How do you look at a scene and know, I need a 1/4 shutter, f/1.8 and iso 200? I have a D5000 and want to get away from Auto. Sometimes I'll switch into shutter or apeture priority but I don't know how to quickly decide on all the settings. I often shoot my little kids so I can't be fiddling around too much.
its all about light both iso and f numbers increase or decrease the amount of light let into the camera. iso numbers work on the principal that the lower the light level the higher the ISO so for a bright sunlit day you may only need an iso of 100 or 200 but in a dimly light restaurant at night you may need an iso nearer 800 and much is the same with f numbers the smaller the f number the larger the aperture so the more light gets in if its bright you will need an f number of 11 and if dark nearer 5.6. f numbers also relate to depth of field. if you want a shallow depth of field (so that the background is out of focus but the subject is in sharp focus) you want to choose a low f number like 5.6 but if you want the whole shot in focus like a ladscape you will need a high f number probably nearer 16 and again the same with shutter speeds, the longer the shutter is open the more light gets in, its just a question of playing around and seeing what works for different subject and lighting conditions, when you have it worked out you know what settings to use in similar situations. there are plent of books on the market and dozens of websites that probably explain it far better than I can but thats about the jist of it :D
Apart from reading the manual... in practice I found (though I started when the most advanced feature on the camera was Aperture priority), starting with using "Aperture" or "Shutter" priorities all the time, and learn from there. You will see the difference in the different settings make to the photos.
Building on what Viranod said: If you are shooting mostly your kids, then there likely is motion, which means your shutter speed would need to be higher to capture the action more quickly. I'd suggest you shoot in shutter priority mode and set it to begin with at 1/60, 1/125, or 1/250 sec. You'll soon learn how the shutter speed chosen, light conditions, motion, and f-stop/aperture contribute to the results you see. Keep in mind the faster the shutter (higher numbers) the less light will enter the camera - so you'll end up compensating elsewhere in your settings for that. (The links posted by @stkimage above explain this well!)
When I shoot with my DSLR, I almost always use aperture priority, because I'm looking to isolate certain elements of the composition or subject through focus - and then it's just a matter of adjusting my shutter speed until the light is captured as I'd like/as needed for proper exposure. Hope that helps!
If I have no clue of what to use as settings I usually take a picture of the scene in auto mode and see what the camera would do. Then I look at the picture and decide what I'd like differently (e.g. less blur, less bright, more DOF etc) and then switch to manual, using the settings the camera chose and go from there based on the general rules mentioned by the pros earlier in this discussion.
That's one way to do it, but sometimes I also just try something and see what happens. I have loads of completely black pictures because I did it wrong (Well, I deleted them but still...), but that's how you learn. Nice thing about digital is that you can easily try again. Sometimes trying a few random settings can make a great pic.
@elephantgirl snap! that's exactly what I do. I did have a point & shoot that did everything, I still have a point and shoot BUT I can go fully auto on the settings (shame about auto focus though).
Only other advice I could give is get a tripod once you have the shot framed you can then concentrate on the camera settings, just start with the same settings the camera chose on auto and just play with the settings, you'll soon learn what works for you and your camera.
Oh and I find the live histogram a MASSIVE help too.
I have a D5000 as well. The D5000 in manual will alway suggest the shutter speed based on your aperture and ISO settings. You can get a chart that maps out the relationship between ISO, aperture and shutter speed as well. But what I find and the best advice I was given when I was studying photography was go with your gut and don't be afraid to experiment.
Aperture (1, 1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, 22, 32) - the lower the number the more light that's coming in through your lens, also the lower the number the smaller your depth of field. The apertures vary with different lenses. The lower aperture ability the more expensive the lens in most cases.
ISO (film speed, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400 on my camera. Some offer a wider range of options)- This is how sensitive your "film" is to light. The lower the number the less sensitive. So in low light settings you might be forced to bump up the ISO. I try not to do this because it creates grain and takes away from the photo's quality. Your pretty safe up to about 800 but I dont like going higher than that unless I absolutely have to.
Shutter Speed - This one's easy. 1/1000 of a second is very fast and I use high shutter speeds like this to capture things like birds in flight, really anything moving very fast that you want to freeze. Keep in mind that your shutter speed will also affect your exposure. Say your ISO is at 100 and your at an aperture of 5.6 and your outside trying to get a shot of a bird in flight. Your pointed at the sky which will allow you usually to be able to get very high shutter speeds. So lets say you set it at 1/2000th of a second. bam. you get the shot and look at it, its great. then you see a deer and want a quick shot and just point and shoot. The deer photo is going to be black.
The higher the shutter speed the less time the light has to hit the sensor(film) and expose it. So the less light the slower shutter speed (or higher ISO) your going to need. I try to only adjust shutter speed and aperture. But if its completely necessary I will adjust the ISO. Hope this helps you out in pretty simple terms. I wasn't trying to make you sound stupid or anything just making it easy to understand. Good luck out there!
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When I shoot with my DSLR, I almost always use aperture priority, because I'm looking to isolate certain elements of the composition or subject through focus - and then it's just a matter of adjusting my shutter speed until the light is captured as I'd like/as needed for proper exposure. Hope that helps!
That's one way to do it, but sometimes I also just try something and see what happens. I have loads of completely black pictures because I did it wrong (Well, I deleted them but still...), but that's how you learn. Nice thing about digital is that you can easily try again. Sometimes trying a few random settings can make a great pic.
Only other advice I could give is get a tripod once you have the shot framed you can then concentrate on the camera settings, just start with the same settings the camera chose on auto and just play with the settings, you'll soon learn what works for you and your camera.
Oh and I find the live histogram a MASSIVE help too.
Aperture (1, 1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, 22, 32) - the lower the number the more light that's coming in through your lens, also the lower the number the smaller your depth of field. The apertures vary with different lenses. The lower aperture ability the more expensive the lens in most cases.
ISO (film speed, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400 on my camera. Some offer a wider range of options)- This is how sensitive your "film" is to light. The lower the number the less sensitive. So in low light settings you might be forced to bump up the ISO. I try not to do this because it creates grain and takes away from the photo's quality. Your pretty safe up to about 800 but I dont like going higher than that unless I absolutely have to.
Shutter Speed - This one's easy. 1/1000 of a second is very fast and I use high shutter speeds like this to capture things like birds in flight, really anything moving very fast that you want to freeze. Keep in mind that your shutter speed will also affect your exposure. Say your ISO is at 100 and your at an aperture of 5.6 and your outside trying to get a shot of a bird in flight. Your pointed at the sky which will allow you usually to be able to get very high shutter speeds. So lets say you set it at 1/2000th of a second. bam. you get the shot and look at it, its great. then you see a deer and want a quick shot and just point and shoot. The deer photo is going to be black.
The higher the shutter speed the less time the light has to hit the sensor(film) and expose it. So the less light the slower shutter speed (or higher ISO) your going to need. I try to only adjust shutter speed and aperture. But if its completely necessary I will adjust the ISO. Hope this helps you out in pretty simple terms. I wasn't trying to make you sound stupid or anything just making it easy to understand. Good luck out there!