and then let auto ISO do the rest.

Nature Nut wrote in post #15037330
I shoot only M, mostly due to the fact that I know what I want. When I switch from shooting say a bird perched in a nice shaded tree and properly exposed and track the bird into the lovely sunny sky, there goes my happy camera meter and out pops a black bird on a well exposed blue sky. Generally I will check exposure before I go out hunting and make minor adjustments on the fly. Knowing how many Stops= x SS = x ISO allows my brain to develop a quick firing solution. But generally I run what settings I need for speed and Dof and then let auto ISO do the rest.

Doh! I keep forgetting about auto ISO. I think that is my favorite perk from switching from film to digital photography. Especially on this 5D3, where you can pretty much shoot at any ISO and get good results. Although I keep calling it ASA. I have to get with the program!

lehmanncpa wrote in post #15037357
Doh! I keep forgetting about auto ISO. I think that is my favorite perk from switching from film to digital photography. Especially on this 5D3, where you can pretty much shoot at any ISO and get good results. Although I keep calling it ASA. I have to get with the program!

Yea, its a godsend. And I like that one can set the limit. I'm usually good to 3200 then after that it's lightly noisy. But I see reviews on the big boys having a clean image out to 12,800!