Rethinking shooting in manual all the time...

JeffreyG wrote in post #10725838
When people tell you they use manual mode, they are not simply centering the needle for each shot. Doing so is silly, it's just a slow version of Av or Tv.

Using manual exposure generally involves getting to the desired exposure some way (this can be using the meter and the histogram, using an incident meter, using a rule of thumb....whatever). The point is that once you have reached that exposure decision, M mode keeps that setting for you. This is the attraction of M mode.

I understand that.

I'm just pointing out the foolishness of using M mode in a way in place of one of the automatic modes which will do the same thing.

I only shoot Av and use ISO to adjust the shutter speed for street work if necessary.

I consistently shoot manual, but sometimes use TV, and often shoot fully automatic (on no-flash) because there are times when I just want a quick pic and I trust the camera. It was designed by people who know a lot about photography.

Shooting in auto mode isn't weak. It's convenient.

Like I said, I usually shoot manually and in raw, but with a fast turn of the dial to the very end, I'm on fully auto, no-flash, and it takes great shots. Then I can upload quickly and be done with it.

Ebay, Craigslist, stuff at work. Point, shoot, upload, done.

Manual 95% of the time.

For landscapes where I want to decide how the image is exposed, Manual is the only one that makes sense.

For my occasional shoots at airshows or motorsport, it makes sense as well. Clouds dont affect the exposure of the aircraft and the colours of the cars dont affect the track colour (which would look very strange!)

JeffreyG wrote in post #10725838
When people tell you they use manual mode, they are not simply centering the needle for each shot. Doing so is silly, it's just a slow version of Av or Tv.

Using manual exposure generally involves getting to the desired exposure some way (this can be using the meter and the histogram, using an incident meter, using a rule of thumb....whatever). The point is that once you have reached that exposure decision, M mode keeps that setting for you. This is the attraction of M mode.

Exactly, except I don't see how Av or Tv are necessarily any faster, especially if you have to dial in EC to get what you want.

TheBurningCrown wrote in post #10725919
I understand that.

I'm just pointing out the foolishness of using M mode in a way in place of one of the automatic modes which will do the same thing.

OK, but they don't ever do the same thing; M mode locks in your exposure for you, and none of the automatic modes will do that. An automatic mode enables the camera to change a setting freely based on what it thinks you want. I'm willing to entertain the idea that there might be some situation where the light would be changing so fast that you couldn't possibly spin your dials fast enough to keep up; I just don't think those situations are very common.

As with most things in photography, the best option will be particular to individual needs. Some people really need to get the most out of their exposures and can't afford to have them be far off from perfect. Those people are probably best served by M mode most of the time. Other people are happy with exposures that are at least 'usable' and would rather not have to fiddle with their cameras very much. Those people will probably be happier with the automatic modes.

Phrasikleia wrote in post #10730062
OK, but they don't ever do the same thing; M mode locks in your exposure for you, and none of the automatic modes will do that.

AE Lock is always* available and does that when you need it!

*I don't think it works in green box though.

hairy_moth wrote in post #10730104
AE Lock is always* available and does that when you need it!

*I don't think it works in green box though.

Sure, but it lasts all of one shot or as long as you keep the button held down constantly with your thumb. Sorry, I just don't see how using an auto mode is any easier.

Back in the old days I used Av and Tv almost exclusivly but now that I shake like a leaf I prefer M. The other day I inadvertantly did some portraits in Av and only got a couple of acceptable shots. Will retake them using M but I am embarrassed with the first results.

Actually many people do use manual mode just to center the needle on every single shot so they can say they use manual mode, because everyone here said to use manual mode. It's silly but it is done, a lot...

i shoot a lot of OCF portraits - and therefore its all manual, not cause it gets me one more or less paid shoots, but its the quickest and most efficient for post processing... within the first 3 shots in a given lighting environment I've got the exposure that usually will do the trick until we change locations or pose or light modifiers or whatever.

OCF requirements aside, I find this saves me a ton of time in post - if every shot was a slightly different exposure levels, it would make post processing take longer, and that just isn't desirable for me

hpulley wrote in post #10730463
Actually many people do use manual mode just to center the needle on every single shot so they can say they use manual mode, because everyone here said to use manual mode. It's silly but it is done, a lot...

Nothing wrong with centering the needle.


... if you are centering the needle while the image in the viewfinder is filled with a gray card and you know that the lighting conditions are not going to change.

krb wrote in post #10730708
Nothing wrong with centering the needle.


... if you are centering the needle while the image in the viewfinder is filled with a gray card and you know that the lighting conditions are not going to change.

No need for a grey card if you can read a histogram. (And better yet use UniWB to get a histogram that accurately reflects your raw data.)

Phrasikleia wrote in post #10730764
No need for a grey card if you can read a histogram. (And better yet use UniWB to get a histogram that accurately reflects your raw data.)

Usually that's true, but there are times when the lighting will be staying constant but the subject and therefore the reflectivity will be changing.

Besides, shooting and chimping has nothing to do with centering the needle and doesn't even have anything to do with shooting in manual. You're going to use the histogram the same way whether you are changing an exposure setting in manual or you are changing the exposure compensation in Av/Tv.

Phrasikleia wrote in post #10730405
Sure, but it lasts all of one shot or as long as you keep the button held down constantly with your thumb. Sorry, I just don't see how using an auto mode is any easier.

I have autofocus set to * and AE Lock set to the shutter half press. As long as I keep the shutter half-pressed, the AE lock remains. Incredibly easy, actually.

I'm not against M mode by any means, but saying it's the one and only way to use your camera "correctly" is just silly.

I don't think it's a good idea to use any mode ALL of the time. A big part of learning and growing as a photographer is learning your gear and when to use which features or settings. The best blend for me has been to use manual when the lighting is fairly consistent. Sometimes I'll switch to Av mode when the light is constantly changing, but I may use exposure compensation to adjust for any situation that may trick the camera's meter into a bad exposure. I would consider shutter priority if the light was constantly changing and keeping the shutter speed consistent is more important to me than the DOF.