M mode on G6

I want to try using the M (manual) mode on my G6 for panorama taking because when I use the scene assist, I always get a change in exposure, shutter speed, or aperture. I would like for them all to stay the same. I tried to take one just now, but when I focused, I could see the whole picture, but then the screen went black. And when I shot the picture, it was just purely black. Does anybody have any tips on using the M mode or can point me in the direction of someone or a website that can tell me more about it?

In M you have to set the exposure. You can read the exposure by half-pressing the shutter button. You can read the exposure in the upper left of the LCD. Adjust the aperture and shutter speed until it reads 0 (or whatever exposure you want).

I don't think you can use the G6 in 'M' mode in panoramic mode, it s a function that sorts its self out. If i were you i'd keep it in 'M' mode so you have control, also set the cam to manual focus too, i use this option in all my landcape shots now because i have learnt how to set it up for depth of field front to back sharpness. The other good reason for setting the exposure in 'M' is when you want to do 'pano' pics you keep the exposure the same for all the other pics you are going to 'stitch'. Below is a web-link on the variuos settings for DOF with your G6, i have found it very helpfull indeed and use it all the time now, i also use the RAW setting too and edit later in PSCS2.

http://www.dofmaster.c​om/doftable.html

Good luck, read carefully in the above link, but my setting for DOF at the wide setting is 5 FEET, i have also learnt that when you are in full 'M' mode you can press your small black wheel and it will go through all three manual settings, i.e. exposure then aperture then manual focus. Please take note that you need to make sure that the manual focus is still set when pausing between shots for a long period, i.e. check it when you've finished climbing a hill or something.

The sample below is manual everything then i bit of editing in PS.......:

Karl.

HOSTED PHOTO
please log in to view hosted photos in full size.

I have one more question then. Karl, you told me that when I'm in M mode, that when I press the black button that it should switch between shutter speed, aperture, and exposure. But when I did it, it just went between shutter speed and aperture. So I tried pressing the exposure button on the camera, but it didn't do anything. Is there something wrong w/ the camera?

If you read it again i did say that when you're in 'M' mode and have chosen to use the manual focus you can click the small black wheel you use behind the shutter button, i can't make it any more clear then that, i only learnt this myself a few weeks ago on this forum??

I understand what you are saying about that button, I have used it myself for a while. But what you had said before about it switching between all 3 things, shutter speed, aperture, and exposure, it only does the 1st 2. I tried putting on the Tv and Av modes, and the exposure worked fine. But I can't adjust it in M mode. That's what I'm saying.

He meant exposure as in shutter speed. So the black button will toggle shutter, aperture and manual focus.

......at least somebody knows what i mean, that is spot on........

Thanx

Ok, but still, how can I adjust the exposure? I know there's an exposure button right above the White balance button. But when I press it in M, it doesn't do anything. When I'm in Av or Tv though, it does work. Can u guys at least tell me why?

In M you don't set the exposure, you read the exposure based on the aperture and shutter speed. You pick your target, say, 0 exposure. Half-press to see what you have. Then you adjust the aperture and/or shutter speed and check it again. depending if you got closer or farther away from the target, you adjust some more until you hit the target.

There are 3 major adjustments on the camera. Exposure, aperture, and shutter speed. In Av or Tv, you set the exposure and one of the two settings and the camera sets the other. In M you set the Tv and Av and then half press to READ the exposure. Make sense?

Oh boy.......when you are in 'M' mode you can not use the +/- exposure compensation, i found this frustrating myself, but in 'M' mode your exposure is controled by your 'shutter' hence why people will also call it 'exposure'. You could also use your aperture as your exposure too, (in 'M' mode) but then you'll loose your DOF. Also may i suggest that you set you cam to ISO 50 for even more crisper pics. I hope this has made it a bit more clearer for you now, there is nothing more to add to this, othere people have explaned it too.....!!?? ...Phew...

The screen is going black because your exposure is not right. You would also see in upper left corner the necessary correction steps to the right exposure.
I would suggest first to use P/Av/Tv mode and to half press the shutter button - you would get the necessary values of the shutter speed and apperture.
Then in Manual Mode clicking on the Main Dial and rotating it you could change the shutter speed and apperture values to the right values. It is explained in the Camera User Guide p.87.
One more tip - if you use Raw format and converting Raw to Tiff, then you would stich the Tiff images in much better panorama using Canon PhotoStich software. Using Jpeg images normally gives strongly compressed Jpeg panoramas. Raw is also the best when shooting night photos/panoramas/.
Greetings,
Roumen

......thanks for the tip, i'll remember about using the tiff myself when i get the cahnce to shoot for a pano pic.......

Yea Roumen, that was a great tip for me also. And thanks for finally clearing that up of me Karl.

....no problem, thats what we're all here for, since using this forum when i first got my G6 last November it has been a great help for me too.

Happy shooting..... and we want to see some pics here soon....