Manual mode

February 19th, 2017
Hello everyone!

Now before I start, I understand the benefits working in manual mode and know that unless you use manual mode you aren't really using your camera to its full capabilities. So after being on P, S or A mode for most of the time since having my camera, I have decided to take the plunge and shoot in manual mode.
My question is " Is it usually very annoying when you start using manual mode?" I understand the way that it works, but it just takes the fun out of taking pictures because I am always fiddling with buttons to make sure the exposure is right. Is this normal?
For example, I just get it right for taking shots outside in the sun, then a cloud will come over or I go into the shade and I have to fiddle again with the shutter speed, aperture and ISO. By the time I've done that the bird or lizard or whatever it is has cleared off and I have nothing to shoot.
What modes do other people shoot in? I want to get better at using my camera and I am going to stick with it because I am hoping it will become second nature to me, but is it all really necessary when the camera will do it for you in P? Unless I want a particular effect like milky water, motion blurs or a particular DOF I don't don't see the point. I've been thinking about photographers like wedding photographers and how fast they will have take pictures to capture special monents, surely they don't fiddle with S A each time? Or do they? Maybe it's just me finding it particularly frustrating when nobody else does.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks x
February 19th, 2017
I tend to shoot in manual mode most of the time but this is mainly because I wanted to learn everything about my camera. But your right in changeable conditions I would use aperture priority otherwise you miss some shots.
February 19th, 2017
My mentor got me using manual and now I am seldom in any other mode. I keep ISO in auto most of the time- another suggestion from my mentor. After you use it for a while you will begin to figure out what works.
February 19th, 2017
the best thing about using manual is that you will eventually be able to look at a scene and figure out what you will need without thinking. The best thing about having a digital camera is that you can change to auto in a fraction of a second to get the shot without fussing.
February 19th, 2017
I thought manual was way too hard for me at first, and my dad (back in the day he was a photographer :D) told me that i should use it. So i have started using it and i really like the freedom that it gives me :) I dont know whether it helps, but i am 15 and i managed to get me head around it so i rekon you could!!
February 19th, 2017
A
I use manual but often will set my aperture to whatever I want it to be, leave ISO on 200 unless I REALLY need to change it and adjust shutter speed accordingly. It can be a bit fiddly at first, but as others have said already, you get used to it and can eventually figure out settings pretty quickly. Sometimes you will make mistakes and forget to change ISO or white balance or something and ruin a photo, but the beauty of digital is of course that you can just take the photo again
February 19th, 2017
I use manual mode when I have more info than the camera meter does (e.g. when I'm using manual flashes it can't meter for, or very long exposures). Otherwise, I use the mode that controls the setting I'm most interested in for the shot I want, aperture priority for DoF or shutter priority for things like panning/limiting camera shake/milky water, and use +/- EV controls to tweak it as required.
I always turn a camera back to 'P' or 'A' f/5.6 when I turn it off so it's ready to go if I want to grab a quick shot.
I think knowing how to use manual mode is very important, but it's more important to understand what factor dictates the shot you want.
February 19th, 2017
i think if you want to use manual mode you would be well advised to study old school exposure rules for film like the sunny sixteen rule and the exposure triangle to understand the basics of exposure then you are starting from an appropriate point and can just change one setting at a time until its right for you. i have learned this since taking up film photography and i understand much more what the dslr camera is doing now
i use p mode most of the time, as others say you can grab your camera and just shoot on the spur of the moment, but as you say there are times when you want to get more creative.
February 20th, 2017
I usually shoot in aperture priority, with auto ISO on. I set the minimum shutter speed at different speeds based on the lens, or the subject I’m shooting. This always gives me the depth of field I need at the lowest possible ISO needed to expose the shot without motion blur. It also allows me to set up a shot very quickly. I don’t have to worry much about my settings since they’ll be within the parameters I set.

Any time I do use manual mode, I keep auto ISO on. Since I can see the ISO in the view finder, I know if I’m pushing the ISO more than I’d like, but I don’t have to worry if my exposure is correct. The only time I turn off auto ISO is when I’m doing really long exposures or using studio lights.
February 20th, 2017
I use which every mode suits the occasion, that being manual when I have the time to fiddle with the camera, shutter priority when I shoot boat racing, or aperture if its a quick grab of the camera.. When I started getting a bit serious about photography, a very wise man said to me when I was venting frustration, just like you,... " Keep at it and practice. Soon it will come to you like second nature, like driving your car" Its nearly 2 years on and it does come pretty quick now. Hope this can be of some help and don;t give up. :)
February 20th, 2017
I use manual mode too, but have the ISO set to auto unless I am in very static lighting conditions... and yes it is hard work to start with, but once you suss it, all the other ways seem a pain. But, just occasionally I will swip to AV and let the camera deal with the shutter speed if I know it is not going to drop so low I end up with camera shake.

Keep persevering 🙂🙂
February 20th, 2017
I agree with @kali here. I am very familiar with manual mode as I use several old 35mm and medium format film cameras, where absolutely everything is manual.

However when I use my Canon digital camera, my default setting is P. Most good modern cameras do a splendid job in the auto/semi auto modes, so why make life difficult for yourself. I only switch to manual when I need to do so for long exposure, hi/low key shots or where a specific depth of field is important etc. I do however set my upper ISO limit to about 800 and then leave ISO in auto mode. This stops the camera using unnecessarily high ISO settings and introducing too much digital noise.

For me, framing, composing and capturing the moment is far more important than fiddling about with camera settings. Too much fiddling loses all the spontaneity of shooting for me.

Having said that, I think it is very important for everyone to practice and learn how to work in manual mode for the occasions when you really need it. Once you are comfortable with it you can then choose to use it as and when you want to.

But it's different strokes for different folks and there is no right or wrong way, just what works for you. For me it's the final image that's important rather than the technicalities of how it was achieved.
February 20th, 2017
Keep working in manual.....it does get easier. I almost always shoot in manual now unless I'm shooting a quick moving object....then I may pop it into shutter priority. It really does become second nature.
February 21st, 2017
I'm with @kaki and @swillinbillyflynn. I shoot mostly in aperture mode, change to shutter mode when I want fast of slow shutter. Set my IS0 at the lowest. I only change to manual when these settings are just not giving me what I want.
February 21st, 2017
@rjb71 @joansmor @deborah63 @dianen @swillinbillyflynn @pixiemac @delwynforsythe @sudweeks @kali66 @humphreyhippo @blueace @sasslater @phillyphotos
Thank you all so much for replying to my message and giving me very helpful advice. I will continue to use manual mode because I do think in order to get better at taking photographs it is important to understand how to use it effectively and with confidence. Once I feel comfortable using it and have a good understanding of how it all works I will then be able to decide what my default mode is going to be.
I am also going to give iso auto a try because it seems a lot of you do that. I was worried my pictures might turn out grainy but I didn't think about setting an upper limit, to be honest I didn't realise I could so I've already learnt something there!
Thanks again!
Emma x
February 21st, 2017
@emma78 do not be afraid of the grain. I remind myself of that often, but try to keep in mind that film has grain and it is okay.
February 22nd, 2017
I was like you, and shooting totally in auto, afraid to move even into Priority mode because I did not know what it was!
Now shoot almost exclusively in manual because I like the ability to take control of everything - yeah, I guess I am a bit of a control freak!
It did take a lot of fiddling around at first but it does get much easier the longer you do it. After a while, you will be able to look at the prevailing conditions (sun, shade, dark, etc) and just 'know' what to set your camera for.
It will then be second nature to automatically set your camera with white balance, ISO, aperture. shutter, ... the whole nine yards before starting your photo shoot in a particular spot.
The only time I find it really frustrating is outdoors shooting a sporting event such as a horse hunting event where they are moving from shade to full sun and back to shade lots. But that is so seldom. Most events usually stay in the same conditions.
I still remember my first 'Eureka!' moment when I 'got' it. It was such a thrilling moment that will be with me forever. That is when I gained confidence to move from just being a person pushing a button at pretty things, to taking my first baby steps towards actual photography.
I do not consider myself a photographer yet, but I have developed a love and knowledge of why my photos turn out the way they do.
And, delete has become one of my favourite functions which is a wonderful feature of digital. It costs nothing if I mess up!
I wish you luck in your journey along the manual mode. Have fun with it and I think that it will become second nature in no time!
February 22nd, 2017
@farmreporter thanks for your comment. I am looking forward to that eureka moment! I really like deleting photos too, picking the best one out and feeling happy about it. I think I am the opposite of hoarder.
February 25th, 2017
i haven't read all the responses, so i apologize if this is repetitive :) i shoot using whatever mode and settings i determine suitable for the particular situation and camera and lens i am carrying...

my set up indoor shots and any outdoor nighttime shots are done using manual mode... but if i'm wandering about shooting street, or daytime landscape, i am more likely to use aperture and exposure compensation adjustments...

if I'm shooting sports (e.g.: one of my kids' hockey games at an indoor arena with sucky lighting and my iffy telephoto lens) i will probably use shutter priority and a really high ISO...

i've actually never used the P mode and i'm not quite certain what it does ;p

anyhoo... there was a time i thought like you... but now i think knowing your camera and which settings will work best for which situation is using your camera to its fullest capability... a few years back we were on a group trip in canyon country in the US and i was trying to adjust my settings for every shot as we walked along... i'm convinced the 12year old with the P&S got waaaaay better pictures than i did with my dslr as he would just, you know, point and shoot, while i was fiddling with manual settings... :D
Write a Reply
Sign up for a free account or Sign in to post a comment.