Gear Talk > EOS Bodies - For Stills

Manual Mode Exposure Question...

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kdw75:
I usually shoot in AP mode and set the ISO manually. During some of my daughters plays I have tried using manual with some success. I frequently use manual mode if I am going to have time to do a shoot, such as a portrait.

Reading on here I see that many say they use manual most of the time. For the ones who do this I am wondering how you go about getting the correct exposure in changing conditions. Such as a family event where some people are in the shade and others are inside or in direct sun. I can of course make it work, but doing so takes me 30 sec or so in some cases by which time the shot is no longer available. I always shoot in RAW so I guess I could just get close, but it seems like letting the camera set the exposure and then using EC when necessary is faster.

RLPhoto:
 Im really good at guessing exposures from experience.

awinphoto:
Not to sound flippant or anything, but practice...  usually i have my camera in spot meter mode, If i have green grass or some evenly lit mid tones, i may point my spot there and quickly set my camera realizing its averaging everything to 18% gray...  having it in spot pinpoints the area that it's averaging.  If i dont have a nice predictable midtone, i expose to the dark and compensate 2-3 stops depending on the degree of shadow and fill light... or visa versa for a white or light colored object.  Sometimes when i'm in a pinch with constant changing scenes, i may put the iso in auto...  Many wedding photogs use an expo disc...  fits over the lens, and quickly able to set the proper exposure and take a picture with it on, all of a sudden you have a custom white balance frame to use for your surrounding.  Once you get your base exposure, then you can compensate for how much or how little DOF you want, action or panning, etc... 

Kernuak:
Pretty much the same. I find that by shooting manual constantly, you become much more aware of the light levels and provided you don't get distracted, you know instantly when you need to adjust. Also, the type of shooting that I do involves a lot of shooting in the same locations, so I knwo how different types of light affects the exposure, for example, I know how much to adjust if I set my exposure on the water or even the sky. That means I'm less reliant on looking for something that equates to 18% grey in the eyes of the exposure meter. If I shoot in a new location, it does take me a little longer to adjust, but I'm usually in the right ballpark.

JerryKnight:

--- Quote from: awinphoto on June 12, 2012, 03:55:44 PM ---Not to sound flippant or anything, but practice...  usually i have my camera in spot meter mode, If i have green grass or some evenly lit mid tones, i may point my spot there and quickly set my camera realizing its averaging everything to 18% gray...  having it in spot pinpoints the area that it's averaging.  If i dont have a nice predictable midtone, i expose to the dark and compensate 2-3 stops depending on the degree of shadow and fill light... or visa versa for a white or light colored object.  Sometimes when i'm in a pinch with constant changing scenes, i may put the iso in auto...  Many wedding photogs use an expo disc...  fits over the lens, and quickly able to set the proper exposure and take a picture with it on, all of a sudden you have a custom white balance frame to use for your surrounding.  Once you get your base exposure, then you can compensate for how much or how little DOF you want, action or panning, etc...

--- End quote ---

Exactly this. Watch your meter, turn on your histograms, and practice, and you'll eventually be able to instinctually get "ballpark" accuracy with your exposures. From there, your histograms will guide you to the proper exposures.

I don't think there's anything wrong with Av/Tv modes, but I like knowing that I have full control over the exposure, rather than having the camera guess for me. The camera is usually pretty good at guessing the right exposure, but it's sometimes wrong. In those cases, I choose to rely on the manual settings, because I know it's backlit, I know the subject isn't perfect 18% gray, I know it's a mostly dark setting, etc.

The bottom line for me is that when the exposure is wrong, I know for sure what's to blame (ie. me).

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