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10/25/2005 11:44:38 AM · #1 |
I've had my 20D for about 5 months now. It's a great camera. I use the manual modes, once in a while. Although it's really hard to get the settings right.
I was curious what the thought process is that those of you with SLR's go through, before you take pictures with manual settings.
For example, I went to an air show two weeks ago. It was around 8am, there was a slight fog but the sun was breaking through. I adjusted the manual settings, took several pictures, previewed them in the LCD and decided that they probably looked ok...although, realistically, it's almost impossible to tell whether or not the picture turned out the way I wanted.
When I got home that evening, all of the manually-set pictures, that I thought looked well composed on the LCD were all blown out...way too bright. Fortunately, I took quite a few pictures with the auto setting, so it wasn't a complete waste.
How do you know what the manual settings should be? Is it just years and years of experience, in every single condition...or is there a logical, quiker way to understand how to take manually set pictures?
Hopefully that makes sense. Thanks!
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10/25/2005 11:50:07 AM · #2 |
| Hmmm....I usually shoot everyday sort of stuff in P mode. For my roller skating stuff I always shoot in Shutter Priority. Lately since I've had my new lights I always shoot full Manual (only with the lights). |
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10/25/2005 11:53:17 AM · #3 |
| Someone else will do a better job of explaining the histogram than me, but one helpful thing that I didn't know at first was that if you set your lcd to display the histogram and thumbnail after your shot, if you look at the thumbnail, it will blink in areas that you've blown out. |
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10/25/2005 12:01:17 PM · #4 |
I use all the 'creative' modes in daylight outdoors, depending on what i want to happen.
P mode is probably my most favorite, and frustrating. If the damned thing would stay where i put it it'd be better. It will give you the proper exposre and allow you to adjust either T or A and the other will compensate. Do you want 1/250 for action, turn it to 1/250 and the A will adjust for a proper exposre. I get frustrated as the thing resets itself after every shot. I have been using it less and the others more...
If you know how much DOF you want for the shot at hand, use A mode. Unfortunately, in low light the T can go to 30 seconds long - so you gotta keep an eye on it.
T mode is fine as long the Ap is what you want, so i find it useful for action to keep the shutter at a given speed or to reduce camera induced shake.
M is the best, but requries watching the light meter bar. at least here if you set it, it stays set from shot to shot. This is also the best for backlit or snow scenes as you can directly set the exposure instead of fiddling with the exposure compensation.
mk has the best suggestion. you want the histogram to be as far to the right as possible without having the 'blinkies'.
if in doubt shoot RAW, as you can recover up to about 2 stops over or under exposed.
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10/25/2005 12:05:14 PM · #5 |
I never photographed an air show, but I imagine it would be very difficult to photograph in full manual. Light would be changing constantly, due to positioning with sun, ground, etc. I'm guessing that with an air show your panning with the planes and probably cross through a number of these variations before releasing the shutter. Also with the constant action your probably concentrating your energies on composition as opposed to exposure, little time left for second guessing the cameras meter.
Message edited by author 2005-10-25 12:05:51. |
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10/25/2005 12:07:37 PM · #6 |
I shoot in Aperature Priority 75% of the time. The other 25% is manual, sometimes to over expose, sometimes to under expose. My camera tends to expose to the light so if I'm looking for a certain, I don't know, mood, I will shoot a couple in A to see what I get and switch to manual to get what I want.
Its more of how well you know your camera and its reactions to different lighting conditions that has an effect. Hope that makes sense...
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10/25/2005 12:14:10 PM · #7 |
I would shoot an air show with shutter speed priority at around 1/250 (or whatever is needed based on the type of shot) and centre weight the metering so the plane is properly exposed.
The histogram is your best friend. If I had to pick between a preview of the image only or a histogram only on my 1d it would be a very tough decision to make as the image gives you the 'moment' and the histogram gives you the 'light'. |
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10/25/2005 12:17:29 PM · #8 |
i shoot almost solely in full manual mode, focus included.
part of the battle is being able to interpret both the light, and the subject. and that takes practice.
for the air show, however, i would have shot in shutter priority. setting a fast shutter speed to stop the action, and letting the camera chose the aperture for me. that way as you pan across the sky, the camera will adjust the exposure ( aperture ) according to the light. ie. facing into the sun would result in a small aperture ( f:16 say ). facing away from the sun ( f:5.6 say ). but the shutter would stay the same.
i would take a couple test shots facing in different directions ( and look at the histogram for each ), and possibly adjust the exposure compensation ( or the shutter ) based on my feelings about the test shots.
i would also think about what kind of image(s) i was aiming for, and weigh the exposure towards that end. ie. if i wanted to see the details of the planes i would try to snap shots when the sun was behind me. if i wanted to capture the interesting clouds with the plane silhoutted, i would plan on shooting into the sun ( almost ).
if i wanted to capture both ends of the spectrum i would focus on one end at a time...
in time it becomes almost second nature.
Message edited by author 2005-10-25 12:19:27.
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10/25/2005 12:26:45 PM · #9 |
Start with sunny f/16 as a rule and compensate for the conditions as necessary. It's easy with the 2 wheels that controll shutter speed and aperture, don't even have to take my eye away from the finder.
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10/25/2005 12:38:50 PM · #10 |
use the meter in your camera, and know which metering mode your camera's M mode is using. Just know that a bright or dark situation can throw off the meter, and you might have to adjust + or - a few stops depending on the situation.
use a grey card and your camera will get the exposure right.
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10/25/2005 01:05:10 PM · #11 |
Originally posted by mk:
if you set your lcd to display the histogram and thumbnail after your shot, if you look at the thumbnail, it will blink in areas that you've blown out. |
You learn something every day. |
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10/25/2005 01:08:59 PM · #12 |
yeah... use your histogram, it's your best guide, never EVER trust how it looks on the lcd for exposure.
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10/25/2005 01:22:00 PM · #13 |
Not sure about eh 20D, but the 300D uses evaluative metering for everything except manual mode when it is then center weighted.
Two problems with air shows - 1 is the sky is a large part of the scene so the camera ill likely underexpose the plane. To help fix that, you might use a lot of zoom, but then you need extra shutter speed to offset camera shake (from panning if nothing else). You could try T mode and then use exposure compensation to underexpose so the plane comes out properly, and this will still allow for varying sky lighting conditions.
  
I found that i had to shoot my 300mm lens at 1/800 or faster to get reasonably sharp shots under these conditions. |
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10/25/2005 01:22:52 PM · #14 |
Originally posted by Spazmo99:
Start with sunny f/16 as a rule and compensate for the conditions as necessary. It's easy with the 2 wheels that controll shutter speed and aperture, don't even have to take my eye away from the finder. |
10D has that? I thought that was a nikon thing. ON the rebel you have one wheel and have to push a button to change it's function. |
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10/25/2005 01:32:18 PM · #15 |
Originally posted by Prof_Fate:
Originally posted by Spazmo99:
Start with sunny f/16 as a rule and compensate for the conditions as necessary. It's easy with the 2 wheels that controll shutter speed and aperture, don't even have to take my eye away from the finder. |
10D has that? I thought that was a nikon thing. ON the rebel you have one wheel and have to push a button to change it's function. |
Two wheels. The main dial near the shutter button for shutter speed and the dial on the back for aperture.
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10/25/2005 01:36:23 PM · #16 |
I've been shooting full manual since the day I bought the rebel. Hell I've been shooting manual with my dad's little coolpix. I don't know, I feel more in control, and you get used to it after a while, start guessing what sort of setting would be apropriet for the picture that sort of thing.
I also suggest adjusting you LCD's brightest if the picture on the LCD and your screen aren't similar.
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