Manual exposure mode - when do you use it?

OlyMan · Sep 27, 2017

Ok if your camera only has a manual mode, or has no meter, then I guess this question is moot.

Thinking of those cameras with both a manual mode and aperture or shutter priority, so that's most SLRs. (Modern digital cameras too for that matter.) When do you find you use the Manual mode? I.e. where you set both the shutter speed and aperture, as opposed to letting the camera choose one or the other? On my cameras, it's next to never really, obviously except the OM-1ɴ.

I tend to use the built in meters, so if I pick eg F/8 and in Auto the camera says 1/125th, I don't feel I'm really adding much to the process by being in Manual mode instead and dialling-in 1/125th on the shutter speed dial.
If I want a particularly slow shutter speed, eg 1/8th, I'll use Auto mode and close the aperture until I get 1/8th in the viewfinder (say F/16 for sake of argument).
In manual mode, I'd select 1/8th on the shutter speed dial and close the aperture until the meter tells me the exposure is correct, which would be the same F/16.

So same outcome, but an extra step all the time.

What's the attraction? What have I missed all these years? The only thing off the top of my head is it probably makes exposure compensation a tad easier. But I tend to be happy using the dial for that. EDIT: Oh and my OM-2SP only offers spot metering in manual mode, so I have used manual on that a bit, but that's an unusual exception.

Kevin Ekstrom · Sep 27, 2017

OlyMan said:
Ok if your camera only has a manual mode, or has no meter, then I guess this question is moot.

Thinking of those cameras with both a manual mode and aperture or shutter priority, so that's most SLRs. (Modern digital cameras too for that matter.) When do you find you use the Manual mode? I.e. where you set both the shutter speed and aperture, as opposed to letting the camera choose one or the other? On my cameras, it's next to never really, obviously except the OM-1ɴ.

I tend to use the built in meters, so if I pick eg F/8 and in Auto the camera says 1/125th, I don't feel I'm really adding much to the process by being in Manual mode instead and dialling-in 1/125th on the shutter speed dial.
If I want a particularly slow shutter speed, eg 1/8th, I'll use Auto mode and close the aperture until I get 1/8th in the viewfinder (say F/16 for sake of argument).
In manual mode, I'd select 1/8th on the shutter speed dial and close the aperture until the meter tells me the exposure is correct, which would be the same F/16.

So same outcome, but an extra step all the time.

What's the attraction? What have I missed all these years? The only thing off the top of my head is it probably makes exposure compensation a tad easier. But I tend to be happy using the dial for that. EDIT: Oh and my OM-2SP only offers spot metering in manual mode, so I have used manual on that a bit, but that's an unusual exception.

I basically have my cameras in manual mode at all times. Every camera I own including digital I tend to shoot full manual. Manual mode is full on control of your rig. You decide what the image should look like and set your controls to that vision. Hand held meters are a thing of beauty but meters are only as good as you make them. Understanding exposure and film latitude is what makes your vision possible. Setting your camera for the film and what you want to accomplish comes from you, not what the camera tells you it should be. Exposing for shadows may be a need , having 5 stops in the over exposure may be a thing. There are many variable and you need to decide, you make the decision not the camera.

OlyMan · Sep 27, 2017

Kevin Ekstrom said:
I basically have my cameras in manual mode at all times. Every camera I own including digital I tend to shoot full manual.

But why though, what's the attraction?

Paul Howell · Sep 27, 2017

With film Minolta AF, I usually shoot in Shutter Speed Priority, occasionally in Program matrix metering. Odd as it may sound I shoot digital in manual mode often 3/4 to 1 stop under the meter reading. I could shoot in program or auto mode and just set the meter for compensate, old habits die hard.

Kevin Ekstrom · Sep 27, 2017

OlyMan said:
But why though, what's the attraction?

I was editing while you replied.
Do you understand exposure? That's where's it's at man. Understand it and learn it. Know your films latitude make your own decisions.

David A. Goldfarb · Sep 27, 2017

I'm pretty much always in manual unless I'm handing the camera to someone else, so I can be in the photo. I might use aperture priority occasionally when lighting conditions are unpredictable and action is moving quickly, but it doesn't happen more than once every few years.

OlyMan · Sep 27, 2017

Kevin Ekstrom said:
I was editing while you replied.

Fair shout thanks for the answer & edit
So basically what you're saying in a nutshell is there's really no point if all you're going to do is mimic the settings given to you by the meter, but if you want to over-ride those 'suggested' settings for creative purposes etc it's easier to do so in manual mode.

Kevin Ekstrom · Sep 27, 2017

OlyMan said:
Fair shout thanks for the answer & edit
So basically what you're saying in a nutshell is there's really no point if all you're going to do is mimic the settings given to you by the meter, but if you want to over-ride those 'suggested' settings for creative purposes etc it's easier to do so in manual mode.

yes, there are many different situations that you need to make the call. Your meter is only going to give you an 18% grey reading of any given scene. Try shooting a snow scene and let your camera decide and watch what happens. I guarantee you your snow will not be white.

OlyMan · Sep 27, 2017

Kevin Ekstrom said:
yes, there are many different situations that you need to make the call. Your meter is only going to give you an 18% grey reading of any given scene. Try shooting a snow scene and let your camera decide and watch what happens. I guarantee you your snow will not be white.

Correct, but I find it easier just to dial-in +1.5 on the compensation dial, which is right or thereabouts.

faberryman · Sep 27, 2017

I usually shoot aperture priority, but use my OM-4Ti's spot meter for determining exposure. There is nothing magic about manually turning knobs to implement your exposure decision except in your mind.

Craig75 · Sep 27, 2017

Handheld nightshooting is easier in manual mode i find (although my best shots came out of a fuji natura which was purely automatic i think so im not sure what moral is there)

rrusso · Sep 27, 2017

It's all about knowing your gear and materials.

Shooting in manual mode for the sake of itself, is pretty dumb, imo.

Manual may be necessary in some situations, but knowing your gear, you can save time and effort by utilizing the functions of your camera.

For example, pro wedding shooter Joe Buissink uses P mode as a sort of "spot" meter.

So, nothing magical is happening when you're in M.

blockend · Sep 27, 2017

Almost always manual. Light meters are not intelligent devices who know what I want exposed or how, they want to turn everything grey. How can they know under the dappled light of a tree I want someone's face exposed properly and not something four stops darker. What about a face back lit by a window with sun streaming through? There are ways of automating intelligently, for instance Fuji put a nice exposure compensation wheel under your right thumb, but most camera's override access is less convenient to use than their primary settings.

There will always be exceptions, tracking someone running through dark, light, dark areas when confirming their identity is paramount, but for creative photography I want consistently exposed, easily printable negatives, and that means manual control.

Sirius Glass · Sep 27, 2017

Whenever I think that I need to open or close the lens from what the light meter tells me. The meters measure light but they do not know the situation such as a light subject with a light background [snow scene] or a dark subject on a dark background [black cat on a coal pile] both of which beg for an incident light meter.

Poisson Du Jour · Sep 27, 2017

Manual all the time. I don't let the camera — any camera, make any decisions for me at all. All metering is done separately, hand-held and with much more precision.

BayG75 · Sep 27, 2017

Manual most of the time. Sometimes because, as others have noted above, I may want an exposure different than the technically accurate one provided by my camera's meter (and setting the exposure compensation dial on my FE2 is little different than setting the shutter speed manually). But often simply for on other reason than I enjoy setting everything myself - for me it is one of the pleasures of using cameras that allow for all-manual control. Obviously there are times when I use an automatic mode of one sort or another, usually with fast-moving subjects, which is why I like using cameras that give me that option - one reason the FE/FE2 and not the FM/FM2 has been my main camera
for 35 years (I also used the FA and its three auto modes a good bit in the 80s and 90s). But otherwise I am usually in manual mode.

c41 · Sep 27, 2017

I find in-camera metering more 'fussy', it's one more distraction from the taking of a picture.
You have to consider where you are pointing the meter, and what the result is.

I prefer to meter, set a baseline, and adjust it from there to allow for shadow/sun.
Light doesn't change as much as you might think it does from delegating that function to a camera.

I don't want the camera to decide f/5.6 and 1/125, I want to decide that I might compromise on DOF to freeze motion, or that I want front to back focus and I'll risk the shutter speed and so on.
Or I can tweak my aperture a bit as the sun pops out from behind a cloud, or my subject moves in to shadow etc.

What you have been 'missing all these years' is maybe a slightly improved understanding of light/exposure?
But whatever makes a properly exposed picture is the right answer - and many SLRs are designed with Shutter/Aperture priority in mind, whereas I personally prefer cameras that are designed to be used manually.

I do have a 35mm film point and shoot and I use it as such, I'm not precious about using Manual mode, I just find it more intuitive in general, it's not like there's that many aperture/shutter speed settings to choose from.

Cholentpot · Sep 27, 2017

Manual for most of the time.

You see the meter might be great and all but it really doesn't take the whole picture in (haw haw haw). I want to get them shadows and highlights right. Granted for 90% of the time A mode would do just fine but where's the fun in that?

Seriously though, sometimes I want to shoot at f/2 on a sunny day and the meter says uh-uh honey. So I ignore it and shoot what I think is better. Or even better? I shoot cameras that don't have the option of any automation! Wow! Can you believe that!

Les Sarile · Sep 27, 2017

OlyMan said:
So same outcome, but an extra step all the time.

You made a highly simplified instance without consideration to a quite a lot of factors.

Area of the spot meter
Scene latitude and what is important.
Film latitude and what is important.

So you point your spot meter - which is what I prefer, at a scene - did you point in the dark, middle or bright area? How small/large is the spot meter and are you metering the area that will be middle gray? Given the contrast of the scene, will the film you are using be able to take it all in or will there be dark or bright areas you will need to sacrifice?

I cannot say that the point and shoot scenario where the camera's automatic meter agrees with my manual considerations has ever happened. Of course, if I am familiar with the latitude of the film and the scene is not challenging, I could accept the automatic meter results knowing I can handle any post work needed.

1kgcoffee · Sep 27, 2017

DSLR I'll use aperture priority with compensation most of the time, manual mode for panos and bracket landscapes. But I hardly ever use digital.

For film it is manual 100% of the time. Even if my cameras did automatic exposure, I will always prefer manual

Kevin Ekstrom · Sep 27, 2017

OlyMan said:
Correct, but I find it easier just to dial-in +1.5 on the compensation dial, which is right or thereabouts.

Sorry I had to go to work earlier. Your answer is not truly correct, you have to consider the scene. What do you do in a high contrast scene and what exactly do you want to convey, how much of the scene can you pull in on the given film you are using? A high contrast scene is a a range of light values from brightest highlights to darkest shadows measuring about 7 stops or more. There can be a lot going on. Not understanding how to use exposure will only hamper you as a photographer, your goal is to have complete control of what you shoot and complete control of all the gear you use.

narsuitus · Sep 27, 2017

OlyMan said:
Manual exposure mode - when do you use it?

I tend to use the camera's manual exposure mode and/or a hand held light meter ...

1. When shooting with flash.

2. When shooting with a constant light source.

3. When shooting under difficult lighting conditions.

4. When shooting a light subject in front of a light background.

5. When shooting a dark subject in front of a dark background.

6. When shooting with a camera with no built-in exposure meter.

7. When shooting with a camera with a non-functioning exposure meter.

8. When shooting with a camera with an inaccurate built-in exposure meter.

MattKing · Sep 27, 2017

I always use my cameras in manual mode when I use a hand-held incident meter - my preference.
If I have a subject or situation that demands shutter-speed priority, I use my camera in manual mode.
If I have a subject or situation that demands an approach akin to spot metering, I use my feet and my camera in manual mode.
But I do regularly use aperture priority mode with exposure adjustment.
I'm comfortable with both approaches.

RalphLambrecht · Sep 28, 2017

OlyMan said:
Ok if your camera only has a manual mode, or has no meter, then I guess this question is moot.

Thinking of those cameras with both a manual mode and aperture or shutter priority, so that's most SLRs. (Modern digital cameras too for that matter.) When do you find you use the Manual mode? I.e. where you set both the shutter speed and aperture, as opposed to letting the camera choose one or the other? On my cameras, it's next to never really, obviously except the OM-1ɴ.

I tend to use the built in meters, so if I pick eg F/8 and in Auto the camera says 1/125th, I don't feel I'm really adding much to the process by being in Manual mode instead and dialling-in 1/125th on the shutter speed dial.
If I want a particularly slow shutter speed, eg 1/8th, I'll use Auto mode and close the aperture until I get 1/8th in the viewfinder (say F/16 for sake of argument).
In manual mode, I'd select 1/8th on the shutter speed dial and close the aperture until the meter tells me the exposure is correct, which would be the same F/16.

So same outcome, but an extra step all the time.

What's the attraction? What have I missed all these years? The only thing off the top of my head is it probably makes exposure compensation a tad easier. But I tend to be happy using the dial for that. EDIT: Oh and my OM-2SP only offers spot metering in manual mode, so I have used manual on that a bit, but that's an unusual exception.

in the studio when using the strobes.

Bill Burk · Sep 28, 2017

OlyMan,

I think I know what you're wondering.

My own first serious camera after I graduated from college was an ES-II, which spent a lot of time on automatic at film's rated speed. Later I got an OM-4 which also spent a lot of time on automatic at film's rated speed.

But think about the simplest setting, where you are exploring a natural scene... not going in and out of the sun (that's what auto is better at), but generally the same shot with different compositions...

You don't necessarily want a different exposure for each shot, just because a branch took up more of one frame than another. It would be best to pick the "right" exposure for that scene and take five or six shots at the same setting. That's one thing that manual is good for... continuity.

Also auto sucks when the scene is spotlit and generally dark, it will make a really long exposure when a short exposure is right (and would have less blur).

I could go on forever giving examples, but these days, I go back and forth frequently from auto to manual.

Manual exposure mode - when do you use it?

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