Confused by my photography class

I've been shooting fully in Manual, usually picking my f-stop, ISO, or shutter speed and then adjusting the other values to get the right exposure. Well, the instructor recommended staying in Av or Tv mode almost all of the time. She also said you should use those modes to meter, then you could step back, go into Manual, and dial in the values provided to you by Av or Tv.

Is there a "right" approach? IIRC, doesn't Scott Peterson's book say to put your camera in M and leave it there (I haven't read the whole thing so I may be wrong).

So it got me wondering ... how do most of you shoot? How do you set up your shots? I'd love to hear feedback from lots of people on this.

I usually shoot in AV mode... but there is not a CORRECT mode. Whatever gets the image on the card...

I think that technique is good if you do not understand how to adjust the 3 important things (ISO, Shutter & Aperture) affecting exposure... or you want your camera to spoon feed you with those settings.. otherwise if you can do it in M mode, then don't bother to use Av or Tv.. but i myself use these modes from time to time for fast action shots

Scott Peterson's book says lots of obsolete things.

EDIT: oops, I mean Brian Peterson's "Understanding Exposure".

I'm entirely comfortable shooting manual because when I started that was all there was. I've shot in manual for most of the last 40 years.

But now I shoot Av most of the time, adjusting exposure as required with the EC wheel.

Why? Because depth of field is the primary consideration for most of my shooting and I set that first under Av.

Occasionally I'll shoot Tv when following fast action.

And I shoot M when there is a reason to do so. What reasons?

- Flash, selecting aperture for DOF and shutter for balance between ambient and flash lighting, letting the ETTL take care of the exposure;

- Panoramas, where it's essential that all images to be combined have exactly the same exposure;

- Comparison shots where I don't want the exposure to change even if lighting does;

- Events such as a basketball game where lighting is uniform - I don't want the exposure to change between a player in a dark jersey and one in white.

I've doubtless forgotten a couple more reasons to use M, but it's just an option. Not a religion.

-js

I'm not sure why your instructor would say "switch the mode to meter, then back to shoot". I think she might have meant "in different modes, the camera will meter and adjust speed/fstop as needed".

I usually keep the camera in A mode, but if I have time, I like M mode, makes me slow down a bit.

I also will use P mode when it's something like pictures for eBay or giving the camera to a friend. But I really don't like how it always chooses some strange settings.

Interesting. I think I may try using Av mode more. I really like playing with DOF.

The mode you use will probably depend on what kind of shooting you are doing. M is nice if you are shooting in constantly lit situations where you need a set DOF - "set it and forget it" in a way.

I must be an OLD SCHOOL shooter. I always use manual, and I carry a light meter. Most Instructors look at light meters and ask why?

One shot, one photo!!!

TheMaggedy wrote in post #9871087
She also said you should use those modes to meter, then you could step back, go into Manual, and dial in the values provided to you by Av or Tv.

Seems a bit silly and inefficient to do that. Isn't that like looking up the answer in the back of the book then "showing your work" on the homework paper you hand in?

If you use Av/Tv to meter, then take the photo in those modes.

Shooting in manual is a good way to learn the relationship between aperture, shutter speed and ISO, but it isn't always the most practical way to shoot.

I shoot a lot of air shows and the light is always changing. It can even be different from one side of the field to the other. By shooting in Av or Tv, I up my keeper percentage appreciably.

i used to shoot in manual 100% of the time. However when walking about shooting street or urban scenery i have found that aperture prioirty is much quicker. i set the aperture and it will pick the shutter speed for me and i can simply click away on the fly. In manual it would take time to adjust everything to get a correct exposure and by that point the moment may have passed. I will still use manual when doing landscapes or anything else where i have plenty of time to make the camera adjustments but Av is my new deal. I must say however, using manual as a beginner has helped me tremendously understand my camera and the adjustments available to me and i always recommend being able to use manual. nothing bugs me more than ppl with dslr's in full auto, makes me cringe.

What class is this? There are reasons in each mode and why you should use it. When the scene has too much light/shadow contrast, dynamic range, I shoot in full manual mode. Would do a test shot in order to check the histogram for proper exposure. AV mode when you need to control your DOF (aperture) while letting the camera to adjust the shutter speed as needed to get the shot properly exposed. TV mode? I don't remember the last time I used it. DOF isn't a concern but the shutter speed is.

This is just a continuing ed, intro to digital photography class taught at the local arts school. 2 classes in and I'm not sure I'm going to take much away (I am about 6 months self-taught now). I was hoping for some 'aha' moments, you know? Maybe they will come when we go out to shoot next week.

What metering mode is she suggesting? I tend to shoot AV with evaluative and Manual with spot.

I'm in about the same boat as you. I've read Peterson's "Understanding Exposure" and "Understanding Shutter Speed", and I generally shoot images of my wife and daughter (that's why I have the camera primarily). I Usually will shoot in manual in the house because I have the flash on. When we go to a park or somewhere else I shoot in aperture priority mode setting the ISO and aperture and letting the camera pick the shutter speed. Either way though manual isn't that big of a deal even then as you can scroll your shutter speed via the exposure meter in the viewfinder.